mom's betta

[clownbaby]

My mom is getting into the hobby with a betta fish! We haven't gotten the fish yet but we are setting up the tank. I am helping her get started with aquatic plants.

5.5 gallon tank | 10 gallon Hang on the Back filter | LED lights, moderate lighting || dirted with DIY substrate mix (native clay, decayed leaf humus, sand, compost, forest products) and capped with mixed sand || river rock hardscape 

plants to be added: pogostemon stellatus 'octopus', and a couple crypts! Maybe a carpeting plant, considering trying monte carlo or something similar. No CO2. Will add some floaters - thinking riccia, dwarf water lettuce, and duckweed!

Anubias has been added. May add java ferns later once I get some more plantlets. Doing a dry start: never done this method but I am experimenting :] currently propagating some more ludwigia via the dry start but that is for my 30 gallon lol

 

[clownbaby]

ludwigia is growing super fast.

Bladder snails are somehow already in this tank. They are fine for now but if they get out of control I will have to cull 😞 

also noticed some little microfaunas! Either moina or daphnia. awesome!!!

[clownbaby]

Just moved the ludwigia into my 30 gallon. Added java fern plantlets.

[clownbaby]

first gravel vac + anubias cleaning. Noticed copepods and perhaps some tubifex... I HOPE SO!!!!

[clownbaby]

First trimming of the rotala. It is starting to fill out in the background!!! 

On 9/18/2024 at 10:12 AM, clownbaby said:

Just moved the ludwigia into my 30 gallon. Added java fern plantlets.

the windelov seems to have died, but I think the normal java fern is doing a-okay!

[clownbaby]

added some species of eleocharis in the foreground

oh and i saw a few ostracods. cool!

[clownbaby]

introduced 20 scuds today (caught in my local watershed). Also introduced a really cute freshwater clam named Molly (molly, mollusk, haha) 🙂

[biklikgenry]

Interesting observations, it would be nice if the photo were of slightly better quality, but thank you anyway

Edited October 8 by biklikgenry

[clownbaby]

Caddisfly larvae ended up in the tank. Oh well! I will release them once they mature. Scuds seem to be doing well. They are very shy and seem to prefer the darker areas (anubias) in my tank.

Added some more plants. Some species of polygonum and callitriche from a local pond. 

[clownbaby]

polygonum melted pretty badly but already seems to be regrowing and popping of some runners. New anubias leaf!!!

Eleocharis died off. Might be dead for good but just in case I'm leaving it be in case it magically grows back

scuds are cute :3

[clownbaby]

had to drain it for the most part for the move. Kept about 2 inches of water in there to keep the beneficial bacteria in the substrate, as well as any microfauna that didn't get sucked up by the siphon. I kept the water in a bucket to account for the scuds, ostracods, copepods, and detritus worms. this tiny tank was a breeze to take down. now to face my 30 gal...