# 5.5g Betta Tank



## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

Here's my new 5.5g Betta Tank 

Full tank shot









Betta that i got from Petco as a halfmoon


















This is the view i have from my computer.










The plants in the tank are:
Polygonum Kawagoeanum 
Echinodorus Tenellus 'micro'
ludwigia arcuata (seeing if i can find a place for it in this scape)

I'm getting green dust algae on my glass and i think the best way to solve this is to do nothing correct? Should i just wait for it to finish it's cycle in my tank? I just can't resist the urge to scrape scrape scrape :icon_roll It may be because of my low c02 lvls, i think i'll add another nutrifin canister i have laying around.

I think i will be doing EI dosing with this tank, just gotta find a container with small boxes in it so that i can just refill once a week and dump whatever days i need too. 

Thanks for looking


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## dthb4438 (Nov 12, 2007)

Really nice.


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## kyle3 (May 26, 2005)

great tank- great fish too!
cheers-K


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks guys 

In a few days, it will look totally different as i let gda run its course :redface:


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## matticusfinch92 (Mar 29, 2009)

Wow, both the tank and fish look great!

I'm a bit new to all this, so please bear with me  Are you using one of those co2 systems and soil or anything? Or just gravel?

I've been wanting to do something sort of similar with my 5 gal tank (which my betta recently died in after 2 years), so I'll definitely be checking back here to see how everything progresses!

Mathew


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks, although green dust algae is slow taking over my tank right now xD

I'm using 2 nutrafin c02 bottles for my DIY c02, but right now, i'm not sure if two of those will be enough. I may have to switch to using 2 liter bottles. There is only gravel in my tank, no soil or anything beneath it.

Be sure to post a pic of your 5 gallon! Sorry to hear about your betta though. Are you planning on getting another one?

I'm so happy, the e tenellus is starting to send out runners!


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## matticusfinch92 (Mar 29, 2009)

Yeah, I'm thinking of getting a new one, but I want to work out something for the tank first, it's pretty basic at the moment. 

Your fish and tank are beatiful! I've always liked the dark gravel/planted look, and I love the white bits on his fins!

My tank currently has natural mixed gravel, a potted anubias (I think), and a few random weeds I found in a pond near where I live.. but I want to change all that, it all looks pretty amateurish.

I want to do something nice and planted, but without co2, as I'm on a budget and want to keep it simple. Do you reckon that'd be do-able?


I'm picturing some dark rocks, piece of driftwood and a few plants, along with a nice pale betta...


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## emrextreme (Apr 20, 2008)

matticusfinch92 said:


> My tank currently has natural mixed gravel, a potted anubias (I think), and a few random weeds I found in a pond near where I live.. but I want to change all that, it all looks pretty amateurish.
> 
> I want to do something nice and planted, but without co2, as I'm on a budget and want to keep it simple. Do you reckon that'd be do-able?


With a low budget and no co2, you can do something simple but cool like this;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LubYMbtL23E

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d106/IMGFILES/mylittletank/thesides.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d106/IMGFILES/mylittletank/mybettatank.jpg


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## matticusfinch92 (Mar 29, 2009)

:O

I've seen this tank on youtube before... It's amazing!

The whole asian theme is great!
So that had no co2 or anything? Wow..

What sort of plants does he use, and lighting?
I'm guessing the ones at the back are some type of java fern..

(Sorry if i'm asking too many questions, I'm new to all of this)

Thanks for the links, gave me some more ideas.

Mathew


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## emrextreme (Apr 20, 2008)

They look like some kind of anubias derivative more than java fern. Here's list of anubias species (it's in Turkish but you can compare the names and pictures)

http://www.akvaryum.com/bitki.asp?id=26

or you can use the google translator;

http://translate.google.com/transla...m/bitki.asp?id=26&sl=tr&tl=en&history_state0=


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

emrextreme said, there is plenty you can do with a nonc02 tank 
Anubias, java ferns,mosses, and crypts work well with no c02/low light and a stem plant that doesn't need c02 that i really like for its looks is Water Wisteria.

