5 Gal Ideas

[Snooks1!]

Mum picked me up a 5 gal Aqua-Tech hexagonal tank yesterday. So, of course I plan to set it up ASAP. So, instead of trying to come up with every single little thing about my tank by myself......I'm gonna ask you all! So my questions to everyone here are:

• What sorts of decorations would you put into it?
• Gravel ideas, colour, size, all that fun jazz.
• Types and number of plants to stock in there.
• I may add another snail or two...what sorts of snails would you add? ( Have a gold apple snail in with him now.
• Any other ideas? I'd love to hear them!

A few things that I will, and possibly might be putting in there:

• 1 Male Betta....Duh?
• 1-2 Java ferns
• Mum also picked me up 3 Ghost shrimp...So, I'm going to stick those guys in until I can get some cherries
• I might put a Moss Ball into there...Anyone have experience with these?
• Might be putting a piece of driftwood in there. May also have some java moss growing on it.
  
• And...The coup de gras - I have a chunk of super pressurized quartz from an Alaskan mine. It's crystal clear, with shards of rock embedded in it ( massive amounts of pressure to do that and to make the structure so perfect ). I may put this into the tank it's so darned sweet....or may leave it on my rock shelf...

So, I'm open to suggestions, let's hear it.

 

[cheesy feet]

My dwarf riccia on some slate for forground
For the background some rotala rotundifolia.
Eco complete. Don't go for ADA soil, its crap if your like me and move everything around alot, the dust from it settles on top and I have to swish it around a couple of times for it to look normal.
Don't apple snails eat plants?
MTS are supposed to be good at cleaning up.
I wouldn't go with more than 5 plants because things tend to look confusing with many variety's.
What are you looknig to do for co2 ferts?And I take it that its come with a light?
I think moss balls tend to look more like an eyesore in most small tanks so if I were you I would put it in a different tank.
Use the qaurts as a centre peice jutting out of the dwarf riccia, would look awesome!
I find bettas boring and java ferns tend to grow to big for small tanks imo, buts its up to you!

 

[Snooks1!]

I had planned on using the quartz as a centerpiece .

I don't have any ideas for co2 or lighting at the moment. Kind of why I'm sticking with easy to grow plants for right now. I wouldn't want many plants, no more than 3...maybe 4 at max.

If I had lots of people discouraging java fern, I was thinking of using some Anubias variety. Who knows...

 

[cheesy feet]

This would be ideal.
http/www.tropica.com/default.asp

 

[bugsy66]

I have a moss ball in my 25 gal tank, yes I think it might look out of place in a 5 gal but if you buy a small one it might be fine till it gets bigger. One thing though, they say that you can pull them apart when they get big and they will become two balls. But mine never did fill in an be nice and round so I take mine out every so often and roll it in my hands to make it one again. I have to say I love it and so do the catfish they roll it along the gravel all the time.

You also have to move them from time to time or they will flatten out and not retain their round shape. But they are neat.

 

[Bubblenester]

I'd go with java ferns for the plants- they're very hardy, and will survive without good lighting, CO2, etc. They can get too big for a small tank, but with low lighting conditions they grow really slowly so I wouldn't be too concerned about it. The quartz sounds really pretty, and if it were me I'd go with natural colored "river rock" type gravel. It sets off plants nicely and I can just picture the quartz on it too. A small piece of driftwood with java moss on it would work well in there too, java moss is the other "super plant" that doesn't require much as far as light and CO2.

Of course you need a betta in the tank. They will sometimes eat ghost shrimp, so only put them together if you're okay with that.

 

[Snooks1!]

Of course you need a betta in the tank. They will sometimes eat ghost shrimp, so only put them together if you're okay with that.

He's getting along great with the shrimp, no problems at all.

I need a bit of a bigger plant to hide the filter stem running into the tank. I figure that placing a plant closer to the filter will help slow down the current in the tank. While I'm down at Florida I'm going to hit some places up for some plants and driftwood.

I've also decided I won't put my big piece of quartz in there...It would be too sharp for me to safely stick it in there. I realized this after I slit my finger wide open cleaning it... So, I'm thinking about going to some of the quarries later today to look for some rose and smoky quartz.

As for gravel...I agree with bubblenester, river coloured gravel with some white or black highlight gravel thrown in for kicks.... Unless I can get some more clever ideas .

 

[jennybugs]

I'd say a piece of bog wood with java fern or anubias on it would be a great centre piece and I also like the idea of moss balls.

I have bog wood and anubias and java fern in my 20L with black sand and 3 flat red stones in and it looks great...

 

[Snooks1!]

Are there any benefits to using bog wood as opposed to driftwood? Sweet set up by the by

Here is what I have set up at the moment....I decided that I would use the natural gravel look. As you can see, the filter stem goes pretty down down. Gonna take a bit of ingenuity to hide it...Also thinking of getting a small heater for it too....Anyone have ideas on a heater?



Just for fun....What he was in, what he is in, and what he will be in.



Lastly, his companions, which will be glad to be in a larger tank.




-edit- also....since I'm leaving tomorrow I need to ask....Is there any reason I should leave it running while I'm gone? Haven't done anything to it except add gravel, water, and flip the switch. Should I leave it running or just pull the plug?

 

[justducky]

Leave it running so it can continue to cycle.

 

[Viettxboii]

start planting it too, heavily planted means , shrimp can hide if your betta turns, and helps keep ammonia, nitrites and nitrates down.

 

[ibbledibble]

Leave it running so it can continue to cycle.

its not going to cycle unless you have added ammonia. i'd turn it off personally, just a waste of electricity otherwise. OR add some ammonia and leave it running and you get some of your cycling done while you're away!

Edited to add: i agree with what Viettxboii said too, aquatic plants use ammonia first and nitrAtes last, just the order you want it in!

 

[xweeqtx]

Not really much need to cycle it for a betta.

Don't know about that as far as the shrimp and the snails - do they need a cycled tank?

 

[ibbledibble]

it was my understanding that if you have an unfiltered tank for a betta there is no need to cycle (obviously, as its the filter that you cycle) but that if you do decide to use a filter, then you do want it cycled, otherwise it doesn't do its job properly. so as the tank has a filter it could be worth cycling it.
but i could be wrong.

 

[Snooks1!]

I do plan on getting some plants going in it. I'm still deciding on exactly what I want though, the only thing I know for sure is I'll be adding a marimo into it. I figure by the time I'm back that I'll have a good idea as to what I want and get it done ASAP.