Attheworld's 10 gallon betta tank - Full re-scape!

Long time no see FishLore!

There's been a lot of change since I last posted, although one thing that I still wish to do is rescape my 10 gallon aquarium.
Now I can!

Hardscape/Tank space
Here's my 10 gallon tank currently:


No structure, algae is growing, and plants are stalled/dying. I would like to incorporate that Malaysian driftwood in the rescape, simply because it is a lovely piece and there's a lot of plants/beneficial bacteria growing on it, but, if the scape will look better without it, I may move it to my quarantine tank. If I don't keep that specific wood chunk, I still want to have a wood element in the hardscape.

Here's what stones I have to work with:



It's under warm lighting, and I'm not sure what type of stone this is, but I know it doesn't alter aquarium chemistry.

I have Fluval Stratum (since it's worked really well in my 35 gallon) for nutrients, and black sand to top/accent it. I can use other gravel to build up depth, perhaps even reuse some of what's currently in there.

I'd like to try an island scape, utilizing most pieces, but if it's not possible due to space limits I'm willing to go for a triangle or a split scape. I have a little bit of white sand I could potentially sprinkle in (less than a pound).

The tank is standard 20 by 10 inches. No lid, although I could pick one up.

Lighting/Nutrients
Medium lighting, using a dimmable NICREW LED. I have a timer for it. No CO2, using aquasoil. I have liquid ferts and root tabs if my plants need them.

Plants
I plan to reuse almost everything currently in the 10 gallon.
I can pick plants from my 35 gallon tank:
- water wisteria
- hygrophila
- water sprite*
- amazon sword babies
- hydrocoytle japan*
- nymphoides taiwan*
- pogostemon stellatus 'octopus'*
- christmas moss
- alternanthera reineckii
- rotala rotundifolia(?)
*These are a bit crowded/shaded in my 35 and I'd like to use them in my 10g.

With the same lighting on my 35 gallon tank, my alternanthera stays red, rotala is reddish, and my amazon swords turn red (they are a lacey variety).


Stocking
I'm going to move out my betta, Nyx, currently in the 10 gallon, to my 10g quarantine tank to finish cycling it. My nerite snail, Clementine, will be moved to the 35 gallon. Once the nitrogen levels are stable, I'll move Nyx back to the 10g, and Clementine will return once algae is growing. I may attempt to add a mystery snail in the future, but due to Nyx's temperament, he won't have any fish tankmates.


End
Alright, I hope that's enough information for the aquascapers out there. This will be a planted tank, and I truly want to bring out nature in this scape. I hope with FishLore's help I can acheive an aquascape I'm proud of!

TIA,
- Att.

 

Long time no see FishLore!

There's been a lot of change since I last posted, although one thing that I still wish to do is rescape my 10 gallon aquarium.
Now I can!

Hardscape/Tank space
Here's my 10 gallon tank currently:
View attachment 822591
No structure, algae is growing, and plants are stalled/dying. I would like to incorporate that Malaysian driftwood in the rescape, simply because it is a lovely piece and there's a lot of plants/beneficial bacteria growing on it, but, if the scape will look better without it, I may move it to my quarantine tank. If I don't keep that specific wood chunk, I still want to have a wood element in the hardscape.

Here's what stones I have to work with:

View attachment 822592
It's under warm lighting, and I'm not sure what type of stone this is, but I know it doesn't alter aquarium chemistry.

I have Fluval Stratum (since it's worked really well in my 35 gallon) for nutrients, and black sand to top/accent it. I can use other gravel to build up depth, perhaps even reuse some of what's currently in there.

I'd like to try an island scape, utilizing most pieces, but if it's not possible due to space limits I'm willing to go for a triangle or a split scape. I have a little bit of white sand I could potentially sprinkle in (less than a pound).

The tank is standard 20 by 10 inches. No lid, although I could pick one up.

Lighting/Nutrients
Medium lighting, using a dimmable NICREW LED. I have a timer for it. No CO2, using aquasoil. I have liquid ferts and root tabs if my plants need them.

