Advice + feedback needed

[Averagefishkeeper]

Looking for advice and feedback on my betta tank​

Hi everyone! I'm looking for some advice and general feedback on my aquarium. I've recently rescapeed it and would love to hear what more experienced fishkeepers think.

Full tank​

The Fish​

I have one red/white/blue dumbo halfmoon betta. He's been doing well and has become noticeably more curious since the rescape, constantly exploring and investigating things around the tank, including pecking and nipping at his new tankmates.

Tankmates​

I currently have four ramshorn snails. They've been surprisingly interesting to watch, and they're actively grazing on the glass, plants, hardscape and sand.

I've also noticed copepods in the tank, particularly around food, so there seems to be a small cleanup crew developing.

Plants and hardscape​

The main features of the tank are:

• Brahmi
• Creeping Jenny
• Silk plant
• A tree-trunk-style piece of hardscape
• A small Stonehenge-style rock structure that also works as a feeding platform

I'm aiming for a natural-looking tank with plenty of surfaces for biofilm and algae, while still leaving the betta plenty of swimming space.

Substrate​

I recently replaced the old gravel with approximately 4–5 cm of Play Sand.

The swap initially caused a pretty severe sandstorm, but after filtration, water changes and some patience, the water is now crystal clear.

Basic information​

Tank: ~20 L (~5.28 gal)
Temperature: ~26°C
Filter: Internal filter with mechanical and biological media
Substrate: Play Sand
Fish: 1 betta
Snails: 4 ramshorns
Bacteria supplement: FritzZyme

Feeding​

The betta gets Betta Pro micropellets.

For the ramshorns, I've mainly been using blanched green beans as supplementary food. They also have plenty of natural biofilm/diatoms to graze on.

One of the snails has become particularly enthusiastic about the beans and has basically hollowed out entire pieces.

What I'd like advice on​

I'm particularly interested in feedback on:

• Is the overall layout balanced?
• Would you add or remove any plants/hardscape?
• Does the substrate depth look appropriate?
• Are there any obvious improvements I could make to the betta's environment?
• Is four ramshorns a reasonable starting population?
• Are there any good ways to encourage natural biofilm/algae growth without letting the tank become overgrown?
• Are there any things I'm overlooking?

I'm not necessarily looking to completely redesign the tank — I'd mainly like to know what you would improve and why.

Thanks in advance!

 

[gimme30]

I like it! And if you do that's all that matters.
For biofilm you could add some small pieces of wood or cholla.

 

[GaryE26 24]

Tanks have lives of their own. That one is solid, and will become even nicer with growth. In time, with more plants growing, it can only get better. You're going to have fun with this, albeit slowly developing fun.
I would stop feeding the ramshorns as they are likely to show you what they do with food. They breed, like mad. With the money you save on green beans, I would invest in 1 or 2 other Betta foods, so you can feed in rotation. One food is never a good strategy. The specialized Betta foods are a bit of marketing - Betta splendens should have an insect based diet with a degree of roughage. The food they sell for them is generally the same as is sold for all other fish, repackaged.
And welcome to the forum!

 

[bgarthe67 84]

Looks pretty good. I will add that it’s good a couple of your silk leaves are at the surface as Bettas like having a surface spot to rest on.

 

[Naughts65 137]

For Betta splendens the surface is important. They need floating plants (eg. Salvinia, frogbit, water lettuce, red root floater) for shelter, and a lid to keep the air at the surface warm.
Also I would add more live plants and remove the tree trunk ornament as it could damage your fish’s fine fins.

 

[Averagefishkeeper]

For Betta splendens the surface is important. They need floating plants (eg. Salvinia, frogbit, water lettuce, red root floater) for shelter, and a lid to keep the air at the surface warm.
Also I would add more live plants and remove the tree trunk ornament as it could damage your fish’s fine fins.

I've tested the tree ornament before, and it was fine, but one thing i will probably do is cut off the plastic plants so that his fins won't have a risk of being cut. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Averagefishkeeper]

Tanks have lives of their own. That one is solid, and will become even nicer with growth. In time, with more plants growing, it can only get better. You're going to have fun with this, albeit slowly developing fun.
I would stop feeding the ramshorns as they are likely to show you what they do with food. They breed, like mad. With the money you save on green beans, I would invest in 1 or 2 other Betta foods, so you can feed in rotation. One food is never a good strategy. The specialized Betta foods are a bit of marketing - Betta splendens should have an insect based diet with a degree of roughage. The food they sell for them is generally the same as is sold for all other fish, repackaged.
And welcome to the forum!

I stopped feeding them right after i read your message, but its a bit late. I have 4 clutches in the tank; 2 on the silicone and 2 on some rocks. I have a 1 gallon bowl which i'm currently doing a mini cycle on to house the babies, and may give away some more. Any ways to prevent future outbreaks?