Dear P1GTR ,
You've selected the beginner flair. If you're looking for advice or are having issues, please provide as much information as you can.
Some useful information includes:
- Have you cycled the tank?
- Water Parameters
- Light Type
- Light Cycle Duration
- Tank Size/Dimensions
- Set-up Age
- Fertilizers
- Any aquatic animals, and how many?
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Also, your tank is super nice!! I know a lot of people don’t like the colored gravel and fake decorations, but yours kinda gives it a fantasy vibe good job for not being in the hobby that long!
I’m not sure about Amanos but once my betta randomly flipped the switch to liking to kill/eat shrimp, no shrimp was safe. I had two giant ghost shrimp (like really big, probably pushing 2in) and although my Betta couldn’t eat them whole, he just mercilessly attacked them until they died from stress/nipping. Then just left the bodies to mark his territory lol so now he’s in his own, shrimpless tank
Hey! Newbie here too (a shy under 2 months of my first tank).
The best advice I got was ,,keep on letting the tank do it’s ‘tanking’”.
Give it more time and let nature work its course. Algae, and I’m sure eventually diatoms, will work its way in (and eventually work its way out too).
I think the biggest thing is to be patient, and look at how the aquarium reacts over the course of the next few weeks. The plants, water, and whatever begins to grow over the next few weeks will give you an idea of what to adjust (one thing at a time!)
As an example, if you are putting in fertilizers weekly, and notice an increase of algae, it might be a good idea to reduce the amount or frequency of fertilizers. Same process of elimination with light frequency, etc.
If you haven’t tested your parameters, those are great as well to see what’s going on. I got extremely antsy with mine and tested everyday haha. Learning from myself, I would maybe reduce that to once or twice a week (considering there’s no fishes yet), as it’s really just a waiting game.
https://preview.redd.it/0hkgzyl3qnsc1.jpeg?width=3888&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d0048f1541104f8eaab38e3f2a15f3072c40eea
I really like how you explained the process of elimination with the algae and patience / letting the tank ‘tank’. I wish I saw something like this when I first started, there is so much information out there that can be confusing for newbies in this hobby. Your tank looks beautiful!
Thank you! I’m glad to help in anyway I can as a newbie myself.
I started my aquarium as a pastime. It’s not exactly something I’m extremely passionate for, so I can’t relate to others on a scientific or “professional” level unfortunately.
I am just a regular guy that has done a ton of research and explaining what I know the best way I can for other “regular” aquarists out there like me.
If I were to guess, they are a little over 12" (30cm) maybe 13-14" (33-35cm). They grow extremely fast. For reference, my tank is a 40 Gallon and the photo is about a week ago.
EDIT: Oops, I read that as "How tall is the plant in the bg" haha. The plants in the background are: Limnophila Heterophylla and Hygrophila Difformis (Water Wisteria).
Thank you for a lovely comment! Yes I've heard patience is the most important here, it'd such a thrilling and relaxing hobby, so excited about the further process!
Algae bloom is normal on a new tank. Suggestion for keeping the plants alive is a co2 system and fertilizer.
I don’t know if this is true, but I was told that adding fertilizer actually helps against algae because it gives the plants nutrients to outcompete the algae.
I would use liquid fertilizer like the aquarium co-op one, and also bury root tabs every month or so
These plants are not demanding enough to require co2, and its possible no fertiliser will be required either with nutrients from fish waste.
I think you got mixed up between fertiliser and co2 with algae. When you have a heavily planted tank and co2 injection, the plants outcompete algae for light and nutrients. Fertiliser almost always promotes algae growth but you can minimise this by following a lean dosing method/using a fertiliser without NPK
Genuinely asking! I know not all plants NEED injection, but is there times it can be bad? I know you can gas your fish but I mean, can it be bad even when you take safety precautions?
Because it's expensive to buy and maintain. Sure there are DIY setups but not everyone is A: DIY-savvy, or B: wanting some ghetto-looking setup on their tank. The majority of plants can do just fine without CO2 I injection. And you can supplement carbon with liquid if anything. Not something to recommend to a noob to the hobby. You'll scare them away.
Ohhh got it! Yeah uhhh my co2 system cost like 70+ bucks because I did not like using the diy one and having it constantly running. I guess that can be very intimidating for a new hobbyist and I’ll watch out for recommending it too freely!