Plants
I plan to reuse almost everything currently in the 10 gallon.
I can pick plants from my 35 gallon tank:
- water wisteria
- hygrophila
- water sprite*
- amazon sword babies
- hydrocoytle japan*
- nymphoides taiwan*
- pogostemon stellatus 'octopus'*
- christmas moss
- alternanthera reineckii
- rotala rotundifolia(?)
*These are a bit crowded/shaded in my 35 and I'd like to use them in my 10g.

With the same lighting on my 35 gallon tank, my alternanthera stays red, rotala is reddish, and my amazon swords turn red (they are a lacey variety).


Stocking
I'm going to move out my betta, Nyx, currently in the 10 gallon, to my 10g quarantine tank to finish cycling it. My nerite snail, Clementine, will be moved to the 35 gallon. Once the nitrogen levels are stable, I'll move Nyx back to the 10g, and Clementine will return once algae is growing. I may attempt to add a mystery snail in the future, but due to Nyx's temperament, he won't have any fish tankmates.


End
Alright, I hope that's enough information for the aquascapers out there. This will be a planted tank, and I truly want to bring out nature in this scape. I hope with FishLore's help I can acheive an aquascape I'm proud of!

TIA,
- Att.

Have you considered floating plants?

 

Love the stocking! Just perfect for the betta. Lucky guy!

 

Have you considered floating plants?

With my HOB filters floating plants have been more of a hassle for me. They've been trapped underwater by the flow, and all buffering methods I've used don't work well. I used to have water lettuce, which was doing good for a while, although it kept overgrowing and blocking light for other plants. Then my tank went downhill, and the water lettuce began to melt. I tried a sponge filter but it caused the water lettuce to melt as well (droplets sprayed on the leaves).

Despite that hunk of text... I am willing to try floating plants again! Just not water lettuce. And perhaps with a new filter.

 

Today, motivation trickled back to me, and on an impulse, I completely tore down the tank and now have my plants sitting in an old plastic fish bowl. I found a lone amano shrimp from when Prince, my old, humble betta lived in this 10 gallon. It will join its buddies in my 35g. Since my plants can't survive more than a few days without light, substrate or nutrients, I've got to figure this out soon.

Along with impulsive, I am indecisive (/lh), and I decided to try out a few arrangements, capping out at 10 different designs. Photos are attached.

I like the idea of the wood angled, and perched on top of the rocks, although it may not be the most natural. #9, perhaps with a couple tweaks, is what I would pick for an island scape. I tried as many different angles as I could, flipping wood and rocks around, and in each arrangement, I ensured all pieces were stable, and often left room in the back for stem plants. In the final build, the hardscape may not hold the exact positions/angles.

What appeals to your eyes?

Remember, this will be on top of black sand, and heavily planted, with greens and a few reds. It is for a single betta.

 

New Build, the possibilities...#9, works for me.
Will be



Good Luck with whatever you decide on.

 

That is how I keep floaters with a HOB.

 

That is how I keep floaters with a HOB.

OHH. That'd work for me. Do you use a suction cup to keep the ring stable? Or do you let it float on the water?

I like the look of floating plants, although I didn't have long-term luck with them. I think water lettuce was too big and solid and shaded my plants. I'll look at duckweed, frogbit, salvinia and red root floaters.

Been thinking maybe the build would look nice with a couple nano pieces of malaysian driftwood?

I'm only looking at #1, 4, 7, 9 and 10 now (attached so I can compare them side by side). My worry with #10 is algae would start growing on the anubias and driftwood.

 

It is held in place with the power cable from the heater and some thread tied to the filter intake.

 

OHH. That'd work for me. Do you use a suction cup to keep the ring stable? Or do you let it float on the water?

I like the look of floating plants, although I didn't have long-term luck with them. I think water lettuce was too big and solid and shaded my plants. I'll look at duckweed, frogbit, salvinia and red root floaters.

Been thinking maybe the build would look nice with a couple nano pieces of malaysian driftwood?

