Plant Question

[BirdofPray]

I would like to buy some Java Fern for my 12 gallon tank that I'm in the process of fishless cycling. Before I buy some though, what's the best way to keep it in the tank, i.e. Bury it in gravel, buy some driftwood or rocks and mount it on there somehow... Please help.

 

[cutecotton]

if your gravel isn't too "rocky" it should be alright to just bury the roots into the gravel (that's waht i do wtih all my plants). You usually see them that way in fishstores and such too.

 

[BirdofPray]

Alright, Thank you very much cutecotton. I had to ask because I usually see it in gravel, the smaller stuff like I have, yet at a pet store it said on the little card not to. Of course I had to run this buy all you guys.

 

[cutecotton]

np good luck with your plants have you thought about what ur gonan put the 12g after its done cycling? i love thinking about all the fish tha'ts gonna be int eh tank after all the boring cycling stuff

 

[BirdofPray]

I was thinking 2 otto's definately

then possibly 2 or 3 female bettas. That's the best idea I've had so far. I love bettas so I'd like to add the females or 1 male and maybe something else small. I've yet to be certain about the otto's tankmates.

 

[BirdofPray]

Here's what it looks like so far, hopefully the plants look good in there.

 

[tstenback]

Yes some java fern will look good in there and maybe a small cryptocoryne like wedtii they are low light low maintenance as well.

 

[BirdofPray]

Thank you tstenback. I'll have to write those names down for my next trip to the LFS

 

[cutecotton]

wow that's a lovely tank

i got 3 female bettas in 3 ottos (along with other fish) in my 25G and it's the cutest thing on earth to watch them females are really cute in thier own (most people dont' think they're as pretty as the other fish but i think they're wonderful )

otos are hard workers they do a good job at cleaning the tank

good luck with everything hope your plants turn out nicely (my first plants died lol)

what about some shrimps?

 

[BirdofPray]

I might add a ghost shrimp or two. I bought one and he's huge!

And cutecotton, Since you have basically the same idea setup as me, what would be the best numbers of female bettas and ottos for my 12 gallon tank.

 

[cutecotton]

well, i heard that female bettas should be in 3 or 4 so they can develop a proper pecking order. I heard that females will always develop a pecking order and if you only have 2, the weaker one would most likely be bullied.

And this is very true becuase i have 3 bettas and by the end of the 2nd night i can already see the dominant female that sorta "takes over" the other 2 lol.

since you have a 12G tank (assuming you only want female betats and otos), i'd probably put maybe 3 or 4 females (depending on how many you can find), and maybe 3 otos...according to the inch per galloon rule you shoudl still have room for a shrimp or two

so i would definitly recommend buying at least 3 (maybe 4) females for your tank shrimps are interesting to watch, they're not aggressive and unless your betas wants to have a nice dinner they'll porbably be fine in your tank

 

[BirdofPray]

Thank you very much. I found a place that had a bunch of female bettas so I'll have to get some. I've had my hand with ghost shrimp being called dinner too. hehe. But honestly, that one I took the picture of is huge! I couldn't believe it. I was thinking he might eat my betta

 

[cutecotton]

haha i was a litlte worried about my shrimps too, but they won't usually go for the live things, but will stuff anything that's dead into their mouths

i had to really struggle to find female bettas around my area i don't really like to order online becuase shipping costs like a million dollars, and my local LFS doesn't carry female bettas too often (i cuaght them when they did, but the females weren't really in great shape either).

p.s. how big's the shrimp?

 

[BirdofPray]

I would say maybe 1 1/4 inches. Well the LFS's I went to only had male bettas, but I went to one small one, and they had 3 6 gallon tanks that had females in it and I fell in love. 3 for 9.99 so I'll have to make a trip out there and save em. All this talk has got me wishing fishless cycling would hurry up. I need patience though, this is the first time I've ever cycled before.

 

[cutecotton]

lol yeah patience is really teh key i hope your tank cycles in time for the female bettas they are really adorable fish

p.s. that is a really huge ghost shrimp

think of how happy your fish is gonna be hwen yoru tank is fully cycled