5 gallon fluval spec aquascape

planning on doing a rescape of my 5 gallon betta tank. its got this hideous pea gravel and is planted with valisneria and java fern. any aquascape ideas (needs to be beginner friendly)? also what substrate should i use that will not fall apart like fluval stratum.

 

Really easy scape put together with Java fern, mosses and a touch of Monte Carlo.. I used rocks from the back yard (free) and sand from Home Depot ($5 for 40lbs) so budget friendly too.

The tank pictured is a 10 gallon but you could do something similar very easily in a 5

And what do you mean substrate that won’t fall apart? All good substrates for planted tanks tend to not keep their shapes underwater, but you can use sponges or plastic bottles to build a structure to raise up the substrate if that’s what you’re looking for. If you mean the way stratum goes from pebble shapes to a looser dirt, that’s normal for aquasoils and is better for holding plant roots anyway. Only sands and pebbles won’t break down in this way.

 

how should i do a rescape? should i take out everything first and drain the tank?

 

how should i do a rescape? should i take out everything first and drain the tank?

I would empty the tank completely wash it out, make sure there’s no algae or anything on the glass (keep that filter safe and wet though because this can have quite a shock on the tank), remove substrate and plants etc. Then start with hardscape, rocks, sand etc, refill the tank and then add the plants. This is how I do mine

 

This was one of my 5G tanks years ago