5 gallon planted dirt/betta tank

Hi,

So basically I have a 14 gallon planted tank with basic gravel, bad lighting (2 10 watt CFL) and then I don’t do any co2 or fertilization. Some plants like the water wisteria and banana plants are doing fabulous and I really like how they have turned out. I’m planning on starting a planted 5 gallon tank. I wanted a 1 but parents like the idea of a 5 better. I want to just have a loaded plant tank and then also keep a betta with them. Anyways, I really want to make this tank look nice and make it start off good. So my plan was too do a mix of organic dirt and clay and then top it off with gravel. For plants I was thinking about doing dwarf sag and banana plants for the foreground. For the mid-ground I want to have a small piece of drift wood with Christmas moss and anubias or java fern on it. After this I wanted to get some jungle val and put it on the opposite side as the driftwood and have is hanging to the other side. Then I want to have some pennywort and red tiger lotus near the jungle val. I also wanted to add some stargrass to fill up the mid-ground and maybe add some ludwigia repens or rotala walichhi in the back of it to fill up the middle background. I was also thinking of maybe putting a sword or two in there. What do you guys think, and what other plants would you take away or add? I will be running 2 10 watt CFL bulbs like the same ones in my 14 but this will give it 4 watts per gallon which seems good enough for me even though watts per gallon isn’t that great anymore. I’m going to run an aqua-tech 5-15 HOB power filter and instead of putting in a betta that I already have, I may want to purchase a really fancy expensive one that will look great in the tank but probably not. What do you guys think of my plan and what are some recommendations to it? I may wind up doing a DIY so2 system or adding fertilizers if I really need it, but I think the dirt will work just fine. Also I was thinking of adding some iron or fluorite, but I need more information on those.

Thanks for the help, Braden :D

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Permalink Reply by 0yuoe0itoxi7u on October 27, 2011 at 4:12pm

I can tell you this right off the bat.. you won't have any space in there if you put all those plants lol... Tiger Lotus needs a bigger tank than a 5gallon for sure. All these plants could possibly, maybe fit into a 10 gallon.. but a 5 gallon. No way. Draw out your tank plan... it'll make it clearer what you want and what you can fit.

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Permalink Reply by Hmoobthor on October 27, 2011 at 4:32pm

all sounds good..but was Cirena has already stated.

a 5 gallon would not even house all those plants alone. the most you will house is 3 species of the dwarf.

As there isn't enought space/floor to work with.

You can go crazy with one or two type of plant and make it work really good. Also remember that betta or plakat like slow flow filter.

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Permalink Reply by Braden on October 27, 2011 at 4:47pm

Well is the lighting good? Could i do some banana plants and dwarf sag for the front of the tank and then ge some christmas moss and anubias. After that i would want to get some jungle val, pennywort and either an amazon sword or a rotala walichii or stragrass one of the three

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Permalink Reply by Hmoobthor on October 27, 2011 at 5:07pm

Yes lighting is okay with CFL.

If you want anubias...get the dwarf one.

Jungle val will grow too tall in the 5 gallon. Amazon sword need a big tank as they grow very big.

Pennyworth and star grass should be fine.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Bingamon on October 27, 2011 at 6:29pm

Ok from the self proclaimed Bettaaster lol way way too much plants. Drift wood I would prolly ditch too with a 5 gallon. To have any room u would need a twig for it. Instead think about maybe a river rock or two? Anubis will grow on it or in between the crack of two rocks and u can put moss on it. Jungle Val is thick and it grows tall! But I have it in an outside garden that is no higher then a 5 gallon tank but it's very very wide. I have noticed the Val won't grow more then two or 3 inches tall but in a months time it has made 6 new babies and they have made new plants! Then I take the babies put them in my 30 and bam they get like 5' long anyways I wouldn't do jungle Val. Try Italian . Smaller thinner type of Val I have it in my 5 gal. Also a sword will work for a couple of months if its a seedling from a mother plant but once it grows it too will need a larger home. I have two in a 3.5 galling tank that is a tall round so they have room to grow up. In a month or do they will have to be moved into a larger tank. If u dont take up a lot of space with rocks/ drift wood dwarf sag can b nice.i also have a few strands of ludigia in that id say gets 3 weeks between trims before they touch the tops. Do note though with most tanks you want to plant heavy when dirting. But with a small 5 gallon heavy plants is a couple plants here and there. They need room to grow and do there thing. Look for stuff that either grows slow or no faster then you can prune and replant otherwise you will end up with an uncontrollable jungle with no room for clippings or the Betta to swim. In a 5 gallon space fills fast and you don't want to always be in there. Ur fish will be stressed and ur peramiters can change too fast. With careful planing the right sized filter an plants you should have to be in there more then once a week as you would a regular tank..

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Permalink Reply by Braden on October 27, 2011 at 8:08pm

Alright i really want a design like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgbz-U6w2_w&feature=email&em...

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Permalink Reply by Braden on October 28, 2011 at 4:03pm

I wanted to add these plants. So tell me what you think. I would like to do a carpet of dwarf sag in the front along with two bannana plants. I would like to add a very small piece of driftwood and attach the christmas moss and anubias. After this i would like to get some cryptocoryne parva and wenditti green and also some pennywort.

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Permalink Reply by Hmoobthor on October 28, 2011 at 5:13pm

you might only able to attach one plant to the wood.

you don't need parva cause you got sag...but you can plant it on the opposite side if you like.

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Permalink Reply by Braden on October 28, 2011 at 8:27pm

I'm going to get both parva and wenditti. Which do you like better and what plants would you reccomend for my 14?

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Permalink Reply by Braden on October 30, 2011 at 9:54am

i'm thinking of getting this bulb.

http://www.petco.com/product/111943/Zoo-Med-Ultra-Sun-Daylight-Comp...

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Bingamon on October 30, 2011 at 10:06am

Nice bulb but for cheaper and you would get a pair, se 6500k cfl bulbs from Walmart work amazing. I have two in a 10 gallon hood and they are a short version but they put out a ton of ligh and the plants so far grow the fastest under that light. I'm actually quite amazed at how well things grow with the cheap lights I have. The hood and bulbs cost me maybe $20 and they blow out my $100 lights. I also have a cfl like ur looking at inside a light for my 5 gallon and even though it makes mY Bettas blue pop it doesn't seem to do too well for growing plants. But I don't mind that cause te tank gets natural daylight all day.