# 10 Gal Dirted Betta Kingdom



## kruzerman (May 24, 2012)

Someone needs to stop me. This is my third journal today; a nano and my main tank were first and both flooded. This one is still a work in progress. I found a great piece of DW at the LFS and it fits perfectly. This is a standard 10 gallon tank with MGOPS capped with black diamond. BD has to be my new favorite substrate, especially with the price. Here is the current scape. I think I am going to add more BD along the back to form a nice slope and hold in the DW. It is pretty precarious without all the rocks to hold it in place. What do you all think?


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## Barbgirl (Feb 24, 2012)

That is one amazing piece of driftwood!

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## SpecGrrl (Jul 26, 2012)

It is gorgeous! Can you glue it to the rocks to make it more stable?

Or aqaurium sealant?


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## SpecGrrl (Jul 26, 2012)

Also bettas are notorious for trying to squeeze into little places -- several have died trying to go through the small holes in the bottoms of teraacottoa pots.

You thus might consider closing some of the cracks with clear aquarium sealant, and possibly sand down any edges that are scratchy enough to snag pantyhose.

If it snags pantyhose it will tear fins, as I learned to my dismay in July.

But my fishy is all better now. Please learn from my mistake!


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## kruzerman (May 24, 2012)

I don't think I will be able to glue it in a meaningful way to make it stable. I am hoping enough sand and rocks around the base will do it. I know I need to clean up a lot of the edges and I am planting many of the crevices with java fern. I hope it will be enough. He has quite the set of fins and flares at everything.




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## zoragen (Nov 3, 2009)

Beautiful Betta!

Love the DW


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## SpecGrrl (Jul 26, 2012)

He is feisty and lovely!

I call our red male Sriracha, red, and hot tempered and imported from Thailand!


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## tinkerpuppet (Feb 13, 2010)

great piece of driftwood! And what a stunning boy!


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## oliver77 (Oct 22, 2012)

Wow. My betta would love to be in that tank. Great "homey" DW u got there!


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## Sd760 (Apr 25, 2011)

awesome tank I am setting up a very similar one. I love that dw. Also what light are you using? Flora u plan on stocking?


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## kruzerman (May 24, 2012)

For now I am going to be using the led lighting that came with the tank. I am assuming it is going to be low to very low light so I am going to stick with all low light plants. Java fern/moss, a weeping moss wall, lots of crypts and bacopa. All should grow slow enough to keep this a low maintenance tank.


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## MSG (Jul 16, 2012)

*I would only use that driftwood for shrimp......*

Unless you make some small modifications. 

Like SpecG mentioned Bettas are very inquisitive, at least the ones I've owned. 


A betta would try to swim through those natural cracks/splits in the CENTER of the wood itself. It wouldn't take long for a betta to lose most of it's fins or get itself wedged in the driftwood. 


One thing you could do is to jam a moss type plant or something similar into those cracks, so the betta can't get through.

Other than that, all the elements look great.

Sorry to hear about the other tanks you lost from the flood.


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

Nice setup and beautiful betta


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## kruzerman (May 24, 2012)

MSG said:


> Unless you make some small modifications.
> 
> Like SpecG mentioned Bettas are very inquisitive, at least the ones I've owned.
> 
> ...


Yeah, my guy likes to get into every nook and cranny in his current tank. I have LOTS of mosses and plants to get into those spots that might tear the fins. I have to pull the dw since i did find a spot that is too pointy in the back that i can't really get to. That will give me the opportunity to get everything nice and smooth. 

LOL, the tanks being flooded just meant that I filled them with water while in the middle of scaping. We weren't actually flooded, thank god. Going back and reading what i wrote, it completely sounds like there was a flood. This is the first tank where I am taking some time to get it right before the water goes in and i start the cycle.


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## SpecGrrl (Jul 26, 2012)

Oh good! No tragedy just planning!


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## Option (Oct 2, 2010)

kruzerman said:


> Someone needs to stop me. This is my third journal today; a nano and my main tank were first and both flooded. This one is still a work in progress. I found a great piece of DW at the LFS and it fits perfectly. This is a standard 10 gallon tank with MGOPS capped with black diamond. BD has to be my new favorite substrate, especially with the price. Here is the current scape.