I'm only looking at #1, 4, 7, 9 and 10 now (attached so I can compare them side by side). My worry with #10 is algae would start growing on the anubias and driftwood.

It is good to see you around on the forums again!

One thing I would suggest is to visualize the plants in the new scape in your head. If you have tall stem plants, visualize them behind the scape and see how they will bring the composition together. Additionally, if you put smaller plants in front make sure they are not covering your hardscape unless you want that.

Placing some example substrate down when doing your example scapes will also help as it allows you to place things much closer to what they would look like in the final scape. Remember, your substrate will elevate your final design some once everything is placed.

 

Alright!

One thing I would suggest is to visualize the plants in the new scape in your head. If you have tall stem plants, visualize them behind the scape and see how they will bring the composition together. Additionally, if you put smaller plants in front make sure they are not covering your hardscape unless you want that.

Since I have most of my plants sitting in a bowl, I was able to place some of them in the scape along with the names of potential leafy additions on pieces of paper. In the revamped #4 scape I was a bit lazy hehe
Thanks for the help.

Placing some example substrate down when doing your example scapes will also help as it allows you to place things much closer to what they would look like in the final scape. Remember, your substrate will elevate your final design some once everything is placed.

I tried this with #9, but it didn't impact the scape for me that much. I'd rather set up on a bare bottom, and plan substrate when I decide on a setup. It's a good suggestion, thank you.

I'm stuck deciding between #9 and #4. #1 is ruled out since the wood's position is similar to that of my original attempt. #10 is my favourite! But unfortunately the 10 gallon is too small to hold the amount of plants I want and the anubias was too close to the light.

I am more interested in my plants than a fantastic hardscape combination, and #4 allows me to create a true jungle. I altered it a little so the wood is held up by the stone on the right, and the other two rocks are together. I could squeeze in almost all plant possibilities without the largest rock. And there's still a little shelter for my betta when he's stressed. In addition, the anubias is safe from algae.

Simultaneously, #9 creates good height and angles and gives more structure to my scape, but also limits the amount of plants I can tuck in. With a nymphoides behind the centre piece, billowing out from the sides, cabomba on the right of it and pogostemon stellatus on the left, it does have potential, but I wonder if the foliage will be thick enough to hide the back glass. The cave is very nice too. The anubias may be a bit close to the light, but I'm most likely going to cut those larger leaves anyway.

I'm torn!!!

Opinions?? (I didn't bother with the scientific names of plants, hoping you all can tell which species I refer to lol)


IMMEDIATE EDIT:

I replaced the medium rock on the left of the island scape with the smaller square one, creating more room for plants, and it has decided it for me.

I choose the island scape!
Although my anubias may be a tad too close to the light once the scape is elevated with substrate, and I'll really have to work on growing the plants in the back, I'm going for it. Just because the hardscape is bolder does not mean my plants will not overtake it! I can still create a jungle. To my eyes, the 'triangle' scape of #4 is too flat, and it may end up like the original, with plants being the starring factor. I'm hoping to balance hardscape and plants, and really show off that driftwood piece.

Tomorrow will most likely be me dumping in the substrate, and hopefully planting as well.

 

Alright!

Since I have most of my plants sitting in a bowl, I was able to place some of them in the scape along with the names of potential leafy additions on pieces of paper. In the revamped #4 scape I was a bit lazy hehe
Thanks for the help.


I tried this with #9, but it didn't impact the scape for me that much. I'd rather set up on a bare bottom, and plan substrate when I decide on a setup. It's a good suggestion, thank you.

I'm stuck deciding between #9 and #4. #1 is ruled out since the wood's position is similar to that of my original attempt. #10 is my favourite! But unfortunately the 10 gallon is too small to hold the amount of plants I want and the anubias was too close to the light.

I am more interested in my plants than a fantastic hardscape combination, and #4 allows me to create a true jungle. I altered it a little so the wood is held up by the stone on the right, and the other two rocks are together. I could squeeze in almost all plant possibilities without the largest rock. And there's still a little shelter for my betta when he's stressed. In addition, the anubias is safe from algae.

