Setting up Planted Betta Tank

[mbooker]

I recently decided to see how I like keeping an aquarium, so I just purchased my first tank. It's a basic 5 Gallon that I'm planning to use as a planted Betta tank.

I already have the tank, with lid and LED light and trying to decide what other equipment I should be using. I see some upcoming Black Friday sales, so I'm hoping to get a few deals this weekend.

Hoping to buy an Aquaclear 20 Power Filter with the BioMax Filter and an API Master Test Kit. I'm also planning on a Hydor 25W heater.

I'll be cycling the tank before I buy my betta for it, but would like to get some plants while I cycle it.

I'm hoping to get Anubias, and Java Fern, and possibly more.

Anyway that's more or less my plan, hoping I'm not making any major rookie mistakes.

Thanks for the advise in advance,

 

[nirbhao]

Sounds like a great plan. Love AquaClear. You might need to baffle the flow. What are your thoughts on substrate?

 

[bullyboy]

That filter in a 5 gallon is going to be strong, youll eventually move up into bigger tanks though because the hobbie is addicting haha.

Cycle it with ghost feedings and get some Seachem Stability to get it going before you buy a fish.

Prime is one of the best water conditioners, and will be useful for sure. Id also recomend getting an API Freshwater Master test kit.
Log the readings from your tap as well so you have a base line for any future issues.
....keep a log

With a tank that size i dont think ferts or Co2 are going to be an issue.

 

[mbooker]

Thanks for the tips about the filter. I'll probably be using some basic gravel for now.

 

[nirbhao]

In terms of plants, you could do large basic gravel over a more plant friendly substrate or a fine basic gravel with fertilizers. Or, if you're not totally married to basic gravel, you could look at plant specific substrates.

I switched from gravel capped sand to just sand with my own root tabs. I'm very happy with how that's working so far.

Definitely second the Prime recommendation.

You have lots of options for a filter baffle. Or you could get a smaller Fluval (the company that makes AquaClear) replacement filter for the Edge or Chi. I'd say baffle. They make pretty plant holders or other decorations- or you could make your own with part of a water bottle.

 

[Copplanes]

highly recommending just getting a bigger tank to start with! i had a 5 gal for a while with my betta and have always regretted it. also, i've heard cycling is very difficult or not possible in a tank that small. keep in mind, with everything in it, and not filled to the brim, the water volume ends up being closer to 3 gal which is just not healthy. also, make sure the tank has aeration. and something to accurately read temperature. i've had a betta 5 gal for over a year and am still learning from my mistakes. save yourself trouble later on and start off with a bigger tank! you seem very well informed and i hope you love your new betta!

 

[Coursair]

5g is fine IME. I still have my original 5g Bowfront. I used gravel at first. I grew Amazon Swords that stayed small. I used LeafZone 1x weekly and Flourish Comprehensive.

Now I use sand with Root Tabs buried deep and a weekly squirt of Nilocg Aquatics All-In-One THRIVE. Super easy.

Terrible photo of my Plakat.
5g
Gravel
Screw in mini CFL bulb 6,500K
Crypts
Java Ferns 2-3 species
Marino Moss ball





My 10g planted with LEDS



I just threw in some new plants from a club meet, this all the roots floating [emoji12]

 

[mbooker]

Those pictures look great Coursair, thats similar to the kind of look I want for my tank. I'll look into the root tabs and THRIVE!

 

[HooKooDooKu]

I had no problems doing a fishless cycle a 5 gallon tank using strait ammonia to douse the tank (from what I've heard, you can use the Ace Hardware and Piggly Wiggly store brands as they only contain ammonia with no soaps added).

I found the 5 gallon tank to be perfect as a planted tank with a betta and some Ammono shrimp.

I've enjoyed using extremely fine sand as a sub strait for a planted tank.

 

[Copplanes]

I had no problems doing a fishless cycle a 5 gallon tank using strait ammonia to douse the tank (from what I've heard, you can use the Ace Hardware and Piggly Wiggly store brands as they only contain ammonia with no soaps added).

