# New 5 Gallon Tank for Betta Fish



## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

I just bought a 5 gallon tank for my new betta fish Poppy, and I want to do the Walstad method. The tank will be in a room with natural light, but there's no direct sunlight. Here are the specs of the tank:

High-output 7000K LED with all-aluminum, waterproof casing for enhanced plant growth and fish colors
LED also features convenient touch-start day and night illumination
Powerful 3-stage filtration for superior water quality
Oversized mechanical (foam), chemical (carbon) and biological (Biomax) media included
Dimensions: 20.5 x 11.6 x 7.5"
I'm going to modify the filter so it's not as strong because it's for a betta. I'll have a 50W heater that I'll keep around 80 degrees.

Will this tank work for the Walstad method? 

I'm also wondering if I'll need aquascaping tools for a 5 gallon tank? 

And if I can use this gravel, or if I should get something different: CaribSea Super Natural Snowy River Aquarium Gravel | fish Gravel, Sand & Stones | PetSmart

I have a wonderful local fish store here in Seattle with beautiful all natural tanks, where I'm sure I can buy the soil and plants I need. Hopefully they can also test the water for me before I put my fish in.

Thanks in advance for the advice!


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

For a Walstad tank you do not need chemical or biological filtration, so take those media out. The gravel will work, but the particles are a little larger than ideal. This makes planting more difficult. IMO the only essential"aquascaping" tool is long forceps--I can't imagine planting without them. Any long stainless steel forceps will work, I got my first ones from a hardware store.

Good luck and have fun!


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

Michael said:


> For a Walstad tank you do not need chemical or biological filtration, so take those media out. The gravel will work, but the particles are a little larger than ideal. This makes planting more difficult. IMO the only essential"aquascaping" tool is long forceps--I can't imagine planting without them. Any long stainless steel forceps will work, I got my first ones from a hardware store.
> 
> Good luck and have fun!


Thank you! I'll get finer gravel, I can see large gravel would be harder to manage. Good to know I don't need all the chemicals, I'll remove those. And I'll get some forceps! Can't wait to get the tank in the mail and get started.


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

Noahlikesfish said:


> 50 watts is going to boil that water if it shuts down. I’d be concerned about that. Also you gotta remember that warmer water causes faster fish metabolism and algae growth. Which means that you will have a crazy fight with algae. I’d get like a 10 watt (or 1000 lumens) floodlight and dim it and get it in a lower kelvin (3000-5000 looks nice) then you can grow any plant you want and the betta will be less stressed. In my opinion, in most tanks you should try to keep the lighting dim because it’s healthier for the fish.


Thanks! What do you mean it will boil the water? I'm not familiar with that risk!

Normally my home is 61 degrees at night, so I thought I'd need a stronger heater to keep the water at the right temp.


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## Endler'sGame (Aug 25, 2020)

KristenBellevueWA said:


> Thanks! What do you mean it will boil the water? I'm not familiar with that risk!
> 
> Normally my home is 61 degrees at night, so I thought I'd need a stronger heater to keep the water at the right temp.


You'll be just fine! No need to be concerned with the hyperbole and immaturity that has inundated the forum lately! 

I have the below 10w heater in a little 1.5 gallon snail tank, my house gets down to the low 60s at night and it does struggle to keep the tank above even 70 so I think a 50w heater would be appropriate. _shrug_









Aqueon Mini Heater for Desktop Aquariums


Pet Mountain is a leading online pet supply retailer offering low prices and free shipping obsessed with making sure your pets are happy and healthy. Shop online for pet products at amazing prices and have them delivered to your door.




www.petmountain.com


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## jake37 (Mar 18, 2021)

I would leave the sponge in the filter - it might not be 'walstad' but it won't cause any harm. Also the sponge will hold far more bacteria than 'biomax' media.
--
For substrate i would recommend caribsea torpedo beach, peace river or crystal river. Do not use moonlight or sunset gold.
-
If you want details on the size of the grains of the various substrate you can go here:









Marine Substrates - CaribSea


ARAG-ALIVE!™ ARAGONITE CORAline™ OCEAN DIRECT™ AQUACULTURE GRAVEL ARAG-ALIVE!™You can now bring the world’s most exotic reefs into your home with CaribSea’s Arag-Alive!™ substrates. Eight environmentally accurate ecoscapes, developed through CaribSea’s cooperation with public aquariums and...