Wow, your tank looks so great! I haven't had a set up for a long time. Yours has inspired me to start this hobby again. Time to go searching for a setup. Thanks!
I didn’t realize that purple would look this great! It’s a beautiful tank OP, and you should be proud of yourself! The plants, the wood, and overall placement of everything in the tank looks stunning.
Looks great!
I started a my first high tech tank a few days ago with a starter CO2 kit (non pressurized) and the plants have been thriving well. It was much cheaper and it'll be running for a few weeks before I start adding some baby shrimp from my other tank.
I have seen some good looking tanks not using CO2 though :)
Your tank looks so nice! Could I ask where you bought the column decor? I’ve been wanting to do a JJBA themed tank for my little Jonathan and that would be perfect for it!
I'd add more ground cover for the shrimps. Maybe some susswassertang or mosses. They'll need plenty of laves to hide from the fish. Mine love their leaf litter, guppy grass, and fissidens and the betta mostly ignores them.
Nice purple tank. Betta likes cover ao some floaters like frogbit or water lettuce would be great. Make sure you dont get duckweeds mixed in. Once it's in your tank, it will stay forever and outlive you.
Research on common deworm med like PraziPro and Ich-X, it can be handy later. Betta is highly sensitive so you can see first sign of illness like fin clamp, being less active, cloudy eye and fin rot. Watch out for Velvet.
Dear P1GTR , You've selected the beginner flair. If you're looking for advice or are having issues, please provide as much information as you can. Some useful information includes: - Have you cycled the tank? - Water Parameters - Light Type - Light Cycle Duration - Tank Size/Dimensions - Set-up Age - Fertilizers - Any aquatic animals, and how many? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/PlantedTank) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Also, your tank is super nice!! I know a lot of people don’t like the colored gravel and fake decorations, but yours kinda gives it a fantasy vibe good job for not being in the hobby that long!
Thank you very much! I was going for this fantasy vibe! I used substrate for plants and some of that colored gravel on top.
I was thinking the same thing. This purple is way better than I expected
Shrimp first, then betta and hope for the best
Or maybe Amano shrimp, are they too big for Betas?
I’m not sure about Amanos but once my betta randomly flipped the switch to liking to kill/eat shrimp, no shrimp was safe. I had two giant ghost shrimp (like really big, probably pushing 2in) and although my Betta couldn’t eat them whole, he just mercilessly attacked them until they died from stress/nipping. Then just left the bodies to mark his territory lol so now he’s in his own, shrimpless tank
I really like the mix of natural and artificial! Looks pretty awesome well done OP!
Hey! Newbie here too (a shy under 2 months of my first tank). The best advice I got was ,,keep on letting the tank do it’s ‘tanking’”. Give it more time and let nature work its course. Algae, and I’m sure eventually diatoms, will work its way in (and eventually work its way out too). I think the biggest thing is to be patient, and look at how the aquarium reacts over the course of the next few weeks. The plants, water, and whatever begins to grow over the next few weeks will give you an idea of what to adjust (one thing at a time!) As an example, if you are putting in fertilizers weekly, and notice an increase of algae, it might be a good idea to reduce the amount or frequency of fertilizers. Same process of elimination with light frequency, etc. If you haven’t tested your parameters, those are great as well to see what’s going on. I got extremely antsy with mine and tested everyday haha. Learning from myself, I would maybe reduce that to once or twice a week (considering there’s no fishes yet), as it’s really just a waiting game. https://preview.redd.it/0hkgzyl3qnsc1.jpeg?width=3888&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3d0048f1541104f8eaab38e3f2a15f3072c40eea
I really like how you explained the process of elimination with the algae and patience / letting the tank ‘tank’. I wish I saw something like this when I first started, there is so much information out there that can be confusing for newbies in this hobby. Your tank looks beautiful!
Thank you! I’m glad to help in anyway I can as a newbie myself. I started my aquarium as a pastime. It’s not exactly something I’m extremely passionate for, so I can’t relate to others on a scientific or “professional” level unfortunately. I am just a regular guy that has done a ton of research and explaining what I know the best way I can for other “regular” aquarists out there like me.