Simultaneously, #9 creates good height and angles and gives more structure to my scape, but also limits the amount of plants I can tuck in. With a nymphoides behind the centre piece, billowing out from the sides, cabomba on the right of it and pogostemon stellatus on the left, it does have potential, but I wonder if the foliage will be thick enough to hide the back glass. The cave is very nice too. The anubias may be a bit close to the light, but I'm most likely going to cut those larger leaves anyway.

I'm torn!!!

Opinions?? (I didn't bother with the scientific names of plants, hoping you all can tell which species I refer to lol)

These are both great options, especially since you have narrowed down from many different design concepts. However, an aquascaper should approve of their own design most of all, it does not matter as much how I or someone else feels about it. This is your slice of nature so you need to be happy with it.

However, if 4 and 9 are both still equally effective visually to you, think about doing the scape that would benefit the livestock better. You have a Betta, so an ideal habitat involves abundant hiding spaces and an overall high planting density. I know whatever option you choose will be the right one.

Additionally, I won't be available for the next day or two but Saturday I can create a digital render of your aquascape grown in for free. I have been creating digital aquascapes for members on Fishlore to give them a better idea what their tank may look like grown in. Just give me the word and I will gladly help you this weekend.

 

These are both great options, especially since you have narrowed down from many different design concepts. However, an aquascaper should approve of their own design most of all, it does not matter as much how I or someone else feels about it. This is your slice of nature so you need to be happy with it.

However, if 4 and 9 are both still equally effective visually to you, think about doing the scape that would benefit the livestock better. You have a Betta, so an ideal habitat involves abundant hiding spaces and an overall high planting density. I know whatever option you choose will be the right one.

Additionally, I won't be available for the next day or two but Saturday I can create a digital render of your aquascape grown in for free. I have been creating digital aquascapes for members on Fishlore to give them a better idea what their tank may look like grown in. Just give me the word and I will gladly help you this weekend.

Thank you for the quick reply, whoa! But almost immediately after posting, I went back to my tank and took a second look, as described in the edit. That was all it took for me. And I realized this will be an aquarium I have to live with and take care of, as you said, so I should take the time to decide myself.

I've seen some of the digital rendering you've done! The results are lovely, and accurate, but I'm beginning to get anxious with my plants sitting in a bowl for up to 4 days now. If I had the patience for it, perhaps, yet I'm too excited now to spend another day planning hehe

If I can pull this off, I know I will be so proud for weeks to come.

Thanks for your help.

 

Hello! Nov 11th update.

I've filled in the tank with substrate. The 1st layer is a good inch in the centre of my old gravel to help start the cycle and build height, the 2nd layer is 1-2 inches of Fluval Stratum across with root tabs and the 3rd layer is topping with 1-2 inches black sand. This will be my first sand tank, and I'm sure the set up for the sand could've been a lot quicker if I searched up some swift methods. But the current issue I have is with the air bubbles in the substrate.

For those of you who use sand in your tanks or are sand-smart...
How did you rid of all the air trapped under your sand (do I just need to wait and/or keep stirring it)? If there wasn't any trapped air, what method did you use to lay the sand in the tank?

I'm not sure if the substrate is deep enough. I do have some crypts, which will be in the foreground, nymphoides in the back, and a baby sword in the midground. It's 2 inches on the sides and in front and 3 inches in the centre and directly behind it. I don't want the root tabs to come up and a lot of the Fluval Stratum is poking out of the sand layer. Although that doesn't bother me too much, as it adds texture, is a similar, if not the same colour, and my plants will fill it in anyway.

I placed in my hardscape to see what it'd look like. With a few adjustments, I could start planting.
But will the air under the sand be an issue?

 

Nov 21st update! I realized my last post said Nov 11.. I meant 20th lol

After a little research, I decided to take out the hardscape and do a 50% water change. Then I used my hand to press down the sand completely, one hand-sized area at a time, and squeezed the air bubbles out. It helped, but there's still a lot of sand floating and air bubbling on the substrate. It could take 7 days for all the sand to settle and air to disperse.

