New Planted Project. Need Advice.

[nikkifro8994]

I want to set up a fully planted tank with a betta but I don't know where to begin. I've had limited success with live plants in my betta tanks. The only things that survived were a moss ball, a microsword, and a small Anubis that I attached to a small piece of driftwood.

I have an empty 5.5 gallon tank that I want to use for this little project. I am a poor college student and I don't want this to break the bank. The closest chain pet store is about 40 minutes from me and the only strictly fish store is a saltwater shop 45 minutes away. We have a little shop down the road, but I haven't been in to check it out yet. I'm expecting to purchase most of this from Amazon or Ebay. The plants will definitely have to be purchased online. I'm going to buy everything as I can afford to do so. That means this tank probably won't be set up until December or January.

Let's start from the bottom with substrate. Most of what I've read says I need a plant substrate like ecocomplete or flourite. Which substrates are best?

Next onto lighting. I am assuming that the lighting is where I'm going to spend the most money. I may as well get high quality lights from the start so I don't have to spend more money down the road on an upgrade. I'd like to have a fully covered tank since I'm going to add a betta fish once I get all of the plants established. I've had a betta jump before and I don't want to take that risk again. I'm thinking a glass canopy and some high quality lights would be my best choice. What lights should I get, LEDs or some type of bulbs?

I already have a heater on hand, but will I need a filter as well for the betta? Or will the plants be able to filter the water like they do in the wild?

And last, but not least, the plants. I want a huge variety, no more than 2 or 3 of the same plant. I also like color. Green is good, but it gets kind of boring when EVERYTHING is green. Some reds and purples are a must. Also a variety of size. Some plants in the back that will get taller, a few kinds in the midground, and some short guys or groundcover for the front.

One more thing - fertilizer. The fish waste will provide some of the nutrients, but since this tank will be densely planted, it will most likely need more than that. What kinds of ferts should I look for? Any specific brands or ingredients?
Thank you for taking the time to read this rather long, question filled post. I'm sure all of you guys combined can provide some great answers for me.
Nikki

 

[greenmumma141]

Firstly, I would take a look at the tank and see what kind of lights it's got.  I would imagine a tank that size would have a pretty good light source already. 
 
I too, have always set up my planted tanks on a strict budget, and although it can be difficult, it is still very much doable. I also did not use a plant substrate in either tank. I used playsand in my 60g and black aquarium sand in my 10g. The eco complete and such are pretty expensive, and IMO nothing beats the look of sand
 
Bettas should always have filters and in a planted tank, the plants need to have flow or they will rot.
 
I started out with Seachem flourish and dosed everyday. Tht should be efficient until you get into higher lighting (2.5 wpg +) and harder plants.  There are a few red varieties tht aren't so tricky but for the most part, they require more ferts and lighting, so that's something to think about. I would suggest getting a good base of hardier/easier plants, then onc your tank is thriving, add a couple red plants if you want. I now dose with Seachem excel (liquid co2) everyday along side my macros and micros, whch were purchased dry. It's easy, and if you're going to go full steam ahead with ferts and co2, it's the cheapest way to do so.
 
I've also purchased most of my plants online, and I've found the best prices to be on aquabid.com. There is also a UK section.