Beginners 10G planted betta tank

[Supermassive]

 Hello everyone. I'm new to the hobby. Only started in April this year. Any advice is very welcomed. I finished setting up my new 10G tank recently so I figured I share it. The tank is currently cycling. Its been running for about 2 weeks. There are some pest snails with the plants. I actually really like the snails. I feel like they add a lot to the overall ecosystem and I just think they are cool too. The plants are S repens, java fern narrow leaf, anubias nana, anubias petite, limnophila sesiliflora, helanthium bolivianum, and some weeping moss. There's a few pieces of driftwood and a large piece of dragon stone with a few small pieces scattered. I also have the floating betta log. I've been considering getting one of the leaf hammocks too. I made a cave underneath the driftwood. Its like the pieces I got were made for it. They are perfect arches and I just dug a little bit of the substrate out from underneath to make the cave. For filtration I have an Aquaclear 20 turned all the way down. I will probably still need to get a sponge or something to dampen the outlet. I have my heater set to 80 degrees, but its usually at 79. I'm also running an airstone.

So I'm obviously going to get a betta. I don't really have anything specific in mind yet. I have heard that if they have longer fins it often means they wont have the best genetics because they would have been inbred for that trait. I do like the plakat betta but there is a way bigger selection of longfin bettas in my area. I also want to get some tankmates but idk if that will really limit my selection and I will have to find a particular betta that is not aggressive. I would prefer just to pick the betta based on how it looks and not its personality necessarily. But if that is the only way I can do tank mates then I'm willing to wait and find the right betta. I really want to keep the tank mates very simple though. I want all the focus and attention to be on the betta. I'm currently thinking of doing either cherry shrimp or an amano shrimp with a nerite snail. But if there are better more beginner friendly options I would love to hear it. Maybe I shouldn't be doing tankmates since this is only my second fish but it would be cool to have some other animals in the tank with the betta. And if I never do it ill never learn how. The bettas at my LFS are kept in tanks with other fish so maybe that gives me better odds of success with tankmates than ones from the big box store. But yeah I'm still kind of undecided if I'm going to do tankmates. I feel like I could just do what I know already and stick with the betta by himself but I could also easily be persuaded into doing tankmates.

Anyway that's all I have to say for now. Ill post more photos tomorrow of a more detailed look around the tank. Thanks for reading and viewing 😃

[FLFishChik]

I think your tank looks awesome! As far as Betta personality, it's really impossible to tell until you've got one and add tank mates - they really do all have different temperaments and personalities. Ive had Betta that were fine with larger shrimp like amano, snails and tiny tetra.. and I've had Betta that didn't like roommates and harassed anything else I put in the tank. Cherry shrimp may end up being a pricey snack. Nerites seem to be what worked best for me. IF you do decide to do tank mates, then add them FIRST and let the Betta be the last thing you add to the tank, that way, there is less of a chance for territorial aggression.

Now, long fin or short fin - I will tell you this, Long fin Betta are more susceptible to tears in their fins on rough decor or firmer plants or hardscape which *can* lead to fin rot. It also can make it difficult for them to maneuver around the tank depending on how long and heavy the fins are. Lots of resting areas (as you have with the floating log) helps give them a break.

If you are wanting to slow your flow down even more, I also have HOB filters on my Betta tank and do the 'water bottle" baffle. it's pretty easy and works like a charm. Youtube has several videos on how to do this, it's very simple.

  Good luck in your Betta search! I always have a blast when searching for that can't-live-without perfect Betta!

Edited September 14, 2023 by FLFishChik

[Supermassive]

@FLFishChik Thank you very much. I guess I will just have to try the nerite snail and amano shrimp and see how things go. I have a 5 gallon tank I could put them in if the Betta is aggressive or I could return them if the store allows it.

My last Betta had HUGE fins. They were so big he struggled just to turn around and he did tear them a couple times but they healed extremely fast.

Okay ill have to check out a couple of videos about the baffles.

Yeah I'm starting to get excited thinking about searching for a Betta! Thanks again.

[Supermassive]

Trimmed the S repens a little bit and got a glass lid. Looks so much better than the black plastic.

Also a bunch more photos of around the tank.

 

[Supermassive]

Got the Amano shrimp and Nerite snail today. They also had an awesome Betta for sale. I will probably get it Tuesday if its still available. For food I just got the ZooMed banquet blocks, the ones with spirulina. I put one in the tank but they haven't touched it so I'm guessing there is plenty of stuff for them to eat.