caribsea.com




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If the substrate is too fine (moonlight and sunset gold) there is a tendency to build up anorabic activity which can cause other problems - this can be avoided by having a decent current which you probably would not have in your tank.
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If you want a black substrate i have found estes stoney river to be excellent - with a fairly fine grain that won't compact and will readily 'breath'.
--
The original substrate you chose was 4-5mm in size - the ones i mentioned range from .5 to 2mm - the ones i suggested you avoid are around 0.25-0.5mm


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

jake37 said:


> I would leave the sponge in the filter - it might not be 'walstad' but it won't cause any harm. Also the sponge will hold far more bacteria than 'biomax' media.
> --
> For substrate i would recommend caribsea torpedo beach, peace river or crystal river. Do not use moonlight or sunset gold.
> -
> ...


Thanks! Yesterday the aquarium store sold me Tropical River Sand by Aqua Design to put on top of the gravel. I'm not sure what size it is, but it's pretty fine. That's what they recommended for a Walstad fish tank:









Tropical River Sand - DOOA


A natural sand that simulates a river bank environment. The slightly larger grains help in making detritus and debris less noticeable. Comes in 2.5kg bags.




aqualabaquaria.com


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

Noahlikesfish said:


> They are probably trying To get money, have you used it? Because 20$ for sand (not very good for a walstad tank) is way overpriced. I could get 50lbs of that stuff for 5$ at home depot . Most likely you can return it and save your money for plants imo


Thanks! It's actually small gravel/very coarse sand. I wouldn't call it sand, like you see at the beach...


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## maico996 (Nov 6, 2016)

If you put sand over gravel, the sand will eventually work its way down into the gravel. Not a good situation. For a Walstad tank you want organic potting soil and a layer of fine gravel on top. I used the Caribsea Peace River gravel and it's perfect.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

KristenBellevueWA said:


> I just bought a 5 gallon tank for my new betta fish Poppy, and I want to do the Walstad method. The tank will be in a room with natural light, but there's no direct sunlight. Here are the specs of the tank:
> 
> High-output 7000K LED with all-aluminum, waterproof casing for enhanced plant growth and fish colors
> LED also features convenient touch-start day and night illumination
> ...


Having a soil underlayer and enough water hardness is critical to getting good plant growth. I don't see any mention of either in your post. All this emphasis on gravel, LED touch-start, aquascaping tools is disconcerting. IMHO, inconsequential. Mother Nature has definitely been "side-lined" in this thread.

Gravel is just to hold the soil layer down. And while it might be great for some folk, I never found the need for a tool--other than my finger--to stick a plant in the substrate. I recommend 2-3 mm size gravel, but cheap "Play sand" or "Pool filter sand" from Home Depot will work just as well. Make it a thin layer so it doesn't suffocate bacteria in the soil layer. Have you read my book?


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

dwalstad said:


> Having a soil underlayer and enough water hardness is critical to getting good plant growth. I don't see any mention of either in your post. All this emphasis on gravel, LED touch-start, aquascaping tools is disconcerting. IMHO, inconsequential. Mother Nature has definitely been "side-lined" in this thread.
> 
> Gravel is just to hold the soil layer down. And while it might be great for some folk, I never found the need for a tool--other than my finger--to stick a plant in the substrate. I recommend 2-3 mm size gravel, but cheap "Play sand" or "Pool filter sand" from Home Depot will work just as well. Make it a thin layer so it doesn't suffocate bacteria in the soil layer. Have you read my book?


No worries - I misspoke when I mentioned "Walstad." I think that term is commonly used when people say they want natural a fish tank. 

I'm building a tank for my betta fish with soil, gravel, and plants so she can live in a natural environment instead of an artificial environment. 

LED lights are preferable to me as they use less energy.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

My apologies for misunderstanding. I use LED lights in all my tanks. It was the "touch start" that threw me off.


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## jake37 (Mar 18, 2021)

Well i would not stress the 'natural environment' part since the natural environment of a betta is actually quite different. Here is a sample read of the actual natural environment of a betta:









The Natural Habitat of Betta Fish


The betta splendens -- those colorful little living jewels found in teeny, tiny cups in pet stores -- are not, as the pet store chains would have you believe, found in mud puddles or watery footprints of oxen. They actually live in a large, biodiverse ecosystem in parts of Asia.




pets.thenest.com




.