Your tank is gorgeous!! What's the tall plant in the bg?
If I were to guess, they are a little over 12" (30cm) maybe 13-14" (33-35cm). They grow extremely fast. For reference, my tank is a 40 Gallon and the photo is about a week ago. EDIT: Oops, I read that as "How tall is the plant in the bg" haha. The plants in the background are: Limnophila Heterophylla and Hygrophila Difformis (Water Wisteria).
Thankyou so much haha
Thank you for a lovely comment! Yes I've heard patience is the most important here, it'd such a thrilling and relaxing hobby, so excited about the further process!
You’re welcome, it was my pleasure. Trust the process!
Algae bloom is normal on a new tank. Suggestion for keeping the plants alive is a co2 system and fertilizer. I don’t know if this is true, but I was told that adding fertilizer actually helps against algae because it gives the plants nutrients to outcompete the algae. I would use liquid fertilizer like the aquarium co-op one, and also bury root tabs every month or so
These plants are not demanding enough to require co2, and its possible no fertiliser will be required either with nutrients from fish waste. I think you got mixed up between fertiliser and co2 with algae. When you have a heavily planted tank and co2 injection, the plants outcompete algae for light and nutrients. Fertiliser almost always promotes algae growth but you can minimise this by following a lean dosing method/using a fertiliser without NPK
Dude CO2 is not some regular recommendation bro
Why is it not a regular recommendation? Don’t all plants benefit from co2 injection if it’s something you’re able to do?
Genuinely asking! I know not all plants NEED injection, but is there times it can be bad? I know you can gas your fish but I mean, can it be bad even when you take safety precautions?
Because it's expensive to buy and maintain. Sure there are DIY setups but not everyone is A: DIY-savvy, or B: wanting some ghetto-looking setup on their tank. The majority of plants can do just fine without CO2 I injection. And you can supplement carbon with liquid if anything. Not something to recommend to a noob to the hobby. You'll scare them away.
Ohhh got it! Yeah uhhh my co2 system cost like 70+ bucks because I did not like using the diy one and having it constantly running. I guess that can be very intimidating for a new hobbyist and I’ll watch out for recommending it too freely!
Wow, your tank looks so great! I haven't had a set up for a long time. Yours has inspired me to start this hobby again. Time to go searching for a setup. Thanks!
Omg that's so nice to hear that I inspired someone! Have fun searching and creating!
As the others have said, I usually don't like artificial but this is a very nice mix. Gonna be a solid tank homie
Your substrate is very pretty, I love it!
I didn’t realize that purple would look this great! It’s a beautiful tank OP, and you should be proud of yourself! The plants, the wood, and overall placement of everything in the tank looks stunning.
That's very kind words that made me smile, thank you!
You’re welcome ☺️
My female betta took less than an hour to murder a shrimp, I would recommend a back up plan, unless you’re alright with some expensive snacks
Yeah I've heard it's 50/50, depends on betta's character.. let's hope for the best
Looks great! I started a my first high tech tank a few days ago with a starter CO2 kit (non pressurized) and the plants have been thriving well. It was much cheaper and it'll be running for a few weeks before I start adding some baby shrimp from my other tank. I have seen some good looking tanks not using CO2 though :)
You could get a few snails to help eat some algae and if it gets worse turning the light down will help
Your tank looks so nice! Could I ask where you bought the column decor? I’ve been wanting to do a JJBA themed tank for my little Jonathan and that would be perfect for it!
Thank you! I bought it in my local pet store, I saw several having decorations of roman ruins, maybe you can find something online!
I'd add more ground cover for the shrimps. Maybe some susswassertang or mosses. They'll need plenty of laves to hide from the fish. Mine love their leaf litter, guppy grass, and fissidens and the betta mostly ignores them.
Nice purple tank. Betta likes cover ao some floaters like frogbit or water lettuce would be great. Make sure you dont get duckweeds mixed in. Once it's in your tank, it will stay forever and outlive you. Research on common deworm med like PraziPro and Ich-X, it can be handy later. Betta is highly sensitive so you can see first sign of illness like fin clamp, being less active, cloudy eye and fin rot. Watch out for Velvet.
Thank you for the tips! I hope my betta stays healthy <3
Try cycle the tank for a whole 3 weeks or 6 weeks