# My new tank all setup



## Miss.PuddyCat (Jul 13, 2009)

I have finally set up my tank 

Heres some pic's










This is the gravel I used cause I wanted it to look natural. I washed and strained it before adding it to the tank.










This pic is fuzzy sorry about that but this is Mr.Shell the Snail thought he was cute :blush:










And heres Decker over seeing the job 

I also added a castle to that Ill get a pic of later. I want to add real live plants instead of fake ones.

I really really wanted a goldfish but couldnt get a tank big enough so have settled for this. I'm gonna get a Male Betta, I've had them in the past.

So what plants would you recommend for a Betta?

Its a Ten gal tank. So far its cost me 62$.
P.s I also added a water treament to.


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

Miss.PuddyCat said:


> ...what plants would you recommend for a Betta?


i wish i knew the botanical name, hun - 
i happen to love banana plants, so called because the clustered roots resemble green bananas; they have an attractive broad leaf that lies on the surface, like a water-lily, reddish below + deep emerald above. new leaves are furled around the midrib. 
Aquatic Plants for Freshwater Aquariums: Banana Plant

i never planted mine; i let them float, the surface-leaves make a nice overhead shelter for the fish to hang below. the fish will also eat the edges of aging leaves, but new-leaves come along fast-enuf to tolerate the grazing.

they generate quite a lot of O2, so if U need to transport, 2 or 3 banana plants in a quart bottle of water will keep ONE Betta happy + safe for a day of travel.

take the cap off when U get where U are going - they need air exchange.

NOTE - 
whenever U change the water, RINSE the banana-plant(s) well and rub the leaves + roots with Ur fingertips till they no longer feel slick, just smooth + clean; that gets the ALGAE off the plant.  
no point putting a dirty plant into a clean tank. :thumbup1: 
ALMOST FORGOT - 
if one or more roots becomes brown + punky (normally they are firm, dark-green + smooth), BREAK it off + discard it; it can be contagious to others. losing one or more storage-roots is OK, just rinse before re-introducing to prevent ** sap ** in the water from the plant 'bleeding'.

i changed my entire tank every 7 to 10-days, using DISTILLED water to avoid dechlorination chems; luckily, now i can buy reverse-osmosis UV-treated water, which is even better in terms of cleanliness. :thumbup: i did not use a filter; my Betta air-breathed or water-breathed.

i had a M Betta splendens who went to college with me, and home for breaks, for 3 years - i loved Mars dearly, he was gorgeous and would eat from my fingers, also follow my fingertip point to point around the tank. 
thanks for sharing the pix, 
--- terry


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## mattstringfellow (Jan 21, 2010)

wot fish are you going to put in your tank ??


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## metame (Sep 25, 2009)

just to say loving the tank


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## Miss.PuddyCat (Jul 13, 2009)

metame said:


> just to say loving the tank


Thanks  its gonna get better, next pay I'm getting a backdrop for behind it as well as some rock hideouts.



mattstringfellow said:


> wot fish are you going to put in your tank ??


I wanted a goldfish, then looked at guppies but have decided to go back to Betta. I have had them in the past and my one guy lived to be 3 or 4 yrs old.

leashedForLife- i wish i knew the botanical name, hun - 
i happen to love banana plants, so called because the clustered roots resemble green bananas; they have an attractive broad leaf that lies on the surface, like a water-lily, reddish below + deep emerald above. new leaves are furled around the midrib.

They do look like banana's 

Aquatic Plants for Freshwater Aquariums: Banana Plant

i never planted mine; i let them float, the surface-leaves make a nice overhead shelter for the fish to hang below. the fish will also eat the edges of aging leaves, but new-leaves come along fast-enuf to tolerate the grazing.

they generate quite a lot of O2, so if U need to transport, 2 or 3 banana plants in a quart bottle of water will keep ONE Betta happy + safe for a day of travel.

take the cap off when U get where U are going - they need air exchange.

Yeh my mom was talking about putting something in for the fish to hide under and this sounds like the best thing. Thanks that great for future plans.

NOTE - 
whenever U change the water, RINSE the banana-plant(s) well and rub the leaves + roots with Ur fingertips till they no longer feel slick, just smooth + clean; that gets the ALGAE off the plant.  
no point putting a dirty plant into a clean tank. :thumbup1: 
ALMOST FORGOT - 
if one or more roots becomes brown + punky (normally they are firm, dark-green + smooth), BREAK it off + discard it; it can be contagious to others. losing one or more storage-roots is OK, just rinse before re-introducing to prevent ** sap ** in the water from the plant 'bleeding'.

Yeh I dont want an algae covered fish tank. One of my friends has a huge huge fish tank (Something you could use for saltwater fish I guess) anyways the thing is growing algae and there is fish in it (breeding to saw some babies) They clean it out once a year. What a waste of a tank and fish.

Sounds like common plant care (I have a big garden in the summer)

i changed my entire tank every 7 to 10-days, using DISTILLED water to avoid dechlorination chems; luckily, now i can buy reverse-osmosis UV-treated water, which is even better in terms of cleanliness. :thumbup: i did not use a filter; my Betta air-breathed or water-breathed.

i had a M Betta splendens who went to college with me, and home for breaks, for 3 years - i loved Mars dearly, he was gorgeous and would eat from my fingers, also follow my fingertip point to point around the tank. 
thanks for sharing the pix,

I used part distilled(what I had left) and rest tap water but I put water treatment in to. The water is much much clearer today.

As far as I am aware no where I know has reverse osmosis water but my dad who lives up north has it.

Is it a bad thing to leave the filter in or would it be alright?

Was he by any chance red?

He sounds like he was a great friend 

Thanks Terry.


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

Miss.PuddyCat said:


> I used part distilled (what I had left) and (the) rest (is) tap water but I put water treatment in to. The water is much much clearer today.
> 
> ...no where I know has reverse osmosis water (locally)


we have a dispenser at the grocery-store - Glacier water vending machine on Flickr - Photo Sharing! 
30-cents a gallon, Bring Yer Bottle. :thumbup1: 


> Is it a bad thing to leave the filter in or would it be alright?


 a filter is fine, hun!  
Bettas can air-breathe + a filter is not mandatory - but it does cut down on tank-maintenance a bit. 
a test-kit for pH is needed, tho, with a filter... the gravel will become a bio-filter, but that takes time, 
its not an overnite process... the little critters to break-down waste food + fish-feces take time to grow. 


> Was he by any chance red?
> He sounds like he was a great friend


nope - 
deep, deep peacock-blue body, and maroon trailing fins, with half the length of his pectoral fins bright white (the long tips). i thought he was just beautiful.

can;t wait to see the setup! and the fishies, of course... 
BTW, U can keep other compatible fish with a M betta, including Fs. 
just no more than one M-Betta per tank.

cheers,
--- terry


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