16 Gallon Setup For My Betta

[Vethian]

So, a co-worker gave me the tank and stand.  Perfect!  I felt bad keeping my betta, Henry, in such a small tank.    I had a heater lying around.  the light doesn't work.  So, I grabbed a led light from my closet for now.  I built my filter.  SO...my wife gave me and my oldest daughter a budget of $20.  I bought the following:
Top Soil
Pea Gravel
flat black spray paint
filter sponges.
 
I reused the fake plants for now.  I plan on doing live plant in this tank.  So, some pics...
 
Filter built and testing in my main tank:
 

 
Taped off the tank and painted the back:
 

 
Put my daughter to work washing the rocks!
 

 
We wanted to make a path wrapping the side of a hill with the asian bell tower.  We plan on a tree to the left of the path...but you can see how things are progressing.  Laid the top soil and sand and some stone.
 

 
After we had the layout done how we liked it, we started adding water:
 

 
We added some more stones and now we wait for the cloud to clear!
 

 

[LyraGuppi]

Looks amazing!

 

[Vethian]

Looks amazing!

 

[Vethian]

My daughter and son collected the rocks and placed them.  

 

[NickAu]

Looks nice.
 
The following is just my opinion, Gouramis are a lot like Betta's.
 
I think you need live plants, Bettas like floating plants that they can sleep on/in, Some driftwood would also be nice.
I have given up on scaping my tank so it just looks nice to me, I now try and scape the tank to make it look more like the fishes natural enviroment. My Gourami tank is a mess of floating plants, plants on driftwood and stuff planted in the substrate with a few hidey holes and a nice driftwood cave, Sure it will never win tank of the month, However I do not really care as long as the fish is happy and healthy.
 
In my opinion my fish is happy, How do I know, Because he spends most of his time looking for food on the bottom of the tank or picking up little bits of food that settle on or around the plants, and I encourage this behaviour by feeding sinking pellets.

 

[Vethian]

Looks nice.
 
The following is just my opinion, Gouramis are a lot like Betta's.
 
I think you need live plants, Bettas like floating plants that they can sleep on/in, Some driftwood would also be nice.
I have given up on scaping my tank so it just looks nice to me, I now try and scape the tank to make it look more like the fishes natural enviroment. My Gourami tank is a mess of floating plants, plants on driftwood and stuff planted in the substrate with a few hidey holes and a nice driftwood cave, Sure it will never win tank of the month, However I do not really care as long as the fish is happy and healthy.
 
In my opinion my fish is happy, How do I know, Because he spends most of his time looking for food on the bottom of the tank or picking up little bits of food that settle on or around the plants, and I encourage this behaviour by feeding sinking pellets.

 
 
i plan on replacing the fake plants with real plants.  I have plans to add drift wood.    But, i dont get paid until Friday.

 

[attibones]

It's looking really lovely. Definitely look into floating plants.

Is this light the one you'll use permanently on this tank or are you hoping to upgrade? If it is not temporary, what's the lighting like as far as Kelvin rating and wattage (if you know)? This will determine what plants will do well in the tank.

 

[Vethian]

the lighting is temporary as either the bulb or ballast is bad. 

 

[Vethian]

update time.  I rebuilt the light with a cheap $12 T8 fixture from Lowes.  Added a more pronounced path.  New stones.  upgraded my sponge filter to include bio filtration.  basically, inverted a plastic bottle, filled with biofilter materials.  stuck the opening into a sponge. and dropped an air line through the filter into the sponge.  I bought an internal filter too.  Some floating live plants and a couple of planted plants too.  Also...6 Harlequin Rasbora to swim with my betta, Henry.  I has been a week and they are getting along nicely.  
 
I took a new pic:
 

 

[NickAu]

If you are into making filters heres an idea.

 

 

[Vethian]

If you are into making filters heres an idea.

 

 
 
OH NO!!! my wife is going to kill you.  haha.  I have to do it!  Thank you for that video!