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Help me put together the perfect 5gal luxury home

3K views 41 replies 14 participants last post by  ChoclateBetta 
#1 ·
Don't get me wrong, I am not a millionaire. But I am planning to have a betta tank at my desk at work, and for me to do so it can't look cheap otherwise I do get in trouble. So here is the thread: If you had a US$200.00 budget for a desktop aquarium for a single male betta, how would you spend it?

TANK: I'm very inclined to get the new Fluval V Spec, but I heard the filter is too strong for a betta. Along the same lines, any recommendation? There is a jbj 12 gallon on my local Craig's list for $100, but that's too big and too pricey, living no money for anything else. Unless you recommend getting that one if it is a bargain. I can go up to 10 gallons, as long as it is a decent shape for an office space and is not bigger than my desktop computer. JbJ looks awesome, and I really dig the black background. Anything out there similar for less?

Heater: No idea, not even where to start. the price range varies, and I don't want to spend more than the necessary money to get a heater. At the same time, I want something with a decent thermostat so the water doesn't get into 100F as I already read about. Please help me on this one.

Filter: if for any reason these nano tubes, fully integrated systems are not a good idea, please point me in the right direction

plants: I would rather have at least one natural plant inside the aquarium instead of silk one (I already read: no plastics to avoid fin damage). I really like the looks of the moss balls, but is there a plant that (no matter how ugly it looks) is beneficial to Bettas?

My purchase will take place in January. Between now and then I am reading about water quality, tank size, nitrogen cycle and everything else. If you can contribute with a list of everything I need to make this the dream home to this generic betta that I will rescue from the local big pet store, I appreciate it.

Thank you all in advance.
 
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#2 ·
At pet stores you can get a ten gallon kit for 50.00$ black sand, live plants, driftwood, and a weak filter or sponge filter it would be cool if you had plants like peace lilies growing out of holes in the lid.
 
#3 ·
Not sure the cost of them over there, but I personally would ditch the kit idea. I find a lot of equipment in kit style tanks tend to be either fairly low quality or not really suitable for a betta.

If it was me with that budget, I would purchase a 25 or 30cm Mr Aqua rimless aquarium cube. I would look into the Aquaclear HOB range of filters, as well as Eheim jager or Fluval 25-50 watt heaters.

Anubias, java fern, bolbitis etc. are really low care plants that are very commonly available. Best way to get cheap plants that are of high quality? Join a planted tank forum and become part of the community there. You can usually pick up lots of different plants in the classifieds section for a great price. Generally quite a bit cheaper than what's available through online or brick and mortar stores.

Plants like those mentioned above don't need artificial light, fertilisers or special substrate to grow, so are very budget friendly.
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
since pretty much everything else has been covered, i've got a recommendation for decoration/hidey spot. we just picked this http://www.petco.com/product/118880...nt-Ruins-Collection.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch up for Jack Skellington's tank and it's absolutely beautiful, and fully hollow with plenty of in-and-out openings for him to swim through. the tree stump on the top is open as well, so you could have some stem plants growing out of it into a canopy at the water surface. it'd be lovely in a little forest of anubias nanas, i think.

 
#20 ·
My betta got stuck in something like this. :shock: I thought he wouldn't be able to fit...apparently, half of him could. Just be careful and measure all the in and out openings. Block all of the openings that might be iffy. the Hydro Theo Heater SO FAR hasn't gone haywire on me yet, and I do suggest it. Good luck!
 
#7 ·
My main desire with the kits is just the fact that they are all self-contained with a nice way to hide all the components (including having the heater out of the field of vision). Can that be achieved with a custom set? Do they glue compartments or sell aquariums with hollow chambers, like the kits but with room for your on set-up?

It might be a good idea to drop the smart phone and go on a field research trip instead of checking stuff online.
 
#9 ·
most filters and heaters can be easily disguised through advantageous placement of plants and inserts. if you use a HOB filter (hang-on-back) you can place a few very tall bushy plants (either live or silk) in front of it to hide it from view (this will also cause any current from the filter to be dispersed and minimally bothersome to your betta) as for heaters, most are slim and tube-shaped, and don't stand out heavily in a well-decorated tank. you can also use an under-gravel pad heater, but you have to be more careful about the temperature since most aren't adjustable. if it's too warm, you can plug it into a dimmer to adjust the temperature.
 