There is nothing wrong with what you are doing but I wouldn't get hung up on the natural part because it is an unnatural environment for a betta. Having said I'm one who dislike ornaments, plastic plants and neon coloured substrate - having said that I do not pretend my tank is the actual natural habitat of the fish. This is one of my low-tech tanks:










And this is another that is a bit messier:











The second is a 5 gallon tank so it is more relevant though I don't have a betta in it - it is also the tank i give the least attention to hence the rather messy look.




KristenBellevueWA said:


> I'm building a tank for my betta fish with soil, gravel, and plants so she can live in a natural environment instead of an artificial environment.


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## Cawafuoshi (Mar 24, 2021)

jake37 said:


> Well i would not stress the 'natural environment' part since the natural environment of a betta is actually quite different. Here is a sample read of the actual natural environment of a betta:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I really like the look of the messy tank. All the colors pop, it’s almost like a natural GloFish(TM) tank 

How many Neons do you have in there? For how long have they been in there? I decided to go with Glowlight tetras in my 5.5. Not sure if it will be big enough for them long term, but for now they seem to be thriving.


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## Cawafuoshi (Mar 24, 2021)

Well, the term “natural” could lead to many philosophical discussions or heated debates. IMHO, there is nothing all natural about a glass or plastic box with plants “thrown” together that would not share the same habitat, likewise with fish, all relying on some maintenance (even Walstad tanks). The question is how bearable captivity becomes or if it can even excel the natural habitat for many species (superb water conditions, a well balanced diet, no natural predators, etc.).


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## johnwesley0 (Feb 23, 2021)

Oops. Replied to wrong poster.


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## Cawafuoshi (Mar 24, 2021)

johnwesley0 said:


> Oops. Replied to wrong poster.


Do you want me to unlike my post mentally?


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## johnwesley0 (Feb 23, 2021)

Cawafuoshi said:


> Do you want me to unlike my post mentally?


No, it's still a great post. I wanted to ask about the water lilies in @jake37 's 5 gallon tank above you. But, I'm too lazy to retype my question. LOL.


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

Cawafuoshi said:


> Well, the term “natural” could lead to many philosophical discussions or heated debates. IMHO, there is nothing all natural about a glass or plastic box with plants “thrown” together that would not share the same habitat, likewise with fish, all relying on some maintenance (even Walstad tanks). The question is how bearable captivity becomes or if it can even excel the natural habitat for many species (superb water conditions, a well balanced diet, no natural predators, etc.).


So true! I should have gotten a rescue fish...


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

jake37 said:


> Well i would not stress the 'natural environment' part since the natural environment of a betta is actually quite different. Here is a sample read of the actual natural environment of a betta:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Actually, your messy tank looks like a betta's real environment!


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## jake37 (Mar 18, 2021)

I have 6 with 4 ember - been there for 3 or 4 months.



Cawafuoshi said:


> I really like the look of the messy tank. All the colors pop, it’s almost like a natural GloFish(TM) tank
> 
> How many Neons do you have in there? For how long have they been in there? I decided to go with Glowlight tetras in my 5.5. Not sure if it will be big enough for them long term, but for now they seem to be thriving.


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## jake37 (Mar 18, 2021)

I have 4 floaters - water lettuce; frogbit, red root floaters and leaves from a banana plant. A single large water lettuce takes about 1/3 of the surface space - thinking of moving it to a larger tank - the floaters grow really well in this tank unfortunately the roots get 2+ feet long - they hit the bottom - dig into the substrate and go from there 




johnwesley0 said:


> No, it's still a great post. I wanted to ask about the water lilies in @jake37 's 5 gallon tank above you. But, I'm too lazy to retype my question. LOL.


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## johnwesley0 (Feb 23, 2021)

jake37 said:


> I have 4 floaters - water lettuce; frogbit, red root floaters and leaves from a banana plant. A single large water lettuce takes about 1/3 of the surface space - thinking of moving it to a larger tank - the floaters grow really well in this tank unfortunately the roots get 2+ feet long - they hit the bottom - dig into the substrate and go from there


That's incredible. So, those elongated stems in the messy tank aren't water lilies?


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## Noahlikesfish (Apr 17, 2021)

my 10 gallon and fry ecosphere both have floater roots in the bottom of the tank. I need to compost them soon


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## jatcar95 (Oct 30, 2019)

Cawafuoshi said:


> Well, the term “natural” could lead to many philosophical discussions or heated debates.