In the Asian theme betta tank, other than the anubias, i think the stem plant in the gravel is some type of bacopa and the plant floating looks like hm.


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## Fishy_Fun (Feb 9, 2008)

That betta is gorgeous


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

Fishy_Fun said:


> That betta is gorgeous


Thanks  I saw him at petco and just had to have him xD

I'm faced with a dilemma, there isn't that much flow in the tank and it is causing some algae (imo at any rate because i notice places with less flow tends to get more algae) but if i increase my flow, my betta gets unhappy because of the strong flow.

I think i may try to fashion a spraybar out of a broken zoomed 501 canister filter i have. The spraybar for that filter is a bit smaller than the diameter of the outflow of the filter i have now though.


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## matticusfinch92 (Mar 29, 2009)

I had the same problem... They seem to hate having the filter turned up anything more than a trickle really, I used to turn mine up and find him the next day extremely stressed with shredded fins, trying to 'attack' the flow from the filter.

The spraybar might be a good idea, as long as he's smart enough to still keep away from the filter intake. My fish wasn't. 

What if you put the filter closer to the ground, or in a corner near one of the rocks so that the water can be dispersed around the rock? That might help...

But then again I'm a newbie so I have no real idea.


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## april_tanks (Jul 21, 2009)

Hey I was wondering, did you make that hood/bottom frame for your 5.5 gallon tank? I was wondering because I would like to make one or buy one for my 5.5


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

well, my dad made the hood and bottom frame for me 

The tank has changed quite a bit. It now has 3 red platies( 1m 2f) that i got from my friend who was downsizing his community tank a bit and adding an extra nano tank (which now has my betta lol)

GDA kept on coming back even though i tried to leave it alone for 2-3 weeks and then scrub/water change. So now, it only has one lightbulb on the right side which is above a narrow leaf java fern. 

I'll take some pictures sometime, but i just relocated the tank into my room so the fish are a bit stressed, the water is a bit cloudy, and my driftwood is all messed up lol.


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## april_tanks (Jul 21, 2009)

Oh I see. Well then I guess I will have to have my dad make me one too xD. I am going to use my 5.5 as a RCS tank. I think I'm either going to make the frame/hood white or black because the furniture in my room is white.

Can't wait to see some new pictures, I love red platties


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## crimsonbull57 (Jan 7, 2009)

hey, you ever gunna update this tank? I really wanna see how its lookin'


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

Ah sorry about the long delay, life's been pretty busy and i'm gonna go on a roadtrip tomorrow with my family x]



















The water is a bit dark due to the wood but i like it as it makes the platies colors stand out. The wood arrangement is sitting ok with me. I had used most of the manzanita i bought in my 10 gallon shrimp tank and so my selection for wood in this tank was not huge.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

I like it. The platies look great in there. What kind of java fern is that?


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks! 

Its narrow leaf java fern. A few months ago, it used to be in my 29 gallon tank. But some "thing" (i read something on the internet it it is some type of bacteria/parasite) that caused my leaves to become brown and start decaying. No matter how much i changed the water and added nutrients, it kept spreading. So i just cut off all the leaves and now its starting to bounce back 

Edit: Oh btw, i think that one of the females may be pregnant! I might add some taiwan moss from my shrimp tank for the babies to hide in before i have a chance to take them out.


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## Kayen (Oct 14, 2007)

Ooh dangg that's a nice hardscape once those ferns grow out it'll be awesome.


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## CobraGuppy (Sep 23, 2007)

Thanks! Yeah, i'm hoping the fern grows out more too. Then it can cover the filter a bit and flow with the driftwood


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## april_tanks (Jul 21, 2009)

If you ever want to get rid of this tank, you should send it to me because I will buy it xD I'm right by you in South Florida too xD


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