Hi thanks everyone for your expertises! I'm quite new to fish caring, so I'm not really sure of how many live plants I should have in the relatively small 10L/1Gallon tank. I started from the basics: an anubias plant with driftwood, but it looks like my fish isn't happy with it (it's a smaller anubias so none of its leaves are reaching the top surface), probably due to these reasons:
– not enough shading (he does like the shading available, just not enough)
– bad leave angles (can't rest on leaves)
– not enough exploration, previously he was mainly just wandering around the roots and driftwood arch.
I watched some videos which suggested to add more plants, but many pro videos are using larger tanks. I only found like 2 or 3 videos showing small tanks but with many plants, thus today even though I added a couple more live plants, I'm still a bit unsure of whether or not I should do this? Would the plant die because of relatively high density?
(I have to admit that after adding new plants, the fish looks much happier now, he definitely enjoys the new complex environment I created for him… Wonderful boy ;p )
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1oaihwg
Posted by hotellonely
15 Comments
Betta fish demand tanks that are at least 5 gallons, and are preferably long.
Please get him a bigger tank this is abuse .😔
5 gallon min… i mean you could but think of quality of life… beta like to dart (they’ll sit there then BOOM). I have mine in a 5 gallon.. but your tank loots awesome though maybe some shrimps and a couple mystery snails
also if you do go 5gallon you can cycle easy with stability following instructions till it can cycle on own (bring the lil guy instant in) without worry per instruction, stresscoat too
First of all get a bigger tank (minimum of 5 gallons, 10 is good) and also the more plants the merrier
What are those colorful dolls?
you can never have too many plants. If it gets overcrowded, trim don’t remove.
Are those frutiger aero mfs living on the bottom
Please be gentle on yourself. Providing a 10 L (which is much bigger than 1 gallon, actually it is more like 2.5 gallons) with clean water and plants is more than most bettas will ever have. Yes it could also be a bigger tank, but you can always upgrade his tank later as soon as you have the resources to do so. Until then, give him time to get used to the new home, this takes some time. It is likely an upgrade anyway from the space he had before at the store. Keep the water clean and give him good quality food.
I won’t pretend to know your situation. Sometimes sick fish do better in a tiny tank because they’re easier to monitor or they have a disability. Visibly, your fish looks healthy. And if he is, then he will need at least 5 gallons long term. Ideally at least a ten gallon tank is best because the more water you have the more diluted fish waste is and the cleaner the water can be. But if you’re low on space, 5 gallons is OK, just harder to maintain and not as much room for your boy.
To answer your question though, there’s no such thing as too many plants. The amount of plants depends on your set up, finances, and the aesthetic you’re going for. There are awesome tanks with no plants and equally awesome tanks that are so full of plants that it’s hard to find the fish. You just may need extra fertilizers if it’s planted heavily and stocked lightly.
Seems he can’t swim freey too many obstacles
A one gallon is not “relatively small” it’s absurdly tiny and completely unacceptable. It’s said that the bare minimum is 5 gallons but I personally believe it should be 10. I actually believe that a 10 gallon is even too small because once you add all they decor and plants you realize how small it truly is. A 20 long is the perfect size. Bettas are very active and need the space to accommodate them.
Bettas love to rest on the leaves
just came here to say that i love the tloz goddess statue in your tank and i would love to know where you got it💖
As many have already said, the tank is a little too small for a betta. Seems like you already have plans to get a bigger tank for him. But your old tank would make a great nano tank for Neocaridina shrimp. If you turn it into a shrimp tank, I would add some Java moss and cholla wood for them. You don’t have too many plants for them. They would actually love the plant cover.
go to petsmart and pick up the 12 dollar 5.5 gal