Due to the nutrients being rapidly released and the substrate clouding the water, I'll complete a 50% water change daily once I set up the tank for at least a week or until the water parameters balance out.

I'm pondering whether or not I should:
A. Set up the tank completely, with filter, heater, lights, plants, hardscape, but don't turn on the filter to avoid sucking up floating sand/disturbing the sand further.

B. Leave the tank as it is, just continuing with the water changes and pressing down the substrate daily until the sand settles.

I created a pros and cons list for each option, and my biggest worry is risking my plants' lives with B. They've been packed into an old fish bowl with just room lighting, no substrate, and scarce nutrients for nearly a week now. But I don't want the air in the substrate potentially causing problems in the future. I know it's not anaerobic now, but what if these bubbles allow toxic gas to build up? It's very rare, yet that 0.1%...

Any advice?

One more thing, about the substrate depth. I don't think it'll make too much of a negative impact; my crypts grew fine in my previous substrate, which was 1.5'' deep. Where they'll be planted now I'll probably pile it up to 2.5''. The nymphoides is growing well in my 35g, with 2 - 3'' of substrate, and the baby sword would be doing well with 2 - 3'', if it wasn't completely shaded by water wisteria.

That's all.

 

Hello FishLore!

I had the whim of an idea... what if I grew a climbing plant/ivy such as vining philodrendon or creeping fig out of my 10 gallon? The roots would grow into the water behind the hardscape, and I would attach the rest of the vine to a net tacked to the wall, keeping the leaves out of the water. It could grow along the back of the aquarium and onto the wall, and the stem plants would be leaning forward towards the light, hiding the roots as well. It could look amazing! I'd be willing to try it, and if it doesn't work out, I could move the vine to a pot.

What do you think?

(It's just lines in the edited image, but it will really be a wall of small, round leaves & the vine most likely won't grow that way exactly).

 

Hello FishLore!

I had the whim of an idea... what if I grew a climbing plant/ivy such as vining philodrendon or creeping fig out of my 10 gallon? The roots would grow into the water behind the hardscape, and I would attach the rest of the vine to a net tacked to the wall, keeping the leaves out of the water. It could grow along the back of the aquarium and onto the wall, and the stem plants would be leaning forward towards the light, hiding the roots as well. It could look amazing! I'd be willing to try it, and if it doesn't work out, I could move the vine to a pot.

What do you think?

(It's just lines in the edited image, but it will really be a wall of small, round leaves & the vine most likely won't grow that way exactly).

Sounds neat!

 

Many members use Pothos, just stick the clean roots in the water and lay on the glass. I got the idea from coralbandit he has vines all around his tanks.

Here is an older pic:




Good Luck!

 

Hi there, Fishlore. It's 2022 now. Seems the perfect time for an update, almost a month after my last one. lol

My 10 gallon is cycled, stable, and ready to go. My nerite, Clementine, has done such an amazing job in my 35g tank downstairs that I decided to buy another nerite for my 10g. I headed to my LFS and the only active nerite was this little black one.



Okay it may not the best choice colour-wise, but it is so adorable! I want to give it a chance at a algae-filled life. It's settled in nicely now and I'm debating a few names - Coal, Obsidian, Wraith, with more to come. It's already hard at work munching on the diatoms and algae within my 10g.

As you can see in the picture below, my plants are settling in beautifully. I'll have to do the first trim soon, although that limnophila has some growing to do. Nyx, my 2-year-old betta fish, seems to be enjoying it, though I am concerned he's sluggish (I'm making a thread about it). I'm still stuck with my Top Fin HOB - surprisingly, it's lasted nearly a year now. But I'm definitely going to replace it with a sponge filter, already have it ordered from Amazon.


In the future, I think this could become a lovely home for some chilli rasboras - or perhaps for a shrimp colony.

