Aquascaping Advice

[ThinIce]

The tank is 31 litres (LWH in CM 44.3 x 25.6 x 40.3)

I got it for a semi decent price - i'd rather have got something not quite so tall for my yet to be found Betta - but there we go.

I'm currently measuring the temperature fluctuations in my room - but I reckon i'll most likely need to add a heater to it.


Anyhoo, my question is - what do you reckon in terms of aquascaping in the limited space available?

Personally, i'd like

- Sand
- Something for the betta to hide in / behind that is as natural (or as natural looking, as possible)
- Some plants (will probably have to be silk fake ones because of lighting?) for the betta to rest on as the tank is pretty tall at either end with the middle - front left open for swimming)

Is there any natural plants I can get away with in a tank as small as this / with this lighting that would be appropriate?


Although I've been lurking up the forums for a while, I'm still a complete noob in practice and so would appreciate your advice

 

[flautist]

Did you mean 3.1 Liters, or actually 31 liters? How big is it in gallons?

I have a 2.5 gallon tank for my betta. All I did was put a silk forest (lots and lots of silk plants) on one side of it for him to hide in, swim through, and rest on, and the other side I left open for him to have swimming room. He seems pretty happy... he LOVES swimming around and through the plants.

 

[BettaMomma]

I think the tank is about 8 gallons if my calculations are correct - is that right?
Have you dealt with sand in a tank before? I've not yet attempted to go the sand route, although I'd like to one day.
You might want to consider starting out with some nice natural gravel to make your life a tad bit easier, but it's up to you with the sand. If the tank hood has a place for a bulb, pick up some compact fluorescent bulbs and replace whatever is in there with those - that way if you do get real plants, they'll thrive in there. Java moss, hornwort, moneywort, cabomba are all good choices for plants. Moneywort will grow very well even in the worst conditions and make the least amount of mess.

They really really like things like little caves and rock arches.

Do you plan to cycle it before your fish goes in?

 

[ThinIce]

lol I hate calculating these things.

The auction page told me

20 inch Rectangular Glass Aquarium

8.2 Gallons (31L

The dimensions are L x W x H in centimetres

44.3 x 25.6 x 40.3

A fish tank volume calulator http/www.ifocas.fsworld.co.uk/calculator.htm

Tells me its 45.7 Litres and 10 Imperial Gallons




@ BettaMomma - I'd initially wanted sand as I wanted to keep the door open for cories later down the line - however I'm not sure its really big enough so may consider gravel.

Apparently it comes with a 10w flourescent light - I doubt this is very replaceable as it runs off the same power as the filter mechanism / pump thats built into the hood

 

[ThinIce]

Just occurred to me they're probably including the hood in that measurement - so 31 does sound about right I guess

 

[flautist]

Well, as for the sand thing, if you do get sand, I would go with white sand. That way, it is easier to see the waste so that you can syphon it out.

 

[sunflower]

Yes I think white sand would look good too.

Personally, in smaller tank I like to see a decoration in the middle, maybe a rock structure of some sort and then the have a couple of plants surrounding that.

That leaves both sides free to swim in and kind of makes the decoration more of a centrepiece.

 

[Kiarra]

Java Fern is another excellent plant that doesn't require a whole lot of light.

 

[ThinIce]

Thanks for all the replies

I've got about two weeks of solid Uni work left and then I can start getting it all setup ready for its occupant so keep them coming



Shows the level of joy in my life currently I'm getting so excited about this lol

 

[RandomWiktor]

Ooooh fun, aquascaping for bettas.

They make these wonderful smooth betta caves that are just perfect for a small-ish aquarium. But, they are - alas - a hideous neon rainbow. I'm sure its why they are so cheap. I def. understand wanting a tank that isn't an eyesore, so since these wouldn't be an option, I guess the best advice is a very smooth surfaced natural cave. Worst comes to worst, you could get the smoothest one available, then sand any rough spots you find.

As for plants, bettas do love those java ferns! I've never tried real plants in my tank, but I'm sure there are types you could use. If not, they make some very realistic silk plants in a huge variety of sizes. Many are quite cheap as well since they come in multi-packs.

I've never tried sand myself, so I don't know what it'd be like. I find gravel easy since, if the fish gets sick, I can pull and scrub/boil/rinse everything. However, I hear sand is easier to siphon and gentler on the bettas fins when he rests on the bottom. There might be a sticky somewhere on the +/-'s of sand, but I'm afriad I'm useless for telling you where it'd be.

 

[BettaMomma]

Somewhat sadly, for most of us, the stuff we do with our fish is our greatest joy too. lol

 

[littlefishie]

I've got sand in my 2.5g tank and it's awesome.. I have to use a very small gravel vac for water changes though.

Are you looking at live or fake plants, or a combination? Forgive me if you mentioned that already, I'm slightly out of it at the moment..

 

[VickiPS]

Hi Thin Ice! That looks like an AA 400-series tank, or one very similar. I just finished fishless cycling and setting up one of these for a friend.

Sand substrate could be a pain in the neck for cleaning, as the sand tends to get sucked up when you siphon. If you're thinking about cories later on, a substrate of rounded pea gravel will be fine for them. You will need a heater.

For decor, you need to avoid items that have any rough or sharp bits, so as not to tear the betta's fins. I like to use river pebbles of different sizes to create a natural-looking substrate. Little terracotta plant pots, place on their side, make good hidy-holes.

Low light plants will do do okay in the tank -- anubias, java fern, java moss, cabomba, hornwort and elodea all work well for me. Anubias is particularly nice if you can find a nice piece of smooth, well-weathered driftwood to anchor the plant to. A lot of lfs's here sell driftwood pieces already planted with anubias, and they make a good centrepiece. It's a tough, slow-growing plant that needs little attention, and bettas love to rest on the leaves. You can mix real and silk plants to get the effect you want, and most bettas seem to appreciate a well-planted tank.

A couple of cories and half a dozen neon tetras in with your betta will make a lovely community.

 

[eudielynn]

They make these wonderful smooth betta caves that are just perfect for a small-ish aquarium. But, they are - alas - a hideous neon rainbow.

I bought two of the caves you mention and sanded the color off of one of them. Took forever getting the color out of all those little swirls. I was getting ready to start on the other when I found silk plants that matched those horrible colors in my LFS. I bought several different sizes and styles and made a pretty cool looking tank for Batista. He's such a dark blue that it makes a great contrast to his coloring.