Ive had this five gallon tank for a while. It has an anubius nana, duckweed, and whatever is in the bottom right corner (i think its java fern i don’t remember) I always look at it and feel like it needs something but i dont know what would fit the bill. Ive been looking for some driftwood but i dont have any spare pots to boil it in. Its only stocked with a female betta and bladder snails(?) that came with the duckweed. What do you guys think would look nice or that my betta would enjoy? (Links on where i might be able to get the item are also appreciated if there is a certain brand you recommend)
Any plant or decoration recommendations?
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NannaLou
Fish Herder
I love the glass decoration 
.
Lots more plants
If you put a background on the back of the tank the colours and look of the tank will change drastically! I like black backgrounds and card a black bags can be taped on if you don’t want to buy one. Fish feel more secure with a background too
.Lots more plants
If you put a background on the back of the tank the colours and look of the tank will change drastically! I like black backgrounds and card a black bags can be taped on if you don’t want to buy one. Fish feel more secure with a background too
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Some water sprite would look really nice! More plants in general, really. I would also tuck some of the decor (like the blue hide) closer together and more into the back edge/corners as it could make the tank feel a little more balanced.
Yes agree Nanu Black backgrounds always look sharp and tidy and make other things stand out against it. Lucky bamboo could be an option also. If you cant use bog woods you might try half coconuts and make a feature of them with plants maybe.
I think some Hygrophilia Polysperma would be great and you can trim it as you like.
I really like hornwort for bettas, as well as guppy grass, both are pretty easy to grow. Those float and my betta will often perch on them. Java ferns are also easy to grow, and you can attach them to different decorations using fishing line or super glue. The roots will eventually anchor to the chosen decoration.
Are the anubias and java fern planted in the gravel? These both do better attached to decor as the rhizome tends to rot if it's covered.
Boiling your driftwood isn't absolutely necessary. You could just wash it and scrub it properly, and leave it in a random bucket to soak for a few days so its water logged. You could also soak it in water and bleach solution (20min) or just a slat bath for a day or so.
I agree with what has been said. Add more plants, maybe some crypt or stem plants. You would need to cut the stems often tho. Bettas prefer a lot of plant cover so as long as you have that the fish will be perfectly happy
I agree with what has been said. Add more plants, maybe some crypt or stem plants. You would need to cut the stems often tho. Bettas prefer a lot of plant cover so as long as you have that the fish will be perfectly happy
I don't know that I would recommend soaking driftwood in a bleach solution. Wood being porous will undoubtedly absorb some of that solution and there is no way to completely remove it afterwards, leaving it to slowly leach into the tank water. Not a risk I would be willing to take.
I have heard that it works fine form DIY hobbyists but I never tried it on my own. You would need to let the wood dry before soaking it again, but even if it absorbs some bleach it won't be much. However I agree that is more risky then boiling or a salt bath.
I would think that even if it dried completely, only the water will evaporate and the compounds of the bleach would still be trapped in the fibers, which would be rehydrated once soaked again. Seems there would always be potential for some of it to come out in the tank. This is my thought, but I'm still too scared to dip plants in bleach solution too!
If you want to disinfect driftwood, either use salt or granulated swimming pool chlorine. The granulated pool chlorine does not have any surfactants (soaps) in and is just chlorine. It is safer for items used in aquariums. However, if driftwood is left out in the sun for a few days and allowed to dry out completely, there is no need to boil, bleach or salt it.
If you want driftwood to sink, just put it in a container of water outside somewhere shady. Leave it until it sinks, then rinse under tap water and put in tank. While the wood is soaking, scoop up any mozzie larvae that appear in the container and feed them to the fish.
As mentioned, Bettas don't really use driftwood and live plants are a better choice for them. Water Sprite (already mentioned) is great floating plant that can also be grown in the substrate. Some Ambulia grown along the back would make a nice back drop, and some Hygrophila ruba/ rubra could be grown along the sides.
The Anubias and Java fern could be tied to the ornaments so it looks like they are growing on them.