I think what we typically mean here by "natural" is relying on plants to maintain a healthy ecosystem, rather than equipment like filters and doing lots of water changes. It's obviously not actually fish living in the wild, but it's relying on processes that exist in nature to solve our problems.


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## Noahlikesfish (Apr 17, 2021)

Yeah I wouldn’t use a filter for simplicity’s sake


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## Noahlikesfish (Apr 17, 2021)

I have no filters now. Saving my big filter for my reef


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

I think Cawafuoshi's tank is my style. Lots of healthy plants. Not too clean.


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## Noahlikesfish (Apr 17, 2021)

+1


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## Noahlikesfish (Apr 17, 2021)

@dwalstad here’s my 10g


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## Cawafuoshi (Mar 24, 2021)

dwalstad said:


> I think Cawafuoshi's tank is my style. Lots of healthy plants. Not too clean.


Thank you Diana for your feedback!  I was hoping for the leaves to leech more tannins. Probably have to buy more or look for better quality. I can fit another couple of carpeting or low growing plants. All depends on how lucky I get at Petco whenever I go there.


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## Cawafuoshi (Mar 24, 2021)

jatcar95 said:


> I think what we typically mean here by "natural" is relying on plants to maintain a healthy ecosystem, rather than equipment like filters and doing lots of water changes. It's obviously not actually fish living in the wild, but it's relying on processes that exist in nature to solve our problems.


You are completely spot on. I just got a feeling some fish keepers get hung up on the term "natural" that won't allow for any so slight deviation from an "all natural" approach.


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## jake37 (Mar 18, 2021)

No - banana plant. Kind of weird - i have tried for years to grow them and they always died on me without ever sending up a single leaf. I purchased two from Marcus fish tank and both sent up new leaves in less than a week and are huge. The one in the 5 gallon immediatley sent roots down and anchor it self. Not sure why none of the others over the years have grown. Do i like it - not sure - a few of the leaves in the 40 are convex and frys like hiding in the little puddles created in the interior.



johnwesley0 said:


> That's incredible. So, those elongated stems in the messy tank aren't water lilies?


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## johnwesley0 (Feb 23, 2021)

jake37 said:


> No - banana plant. Kind of weird - i have tried for years to grow them and they always died on me without ever sending up a single leaf. I purchased two from Marcus fish tank and both sent up new leaves in less than a week and are huge. The one in the 5 gallon immediatley sent roots down and anchor it self. Not sure why none of the others over the years have grown. Do i like it - not sure - a few of the leaves in the 40 are convex and frys like hiding in the little puddles created in the interior.


That's incredible. I don't think I've ever seen a banana plant with leaves!


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Noahlikesfish said:


> @dwalstad here’s my 10g
> View attachment 73410


The substrate in this tank is way too deep! For such a small tank it should not be more than 1 inch deep. Otherwise the substrate goes severely anaerobic. Oxygen just cannot penetrate such a great depth. Rooted plants will struggle and die, because they cannot keep their roots safely oxygenated. It may also impact the fish by pulling oxygen out of the water. In contrast, the floating plants in this tank are having a field day. Floating plants are not hindered by substrate toxicity and they are gobbling up all those nutrients released by the huge soil volume.


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## Noahlikesfish (Apr 17, 2021)

nothing has gone anaerobic yet. There’s a layer of gravel with seran wrap with holes under the dirt


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## Noahlikesfish (Apr 17, 2021)

Which is like 1/2 of the layer under sand


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## Noahlikesfish (Apr 17, 2021)

My crypts and swords and stems are all growing


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

Noahlikesfish said:


> Yeah I wouldn’t use a filter for simplicity’s sake


I planned to take the filter media out and keep the sponge. I think the sponge is supposed to be good for holding the good bacteria?


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## alisonc (Mar 28, 2021)

KristenBellevueWA said:


> I just bought a 5 gallon tank for my new betta fish Poppy, and I want to do the Walstad method. The tank will be in a room with natural light, but there's no direct sunlight. Here are the specs of the tank:
> 
> High-output 7000K LED with all-aluminum, waterproof casing for enhanced plant growth and fish colors
> LED also features convenient touch-start day and night illumination
> ...


