Feeling discouraged, need new ideas for Betta tank!

So, in my other post I had chosen my betta and my theme - a ruined Roman Colosseum with loads of plants in a 15 gallon and a fish called Spartacus.



Unfortunately, the Colosseum arrived and there is no way I could put that in with a betta. It is so rough that he would be shredded in no time if he went near it. So I need a new theme for my tank. The plants I have ordered (to arrive in a week and a half) are:

Marimo Moss Balls
Anubias nana
Vallisneria spiralis
Banana Plant
Echinodorus magdalensis

So there are going to be quite a few plants, and a couple of pieces of driftwood, but I like a theme, and a centrepiece ornament.

I'm going to actually go out and pick up the ornament myself this time rather than ordering online so I can check out how sharp/rough it is, but does anyone have any ideas? Also, any ideas for a new name for my betta?

Here's a picture of my boy for inspiration:

 

Before you abandon the Colosseum idea altogether is there any way you can file down the rough edges?

 

I've tried sanding it down, but I just don't think it's possible. The tights just snag on everything! Here are some pictures of the Colosseum close up so you can get an idea:
















There are just too many edges to deal with It's a really nice ornament otherwise...

 

Rats. You'd need an angle grinder with a polishing head to deal with that! Unless you had infinite patience and a Dremel

 

What about a Chinese/bohda theme? That's the kind I did before taking them out and just going natural with plants and mopanI wood.

 

You could stick with the Roman ruins theme and get some small pieces for inside the tank that are smooth but use the large piece outside the tank and give the appearance of a larger display. In horticultural design that's known as a "borrowed landscape"

 

Tell me about it! I was so upset when I realised how rough it was BUT it does mean I'm setting up a 3rd tank

I like the idea of having a "borrowed landscape" (haha) but the colossuem isn't big enough to make a statement I don't think.

I think what I'm going to do is go to the LFS (P@H) and see what they have that is smooth and then go from there I'll keep you updated

On a side note, my filter won't be seeded for a couple of weeks but I would really like to get my tank set up with the plants and everything sooner than this. Would this be a bad idea? Would adding an airstone help just to keep some circulation in the tank until the filter is seeded?

 

You're seeding the filter in a tank separate from the one you want to plant? I think an air stone would be fine, or even an extra (unseeded) filter or small powerhead

 

Yeah, I'm seeding the filter in my 63g tank

Thanks, I might pick up another air pump today and get the plants delivered a bit earlier. It would be nice to get some growth in and have everything ready when my betta arrives so I'm not rushed

 

Then you can keep the new filter running in the other tank as a backup in case you need a QT or one fails. Always good to have extra seeded media hanging around

 

True, could I keep a sponge filter running on a low setting and keep the bb alive? I'm not sure that the betta would appreciate two sponge filters running is all, that would probably create a bit of current I'm planning on seeding another filter anyway so that I can put one on the third tank

MTS is a real problem...

 

I'm not sure your betta would produce enough waste to keep all the BB alive though there would be some. Then if one failed you'd only experience a cycle bump. No, I was thinking you could keep the second filter running on the bigger tank where there'd presumably be more waste to feed the BB so there'd be a higher population of them.

 

That's true but it would require buying another air pump just to keep that running.

 

Are the tanks too far apart to use a splitter?

 

Go to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army you will definitely find things there. I like finding glazed but porous figurines, I imagine they hold beneficial bacteria after good water changes. I found driftwood / deadwood there and other ornaments that I plan using in my quarantine tank.

 

The tanks are in two different rooms so I won't be able to use a splitter unfortunately.

I've read that glaze is bad for fish tanks, but I may be wrong. I'm a bit nervous about using anything second hand as well.

I'm thinking about getting a few of these and planting them for like plant shelves. What do you think?



I'm a bit stuck of what plants to get though, any ideas?

Also, I've bought a few bits for the tank just so I have something to put in it until I can decide on a theme. I might wait until I see an ornament I love and then rearrange a bit at that point. This is what I've bought so far:

 

You have a beautiful betta! As far as decorative styles, how about a collapsed terracotta pot? One style that I like doing is taking a terracotta pot, settling the pot sideways, partially buried in the aquarium substrate, and add plants around the opening of the pot. I leave a bit of a gap around the opening, for it gives fish a nice hiding place.

It's an inexpensive and rather crafty style. Also, you can use cracked or broken pots, and they're easily sanded smooth so the edges won't harm your betta.