If you want driftwood to sink, just put it in a container of water outside somewhere shady. Leave it until it sinks, then rinse under tap water and put in tank. While the wood is soaking, scoop up any mozzie larvae that appear in the container and feed them to the fish.
As mentioned, Bettas don't really use driftwood and live plants are a better choice for them. Water Sprite (already mentioned) is great floating plant that can also be grown in the substrate. Some Ambulia grown along the back would make a nice back drop, and some Hygrophila ruba/ rubra could be grown along the sides.
The Anubias and Java fern could be tied to the ornaments so it looks like they are growing on them.
Akeath
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I think height is what you are missing. Something that would start at the bottom of the aquarium and then continue up to the surface. There are a few ways you can provide that.
Taller stands of dense plants toward the back of the aquarium would work well. Water Sprite, Wisteria, or Crytpocryne spiralis are good options. Many stem plants would also do, such as Ludwigia. There are a lot of options for background plants for such a small tank, the main concern is making sure they will tolerate warm water since it is a Betta tank. As far as bamboo goes - Lucky Bamboo is actually not a true aquatic, and if you put it underwater it will eventually rot and make the water quality dangerously bad. There are quite a few fake bamboo decorations available, though, if you like that look. Some people grow bamboo by keeping the tank without a lid and allowing the majority of the plant and all the leaves to grow above water, but since Bettas are a) jumpers and b) do best with a tight lid with no gaps so that they can have access to humid air for their labyrinth organ, I wouldn't recommend trying that sort of setup.
A branching piece of aquatic spider wood that's tall enough to nearly reach the surface of the tank could also work. If you don't want to boil it (I honestly just use my regular pots), you can soak the wood in a rubbermaid bought for the purpose so that most of the tannins are released already by the time you add the wood to the main tank. Soaking may take a week or two, though, whereas boiling is just an hours long process. But in a tank as small as 5 gallons, there are a lot of hardscape options that would work, including some larger resin or ceramic aquarium ornaments. I suggest you measure how much space on the tank you would have from substrate to just below the surface with a tape measure and then go to your local pet stores to see what all they have that would be around the right size. The pet stores I go to have never made a comment even if I bring my tape measure and hold it near decor to see how close it is to the size I want.
I also agree with the others that a background would be nice. You could choose a black one to contrast with the other colors in the tank and add a sense of depth. Or you could use one patterned to look like wood, rocks, or plants to give the eye the impression that there actually are taller things in the back of the tank already.
Taller stands of dense plants toward the back of the aquarium would work well. Water Sprite, Wisteria, or Crytpocryne spiralis are good options. Many stem plants would also do, such as Ludwigia. There are a lot of options for background plants for such a small tank, the main concern is making sure they will tolerate warm water since it is a Betta tank. As far as bamboo goes - Lucky Bamboo is actually not a true aquatic, and if you put it underwater it will eventually rot and make the water quality dangerously bad. There are quite a few fake bamboo decorations available, though, if you like that look. Some people grow bamboo by keeping the tank without a lid and allowing the majority of the plant and all the leaves to grow above water, but since Bettas are a) jumpers and b) do best with a tight lid with no gaps so that they can have access to humid air for their labyrinth organ, I wouldn't recommend trying that sort of setup.
A branching piece of aquatic spider wood that's tall enough to nearly reach the surface of the tank could also work. If you don't want to boil it (I honestly just use my regular pots), you can soak the wood in a rubbermaid bought for the purpose so that most of the tannins are released already by the time you add the wood to the main tank. Soaking may take a week or two, though, whereas boiling is just an hours long process. But in a tank as small as 5 gallons, there are a lot of hardscape options that would work, including some larger resin or ceramic aquarium ornaments. I suggest you measure how much space on the tank you would have from substrate to just below the surface with a tape measure and then go to your local pet stores to see what all they have that would be around the right size. The pet stores I go to have never made a comment even if I bring my tape measure and hold it near decor to see how close it is to the size I want.
I also agree with the others that a background would be nice. You could choose a black one to contrast with the other colors in the tank and add a sense of depth. Or you could use one patterned to look like wood, rocks, or plants to give the eye the impression that there actually are taller things in the back of the tank already.
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