Ive done a dirtied tank in a 5 gallon. Worked fine. I kept the lighting between one and two watts per gallon. Used top soil for dirt. Just normal inert gravel to top off and kept soil layer to rather less than an inch deep. I planted each plant by holding the plant roots to my muddy soil and tipped a little gravel over to hold in place, then once all plants where I want them just gently top off with more gravel. No forceps involved. My water quite hard so I didn’t have to agonise over any additives and just did it really simply. No rocks or ornaments either, just plants. I did use water lettuce initially to soak up the rush of nutrients in the water for the initial period of 10 - 12 weeks and removed them once root growth of the floaters began to struggle as this signalled the tank was now settled. I have a little guppy grass now as a nutrient hoover. Never really had a problem with algae. Hope you get on OK with this. I like a 5gallon tank, very easy to deal with!


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

alisonc said:


> Ive done a dirtied tank in a 5 gallon. Worked fine. I kept the lighting between one and two watts per gallon. Used top soil for dirt. Just normal inert gravel to top off and kept soil layer to rather less than an inch deep. I planted each plant by holding the plant roots to my muddy soil and tipped a little gravel over to hold in place, then once all plants where I want them just gently top off with more gravel. No forceps involved. My water quite hard so I didn’t have to agonise over any additives and just did it really simply. No rocks or ornaments either, just plants. I did use water lettuce initially to soak up the rush of nutrients in the water for the initial period of 10 - 12 weeks and removed them once root growth of the floaters began to struggle as this signalled the tank was now settled. I have a little guppy grass now as a nutrient hoover. Never really had a problem with algae. Hope you get on OK with this. I like a 5gallon tank, very easy to deal with!


Sounds like you know what you're doing. Mother Nature and the KISS principal at work.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Noahlikesfish said:


> My crypts and swords and stems are all growing


If you're satisfied with the tank and plant growth, that's all that really counts. Every tank has its own ecosystem and your tank seems to be doing okay. 
However, to everyone else "out there," I would caution them not to use such a deep substrate. There's no need for it and it *can* lead to problems.


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## alisonc (Mar 28, 2021)

dwalstad said:


> Sounds like you know what you're doing. Mother Nature and the KISS principal at work.


With much help from your excellent book. I constantly dip into it even though I’ve read it through twice!


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

alisonc said:


> Ive done a dirtied tank in a 5 gallon. Worked fine. I kept the lighting between one and two watts per gallon. Used top soil for dirt. Just normal inert gravel to top off and kept soil layer to rather less than an inch deep. I planted each plant by holding the plant roots to my muddy soil and tipped a little gravel over to hold in place, then once all plants where I want them just gently top off with more gravel. No forceps involved. My water quite hard so I didn’t have to agonise over any additives and just did it really simply. No rocks or ornaments either, just plants. I did use water lettuce initially to soak up the rush of nutrients in the water for the initial period of 10 - 12 weeks and removed them once root growth of the floaters began to struggle as this signalled the tank was now settled. I have a little guppy grass now as a nutrient hoover. Never really had a problem with algae. Hope you get on OK with this. I like a 5gallon tank, very easy to deal with!


Thanks for all the info! I'd like to find some guppy grass.


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## alisonc (Mar 28, 2021)

KristenBellevueWA said:


> Thanks for all the info! I'd like to find some guppy grass.


I couldn’t find any in UK aquatic stores or on-line. It’s very delicate and breaks up easily if handled and I think stores avoid it and it’s difficult to ship. I got mine at a Fancy Guppy/UK Livebearer show.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

alisonc said:


> I couldn’t find any in UK aquatic stores or on-line. It’s very delicate and breaks up easily if handled and I think stores avoid it and it’s difficult to ship. I got mine at a Fancy Guppy/UK Livebearer show.


I got some Guppy Grass by chance--a "ride-along" with purchased fish. It's not so great an aquarium plant that I would do cartwheels to get. There are so many other plants that grow just as well and are more attractive.


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## Noahlikesfish (Apr 17, 2021)

you could try spikerush it’s easy to find in the wild and you can try like anarchias elodea bacopa and things


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## ronnie (Feb 26, 2021)

I’m in Seattle as well! It’s been a great spring huh?

My two cents, recently I’ve been getting stock and supplies from Aquarium Co-op in Edmonds. I know they quarantine their fish and plants. At least one of the guys knows about the Walstad Method, but I’m not sure if any of the others do.

Often they have “grab bags” near the register with plants at a discounted rate. Plus all of their plants are already submerged which helps with transition. 