What kind of substrate is that underneath the BD?? And yes, I agree with the others....that driftwood is badass looking!


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## kruzerman (May 24, 2012)

Option said:


> What kind of substrate is that underneath the BD?? And yes, I agree with the others....that driftwood is badass looking!


Miracle grow organic potting soil


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## Amandas tank (Oct 2, 2012)

WOW! That tank is going to ROCK! Lucky Betta! Bettas love to explore and swim through holes and under over hangs and this driftwood has it all!!!! I wish I could find a piece as awesome as this! Our shopes don't even carry driftwood...well the flat mopian kind. The BD looks excellent.


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## kruzerman (May 24, 2012)

I was able to clean up the wood a bit and remove some of the nastier bits and sand down some pointy parts. I am still a little nervous of tearing fins but I got it as best I could. I also added plants. Lots of java fern, a little java moss, crypt wendtii's, a val, some bacopa, some ludwigia, a mystery stem, and a lily. I also threw in a weeping moss wall to the back. I am not sure that is going to stay once the fish go in. I seem to have lost the power cord to my led hood that came with the tank so i threw on 2 5.5 inch clamp lights from the Depot with 13w cfl's in them. There goes my ultra low light tank now. If I keep these on here it might be too much light for the growth rate I am looking for. Should be good enough for the cycle. I added some Seachem Stability to give the cycle a jump start. 





































Any idea what this is?


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## kruzerman (May 24, 2012)

Sigh. The cycle isn't done yet.


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## Amandas tank (Oct 2, 2012)

I'm lovin the moss wall idea! I may have to do that in my tank! The cycling is something I haven't had to go through. When I got my original tank it was already over a year old. When I upgraded, by some miracle the tank never back stepped into a min-cycle. 

I have read others cycling "nightmares". From their experiences all I can say is try to be patient and let it roll out. Once it's over, you will be on your way and the cycle will be nothing more than a memory 

Your tank looks great!


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## kruzerman (May 24, 2012)

The crypts are melting. Is there anything I can do or do just have to wait it out since they are in a new tank?


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## dougolasjr (Mar 3, 2010)

I like the wood.


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## Amandas tank (Oct 2, 2012)

kruzerman said:


> The crypts are melting. Is there anything I can do or do just have to wait it out since they are in a new tank?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


If you haven't already, you should start a new thread about this in the Plant forum. Sorry I can't answer this one for ya.


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

kruzerman said:


> The crypts are melting. Is there anything I can do or do just have to wait it out since they are in a new tank?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


wait it out, that's the best you can do


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## kruzerman (May 24, 2012)

HybridHerp said:


> wait it out, that's the best you can do


I was hoping that wasn't case but I will wait... impatiently. I need plants that grow faster and stop right when I want them too.


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## SpecGrrl (Jul 26, 2012)

Um, seriously, please please please fill that crack with moss/silicone.

Several folks have lost bettas bc they tried to go through the holes in the bottom of ceromic pots, got stuck and drowned bc they couldn't get to the top.

One of my bettas went into a half inch airline tube and couldn't back out. Luckily 8 was able to save him.

They think if they can get their nose inside, it's safe.

Please. Prevention.


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## kruzerman (May 24, 2012)

Relax. Not quite sure what to do there. I have some Anubias that would work but are huge. Don't really want to stuff it full of moss and I am definitely not going to silicone it. I will probably end up with some anubias petite there but the tank is far from being ready for inhabitants. Whatever I do it will be ready.


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## StraightAddicted (May 20, 2012)

That is an amazing set up you have going on, just try to be patient because it will be worth it in the long run. Moss or anubias would be great choice either way. As SpecGrrl pointed out, the potential danger of damage is priority, and should be addressed before putting betta in. By looking at your setup, this isn't your first rodeo, so keep up the hard work! Keep us posted


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## discusplantedtanklover (Nov 17, 2012)

Gorguoes,driftwood you had there.


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