#10 ·
I have heard and seen many Bettas like to hang out near the Heater they are curous and adventurous you should also get IAL if you are going for everything in a ten gallon you could keep some Dwarf Cories. You could also keep semi-aquatic plants like pothos in the filter in if in the lid the roots growing in are good hiding spots for Bettas.
 
#12 ·
#15 ·
My friend that is an experienced aquarist from Discovery Cove (a sister theme park of Sea World here in Orlando) told me to do that. I just think the amount of hours to learn best silicon, custom cut resin/glass, etc should be devoted to learn more about the fish and plants. After all, this is just my first tNk ever.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Don't really have any suggestions for you, but I do hear really good things about Fluval. Plus I think the style of their tanks is breathtakingly gorgeous. They ARE a bit costly, but I think they look their price.

I have a Fluval View, which I decided on more for the lid seal than the look of it. It's a nice tank and I love it, but the graphic on the back really detracts from the "pricy" look. So probably not the best choice for you... But I am perfectly satisfied with it's performance thus far.

Looking forward to seeing what you end up doing! :)
 
#27 ·
I managed to get a heater, filter, gravel, 7 silk plants, a betta leaf, a marimo, and all the water quality chemicals & tests, epsom & aquarium salts, and food for my 10g tank for $30 shy of $200.

You should be able to get away with just the food, water conditioners, deco and tank for way cheaper than $200 but I wanted to make sure I wouldn't have to run out in the middle of the night to Walmart to get much needed medicines.

Live plants are more ideal than silk plants as they help keep the water clean which means a bit less water changing, so as this would be an office pet, I'd recommend live plants.

Plus they look nicer
 
#28 ·
So far, this is what I have in mind:

Tank: low iron Mr. Aqua 12"x12"x12" glass cube on amazon for about 60 bucks;

Light: AL-12WM: Finnex FugeRay Unibody Ultra Slim LED Fixture - 12" Daylight +Moonlights. About 50

Heater: mini heater from hydor (15W) for about 15 bucks.

I just need help now with a good filtration system for a 6.6g tank that will not create a lot of current.

Plants will come once I read more, but with this light I can even ru some red leaves that they will be fine.

Same thing about gravel, substrate, ornaments and (if necessary) the silk plants.
 
#35 ·
Mr Aqua tanks are very good quality for the price, from what I've heard, so that's a nice choice! I have a 3.5 gallon tank from the "sister line", ADA, and haven't ever been happier with a fish tank.

For the heater, I'd bump that up to a Hydor Theo 25 or 50 watt adjustable. I think you can find one of those for 20$ or so on Amazon, much less if you buy from one of the third-party sellers linked on the website. Those 15$ mini-heaters aren't adjustable and could freeze or fry your fish. Plus, I'm not sure that such a low wattage will heat a 5 gallon at all.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006JLPG8/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

As for the filter, I highly recommend the Eden 501 mini canister. I'm running one on my 3.5 gallon mentioned before, and the flow is not too strong for my halfmoon male. To make the flow REALLY weak, you can use the spraybar provided with the filter and point it towards the tank wall, which reduces the current to the bare minimum. If Eden brand isn't available where you are, don't be tempted by Red Sea or Azoo Palm nano filters. From what I've heard from people on other forums, those filters are terribly made and break at the drop of a hat.
 
#30 ·
heres what i got

14 gallon tank at petco, came with filter,heater,fish net,tub of flakes and water conditioner and thermometer - 70 dollars

you can get the same kit in 10 gallon for 50 - 60 dollars. the filter is an aqueon quiet flo filter, it seems fine for bettas,

got a bag of black gravel for 15 bucks. u can prob get cheap snad for about 5 bucks some place.

1 piece of dritwood - 4 bucks

2 live plants 6 bucks.

a pack of fake plants with 3 in it - 10 bucks

tub if betta flakes - 4 bucks

betta fish - 3 bucks

a japanese style hut ornament 10 bucks



so all in for a ten gallon with some real driftwood and a couple live plants and a hut of some sort for hiding and your fish and food and all that stuff your lookin at maybe 90 - 110 bucks all together and your tank will look great
 
#34 ·
It is not ideal. You should probably make a new post if you have your own question or you'd like to know how to improve your bettas habitat, as you will likely get more answers.
 
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