Planted Betta Setup

[hydrophyte]

Hi everybody! I am a new member here and I have a start on a setup for the top of the fridge in our little bungalow.

I got one of these awesome little 2-ish-gallon solid glass tanks and I want to set it up for betta and some plants. This will be a very simple little tank.



I know that two gallons is a bit too small for a betta, but I got the fish already and he is only about 1/2 size. I will move him into a 2.5 or 5-gallon when he grows up bigger and I also do lots of water changes around here. There is always a jug of conditioned tap water here in the kitchen that I use for water changes.

I wish I knew where I could get more of those little solid glass tanks. They are are nice.

I have some other pictures I am working on here I'll post more soon

[weluvbettas]

Hey , your tanks are great seen a lot of them on The planted tank forum:) Will the tank have a heater as it must be cold of top of the fridge?

[copperarabian]

Are you going to give him a heater? I know a lot of people seem to have happy and healthy bettas without one, but personally I would never have any tropical fish in a aquarium without a heater. I also think they are more active when they have a heater, as well as a better immune system.


That seems like a nice little aquarium :) today I bought a 2.5 gallon aquarium for my computer desk for my half crown female. I have her in my step dads aquarium now, but where actually taking that one down (I wish I could keep her in that, it's 15 gallons, I keep my male half moon king in my 48 gallon with my cichlid and he seems so happy having all that room).

[hydrophyte]

Hi yes I do have a heater in there, one of those Hydor 7.5W heaters.

[Littlebittyfish]

Welcome to the forum! I look forward to pictures once it is all set up.Planted tanks are lovely!
You might want to consider making a lid from plexiglass with air holes cut into it if the tank doesn't have a lid...Bettas love to jump!I had one betta jump up atleast 3 inches out of a 1x2 hole in the hood! Do you have any sort of lighting for your plants on top of the fridge?If not you might want to get a desk or clamp type light.
Also, two gallons is fine as long as you keep up with water changes. In my 3 gallon planted,unfiltered I do 2 water changes a week...1 50% and then a 100%.

[denaliwind]

Ooh I look forward to seeing what you do! That's a great looking tank! I want one!

[hydrophyte]

Originally Posted by weluvbettas

Hey , your tanks are great seen a lot of them on The planted tank forum:) Will the tank have a heater as it must be cold of top of the fridge?

Hi thanks so much. Actually up on top of the fridge it is a bit warmer because warm air rises from the element on the back of the fridge, but yes I am using a heater, one of those Hydor 7.5W units.

Originally Posted by copperarabian

Are you going to give him a heater? I know a lot of people seem to have happy and healthy bettas without one, but personally I would never have any tropical fish in a aquarium without a heater. I also think they are more active when they have a heater, as well as a better immune system.

That seems like a nice little aquarium :) today I bought a 2.5 gallon aquarium for my computer desk for my half crown female. I have her in my step dads aquarium now, but where actually taking that one down (I wish I could keep her in that, it's 15 gallons, I keep my male half moon king in my 48 gallon with my cichlid and he seems so happy having all that room).

Yeah this is a nice little tank. I wish that I could find more of them I do not know if they are still manufactured or not (???). I hope that I can keep this betta in there. If he grows much more I will have to move him to a larger enclosure.

[hydrophyte]

Originally Posted by Littlebittyfish

Welcome to the forum! I look forward to pictures once it is all set up.Planted tanks are lovely!
You might want to consider making a lid from plexiglass with air holes cut into it if the tank doesn't have a lid...Bettas love to jump!I had one betta jump up atleast 3 inches out of a 1x2 hole in the hood! Do you have any sort of lighting for your plants on top of the fridge?If not you might want to get a desk or clamp type light.
Also, two gallons is fine as long as you keep up with water changes. In my 3 gallon planted,unfiltered I do 2 water changes a week...1 50% and then a 100%.

Thanks for the welcome! Yes I do have an acrylic top for it already. I do have lighting there too. I have a 13 watt spiral CF lamp hung up above the fridge. There are a number of houseplants there and I also have this 2.5G glass vase with plants set up there too.

Originally Posted by denaliwind

Ooh I look forward to seeing what you do! That's a great looking tank! I want one!

Thanks!

[Littlebittyfish]

That is really pretty! I wish the top of my fridge looked so nice!

[Alex09]

I think 2 gallons can be sufficient. I have a 2.5 with java ferns and a rooted pothos vine (leaves above water). I plan on adding anubias later on. I do a complete water change once a week and the plants don't seem to suffer from it.

Also, do you happen to be from ThePlantedTank.net? I recognize your username and I know you are really popular over there. I remember doing alot of research over there ever since I started using live plants and more recently setting up my riparium. I think I remember seeing that vase setup over there as well.