Also, they have a HUGE (I mean, enormous— I was shocked) freshwater puffer towards the back of the store which is neat to check out. Especially if you’re there for feeding time.


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

ronnie said:


> I’m in Seattle as well! It’s been a great spring huh?
> 
> My two cents, recently I’ve been getting stock and supplies from Aquarium Co-op in Edmonds. I know they quarantine their fish and plants. At least one of the guys knows about the Walstad Method, but I’m not sure if any of the others do.
> 
> ...


Hello! Yes, we have had a nice spring with a lot of sunny days. 

I've been to Aquarium Co-Op to look at their bettas, and I saw the huge puffer! I was so surprised as well. I ended up getting my betta at Aquarium Zen though because they had a little orange one with an amazing outgoing personality. Aquarium Zen is a beautiful store, although it is expensive. 

I think I've just started my journey so it's good to know about the discounted plants at Aquarium Co-Op.


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

Well, I set up my 5 gallon tank today! It was harder than I thought, and I actually threw out the first soil and gravel I had in the tank and started over.

In the end I think I have too much soil in my tank (the soil goes further down in the tank than you can see). The soil must have expanded, as it was less than an inch before I added water. And since I had a lot of problems getting the tall plants to stay in place (they kept floating up to the top), I'm not sure the soil and gravel are in an even layer in certain areas. Also, I think the tall plants are probably too clustered together in the darker area of the tank. I guess it will have to be a work in progress!

I'll monitor the water quality over the next week or two before putting my betta, mystery snail, and nerite snail in the tank. I think I probably should have gone with a 10 gallon tank so I could have more fish and snails. Although my betta hasn't be introduced to the snails yet so she may not even want company.

I appreciate all the advice! This was a lot to learn in a short period of time, although now it all seems so easy and straightforward.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

You can add a little more gravel to keep the plants down.
Don‘t bury the anubias rhizome. It’ll rot.


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

mistergreen said:


> You can add a little more gravel to keep the plants down.
> Don‘t bury the anubias rhizome. It’ll rot.


Which one is that? I'll have to go through and pull the short ones up so the bulbs aren't buried?


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

Anubias is the really stiff plant. It’ll do best krazy glued or tied to your driftwood.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

The problems you had setting up the tank are very common. You will improve with practice. Mistergreen is right about the anubias, but that is easy to fix. It is hard to tell from photos, but the soil depth looks OK to me. The fact that it is a little uneven won't hurt anything.

Good start!


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## Noahlikesfish (Apr 17, 2021)

Nice tank, have you thought about adding plants that will get aerial advantage like spikerush yet?


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Part of the problem is that your tapwater has/had a lot of gas in it. Dissolved gases were under pressure in pipes and then expanded to form bubbles when water came out of faucet into an unpressurized environment. All those air bubbles in substrate made it lighter and hard to plant. I would poke substrate to release bubbles. I also usually rub inner sides of tank glass to get the bubbles off. It would make the tank less raw-looking. 

That said, the tank is very attractive. Nice start!


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

Michael said:


> The problems you had setting up the tank are very common. You will improve with practice. Mistergreen is right about the anubias, but that is easy to fix. It is hard to tell from photos, but the soil depth looks OK to me. The fact that it is a little uneven won't hurt anything.
> 
> Good start!


Thanks! Yes, at first it's awkward but seems to get easier.


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

mistergreen said:


> Anubias is the really stiff plant. It’ll do best krazy glued or tied to your driftwood.


Thanks!!


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

Noahlikesfish said:


> Nice tank, have you thought about adding plants that will get aerial advantage like spikerush yet?


Yes, I mentioned that the first time I went into the aquarium store but I forgot when I went in to actually buy the plants. It's hard to remember everything! I'll have to add those later.


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## KristenBellevueWA (Apr 26, 2021)

dwalstad said:


> Part of the problem is that your tapwater has/had a lot of gas in it. Dissolved gases were under pressure in pipes and then expanded to form bubbles when water came out of faucet into an unpressurized environment. All those air bubbles in substrate made it lighter and hard to plant. I would poke substrate to release bubbles. I also usually rub inner sides of tank glass to get the bubbles off. It would make the tank less raw-looking.
> 
> That said, the tank is very attractive. Nice start!


Thanks! I'll rub the sides and poke the substrate!


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## Noahlikesfish (Apr 17, 2021)

You can find them in any body of water basically. Just dip in h2o2 with water then soak it in dechlorinated water and they are fish safe


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