 

I really like the looks of the tank! I think you made the right decision on the arrangement of the driftwood and rock.

 

Hi there, Fishlore. It's 2022 now. Seems the perfect time for an update, almost a month after my last one. lol

My 10 gallon is cycled, stable, and ready to go. My nerite, Clementine, has done such an amazing job in my 35g tank downstairs that I decided to buy another nerite for my 10g. I headed to my LFS and the only active nerite was this little black one.


Okay it may not the best choice colour-wise, but it is so adorable! I want to give it a chance at a algae-filled life. It's settled in nicely now and I'm debating a few names - Coal, Obsidian, Wraith, with more to come. It's already hard at work munching on the diatoms and algae within my 10g.

As you can see in the picture below, my plants are settling in beautifully. I'll have to do the first trim soon, although that limnophila has some growing to do. Nyx, my 2-year-old betta fish, seems to be enjoying it, though I am concerned he's sluggish (I made a thread about it). I'm still stuck with my Top Fin HOB - surprisingly, it's lasted nearly a year now. But I'm definitely going to replace it with a sponge filter, already have it ordered from Amazon.

In the future, I think this could become a lovely home for some chilli rasboras - or perhaps for a shrimp colony.

It is great to see you around here on Fishlore again attheworld. First of all, your tank looks really nice. The plants certainly look to be settling in just right.

The Limnophilia in my experience will sit in dormancy for a while in low tech tanks, but eventually it will begin growing very fast and full. There is just a little more patience on your end but it will be well worth the wait in the end.

Honestly, if you were to move the Betta you could do a shrimp colony with the Chili Rasboras in my opinion. If you have seen my 10 gallon aquascape from my old threads, it was stocked with Ember Tetras and tons of shrimp. Since there were many hiding spaces available via live plants for the shrimp the tank worked out wonderfully. I bet a group of 8-10 Chilis with some shrimp would look fantastic in there.

And as always, I recommend you try out some Pearlweed in the front section of this tank. You can grow it like a carpet and it will fill in the empty patch with a nice fluffy carpet of green in no time. In all my tanks, Pearlweed is literally a weed that needs thinning every water change, even my non co2 injected ones. I bet you would have great success in this tank with some.

 

I'm back after MONTHS! I actually kinda forgot about this build...so sorry

Glad it's working out well. Lookin' crisp

 

Fun little update, coming at you from June 2022 for all the Fishlorians still watching this thread.

I went through a rough time over winter, and neglected this tank Feb through May, so much so I'm pleasantly surprised my plants are still thriving, and my nerite Obsidian survived the whole ordeal. It's good I didn't have fish in.

A few changes were made when I felt ready to tackle the tank again - I trimmed everything back, and took out the harmless looking 'water sprite' in the left back corner, because in my 35 gallon tank that plant literally grew foot-long roots and foot-long leaves, and took over the entire tank, limiting light for everything. The more demanding plants I have in my 35g are still recovering.

Additionally, at some point I upgraded my TopFin HOB to an Aquaclear 20. I decided against a sponge filter because of how space it would take up - even the smallest model I could find. I'm going to buy an intake sponge for my Aquaclear.

And just recently, I picked up some Azolla for the tank, or mosquito fern. It's generally a pond floating plant since it does well in cooler temperatures and low water flow, but I loved the texture of its leaves and odd growth so much I decided to buy it for my tank. The roots are nice too! I'll put my filter to the lowest setting and once I have that intake sponge the surface should be at suitable stillness for my floating plants. It does limit my future stocking to fishies who can tolerate non-tropical temperatures.

And what you've been yearning for, an updated photo.



Despite what the tank suffered through, it's doing pretty good.

Moving forward, I believe moving to a journal thread would be a good idea. The build is finished now, so I will paste the link here for those still watching who'd like to follow my 10 gallon tank's journey.

10g journal thread

Thank you to all who helped me think through this build, design my tank, and love it ! And for welcoming me back each time I am reminded how much fishkeeping means to me.


- Att

<3

 

love it!!!!! keep it up