I found the 5 gallon tank to be perfect as a planted tank with a betta and some Ammono shrimp.

I've enjoyed using extremely fine sand as a sub strait for a planted tank.

would you be willing to give me more specific instructions as to how you did this?

 

[HooKooDooKu]

would you be willing to give me more specific instructions as to how you did this?

I don't recall much of anything that was all that special.

I started with a Marineland 5 gallon corner tank. I did a fishless cycle based on the articles in the sticky thread at the top of the "getting started" sub-forum.

The only details about that that I can recall is that I used Ace Hardware Brand ammonia and API test kits and never changed out any of the water until the cycle was well into producing large amounts of Nitrates.

I found that API liquid test kits were best as measuring small values, such as trying to get the ammonia levels to 4ppm. The strips were much better if you needed to measure a high level (like when nitrates started hitting >100ppm.

I used ultra-fine sand from PetSupplyPlus as the sub-strait (well washed to the point where you could stir up the sand in the tank and in 1 minute, all the sand would have fallen out of the water column and the water was perfectly clear again).

For plants, I used Anubis and Water Sprite. I also included a small piece of drift wood. I also replaced the incandescent bulb that came with the tank with a CFL that had a very high temperature color (5000K I think... where as a typical 'Cool White' bulb is something like 2500K).

Once the tank was cycled (took about a month to 6 weeks I believe) I got a betta and ammono shrimp via mail order. The shrimp had places to hide in the drift wood and I found that the betta didn't bother them much while they were out of sight.

Once the tank was established, I did have issues with algae. I found it difficult to get enough light in the tank for anything but low light plants like anubis to survive, yet not so much that algae was growing all over the anubis.

The water sprite did very well because it grows very fast. As older branches would die or get covered in algae, I simply snipped them out of the tank.

Things like water wisteria, vallisneria, ludwigia, and cabomba just wouldn't survive.


I now have a 13gallon tank that is 16" tall with room and a few LED hood lights for light source. The water sprite is doing great.

 

[Ashenwelt]

I don't recall much of anything that was all that special.

I started with a Marineland 5 gallon corner tank. I did a fishless cycle based on the articles in the sticky thread at the top of the "getting started" sub-forum.

The only details about that that I can recall is that I used Ace Hardware Brand ammonia and API test kits and never changed out any of the water until the cycle was well into producing large amounts of Nitrates.

I found that API liquid test kits were best as measuring small values, such as trying to get the ammonia levels to 4ppm. The strips were much better if you needed to measure a high level (like when nitrates started hitting >100ppm.

I used ultra-fine sand from PetSupplyPlus as the sub-strait (well washed to the point where you could stir up the sand in the tank and in 1 minute, all the sand would have fallen out of the water column and the water was perfectly clear again).

For plants, I used Anubis and Water Sprite. I also included a small piece of drift wood. I also replaced the incandescent bulb that came with the tank with a CFL that had a very high temperature color (5000K I think... where as a typical 'Cool White' bulb is something like 2500K).

Once the tank was cycled (took about a month to 6 weeks I believe) I got a betta and ammono shrimp via mail order. The shrimp had places to hide in the drift wood and I found that the betta didn't bother them much while they were out of sight.

Once the tank was established, I did have issues with algae. I found it difficult to get enough light in the tank for anything but low light plants like anubis to survive, yet not so much that algae was growing all over the anubis.

The water sprite did very well because it grows very fast. As older branches would die or get covered in algae, I simply snipped them out of the tank.

Things like water wisteria, vallisneria, ludwigia, and cabomba just wouldn't survive.


I now have a 13gallon tank that is 16" tall with room and a few LED hood lights for light source. The water sprite is doing great.

I would recommend 6500K - 7000K for the light. 5000K is not a good growth color temp.... though 2500K was a non-starter.

I love my planted 5 gallon betta tank.