Aquascape ideas for 5-gallon betta tank?

[bored411]

I've got a 5-gallon tank (Top Fin Premium Glass Tank with internal filter compartment removed) that I've had for ages for my betta. I've scaped it a few times but am looking for new ideas as it's been a few months and I'm having issues with maintenance on the most recent scape. Had some plant die off, some mulm accumulation, algae issues, etc. I want to clean everything up and redo it with what I have on me (as I can't afford to buy anything new right now). I'll insert the current tank here and attach pictures of previous scapes that I've done (for those interested).


The plants I have on hand are: compact amazon sword, rotala, ludwigia, dwarf sag, java and phoenix moss, java and windelov ferns, and crypt wendtii. Problems I've had with most of my scapes are dead spots where mulm accumulates and I can't reach with a siphon tube & hair algae and green algae with plants closer to the light (which is surprisingly bright for a light that came with the tank). I have more seiryuu stone that I can use, break part, or add to the tank as well as a few sticks and small pieces of spiderwood. I'm going to rinse the sand and reuse it and add root tabs to the aquasoil already in the tank to give the plants a boost should the aquasoil be old.

I am debating whether to switch the mini HOB filter (and the added air stone) I have on it currently with a mini sponge filter but that can wait since I don't want to ruin the beneficial bacteria in the tank by replacing the filter the same time I redo the scape. Any pictures or links would be helpful!

 

[BigManAquatics]

Maybe try a different approach. Sometimes with smaller tanks, i like to think in more of terms of a theme instead of a scape. No need to limit yourself!

 

[JustAFishServant]

I remember your tank! "The Legend of the Ever-Changing Scape"

 

[bored411]

I remember your tank! "The Legend of the Ever-Changing Scape"

Haha, yup! My brain nags me for a project and I typically end up redoing my tank scapes. Never had a problem with keeping the cycle or anything but after a few months of it looking nice they tend to give me issues and I want something different. I blame MD Fishtanks.

I'm tempted to redo my 10-gallon too because its stock has dwindled (only 1 killifish, 1 old guppy, and the 7 dwarf emerald rasboras who hide in that back all the time), and it's been left alone for ages. It's got a nice carpet going finally so I'll leave that and work around it but I want to move things around in it too. Just got the itch, I suppose

 

[JustAFishServant]

Haha, yup! My brain nags me for a project and I typically end up redoing my tank scapes. Never had a problem with keeping the cycle or anything but after a few months of it looking nice they tend to give me issues and I want something different. I blame MD Fishtanks.

I'm tempted to redo my 10-gallon too because its stock has dwindled (only 1 killifish, 1 old guppy, and the 7 dwarf emerald rasboras who hide in that back all the time), and it's been left alone for ages. It's got a nice carpet going finally so I'll leave that and work around it but I want to move things around in it too. Just got the itch, I suppose

Hah, I agree; blame MD. I've watched his channel since he had less than 400 subs!

A 10 gal redo sounds cool. Wonder how that'll turn out

 

[bored411]

Hah, I agree; blame MD. I've watched his channel since he had less than 400 subs!

A 10 gal redo sounds cool. Wonder how that'll turn out

This is the most recent picture of that 10-gallon tank (minus the platy who have all been moved). I separated a portion of the crypts for other tanks to thin them out a bit but I don't care for the rock or wood setup right now. I want to just rearrange it, and maybe move some plants around. I've got a bunch of baby java ferns glued to small rocks from another tank just chilling in there right now so it's just been my plant grow-out tank for a bit. Definitely needs a change.

I considered switching out the dragon stone for seiryuu stone too. Maybe using the dragon stone in the betta tank instead since I've got buckets of seiryuu stone to work with but just those for dragon stone. That does mean removing all the buce and ferns glued to them though...

 

[bored411]

Welp I tried, lol. My sister picked a picture I was looking at and I made the mistake of not adding gravel as added height in the middle. Brain was like “sand will work” which it didn’t. Covered the gap with plants instead. Still, it’s a change and I’ll probably get bored of it in a few months and redo it anyway, lol. Here’s the new betta set up. I’ll probably do the 10-gallon in a few days. Got a mini sponge in the back but I’ll keep the normal filter running for a bit before removing it.

 

[bored411]

Redid the 10 gallon yesterday. Did the rocks in a formation like the image in this: Low tech setups - 5 choices to maximise success
Then added wood that I had put back in the plants I had to change it up. Came out nice, I think. My sieve didn’t have holes big enough to separate sand from gravel so it’s all mixed but I don’t mind. The emerald dwarf rasboras are coming out more. Though I had to pull up the Monte Carlo carpet so hopefully it recovers and goes back to carpeting after I moved it.