5g Betta Biotope

[adadkins1]

Here is my attempt at a Betta splendens biotope. I have Miracle-Gro Organic Potting soil with a fine brown gravel cap. The lighting is a single 13W CFL @ 6500K for approximately 10hrs a day. The soil contains peat and has colored the water, but I have tried to enhance the effect with some of my DIY Blackwater extract and some oak leaves added. The plants are Cardamine lyrata, Rotala rotundifolia, and Hygrophila difformis. There is minimal surface agitation and my water stays about 77°. Wisteria is doing OK (would like more light), Rotala grows fast and in the past few weeks has sent out about a dozen new plants, and the Cardamine is probably my favorite plant. Thinking about doing some kind of trellis for it, your thoughts...

 

[adadkins1]

Anybody have ideas for my aquascaping? I am not the best at it, so I just kinda plop plants here and there. The biggest constraint is nothing needing med-high light can go in the left corner as it is the dark side.

 

[blackmolly]

i like it! you should add some indian almond leaves as floaters. betta breeders use them to condition bettas for breeding, and they will build huge bubblenests under them while they are floating.

 

[adadkins1]

I have the sunken oak leaves, so I may just rinse of some dry ones and put in. I had a little duckweed, but it seems as though it has died out. He has an awesome nest right now.

 

[blackmolly]

yeah... i didn't have much success with growing duckweed either... which is weird considering how invasive others think it is.

 

[adadkins1]

I know, mine is just taking its time. No explosive growth, which is kinda what I was wanting. Crazy how experiences differ.

 

[Sisserydoo]

I think you should put a realistic fake plant in the back left corner. If you put real ones in front of it, it will blend in and not look fake.

 

[adadkins1]

Actually, some java moss would probably live in that dark corner! Sorry but I don't own any fake plants.

 

[Sisserydoo]

Okay! I "planted" some fake daisies in amongst my real plants in my garden one year. No one found me out until they lived on into the winter!!! I thought it might work for you too

 

[adadkins1]

Okay! I "planted" some fake daisies in amongst my real plants in my garden one year. No one found me out until they lived on into the winter!!! I thought it might work for you too

I might give it a swing, wouldn't have to worry about pruning!

 

[Sisserydoo]

I haven't had any luck at all with a planted tank. I've given it up for now! Eventually I'll try again.

 

[Sisserydoo]

I have seen pictures of terraced tanks. A little raised area might look nice in the back.

 

[adadkins1]

It is very, very rewarding when you get the hang of it. I had my share of issues with my first planted tank; dead plants, too much light, not enough nutrients, more dead plants, algae, and the list goes on.

 

[Sisserydoo]

I know my main problem is the crappy gravel I have. I will try again, maybe soon since my tank is overstocked. I know it would help the water.

 

[DragonFish71]

I know my main problem is the crappy gravel I have. I will try again, maybe soon since my tank is overstocked. I know it would help the water.

Actually, gravel or sand is fine. It's all in how you take care of the nutrients and lighting. I have sand and gravel, depending on the tank and have crazy growth. I'm bad about adding nutrients, I actually had to set reminders.
Know what plants you want, know their needs:

swords are heavy root feeders, they benefit from root tabs.

Ludiwigi repens: does great with Flourish and an iron supplement, also grows great in BW (Iknowright!)

Anubias and the javas: do best attached to rock/wood, not buried, Flourish works great.

Crypts; root feeders, does well with Flourish, if you have any of the "red or bronze" varieties an iron supplement helps the color, I have a Florida Sunset crypt and some bronzes that the colors perked right up after I started dosing iron

This is what I used for 3 of my tanks:

Flora Base (added between layers of substrate, I have sand in one, gravel in the other 2) No CO2, 6500K bulbs, dosing Flourish, root tabs and iron (depending)

One tank has a mix of 3M black color quartz and Eco Complete, also CO2 running. Flourish, root tabs, iron

The rest of the tanks, excluding my BW (I only dose Flourish and iron once a month), I only dose Flourish and root tabs. No CO2, 6500K lighting, no Flora Base mixed into the substrate, nothing special. These tanks have gravel, sand or 3M.

My point is, you don't need to do anything special. Have the right lighting, right nutrients and you don't have to worry about "wrong gravel"

 

[Sisserydoo]

Anubias and the javas: do best attached to rock/wood, not buried, Flourish works great.

This sounds like an easy way to start I''ll look into it.

 

[DragonFish71]

I have the sunken oak leaves, so I may just rinse of some dry ones and put in. I had a little duckweed, but it seems as though it has died out. He has an awesome nest right now.

My bettas loved the oak leaves. They would slither down into them an "sleep"

As for duckweed, if you don't get any by time the weather warms up, let me know. I might be able to help you out.

 

[adadkins1]

My bettas loved the oak leaves. They would slither down into them an "sleep"

As for duckweed, if you don't get any by time the weather warms up, let me know. I might be able to help you out.

Thanks! I got mine from jetajockey, and it got here very timely and healthy. However I just can't seem to get the growth I hear of. My Betta loves the Oak Leaves and Rotala rotundifolia.