# Finally all set up! NPT #1



## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

This is my 5.5 gallon NPT. I did not like the sand at all. It was hard to work with! :-? I put as many plants as I could to get (70%). It was super expensive to buy the plants. I spent over $150. Next time I will shop around and see who has better prices. I have a filter in there for now baffled with a panty hose. Even with a sponge around the intake and on a low setting the flow was still too hard for my female betta. She loves it! After I acclimated her and put her in I noticed a little blue coming out of her. I thought she was only red! :shock: She loves it! Though she keeps trying to eat everything! Here it is. If you see anything wrong or anything I should fix please let me know! :-D but do know that this is my first NPT.


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## Friendlyfishies (Aug 16, 2012)

I dont see the pic


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

shucks, Lets try it again.


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## twolovers101 (Sep 17, 2012)

very nice


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

Uh, some of your plants shouldn't be buried in the sand, like th java fern wendilov (sp?) It will just die. 

Test your water daily, you don't have very many stem plants and your plants will probably start melting (the crypts) and they won't do a thing for your ammonia. Be very cautious, ammonia starts to leach fast and your girl may not survive the heavy amount. I usually recommend waiting at least a week unless you gather soil from your backyard and already have plants (That is usually why OFL plants that day) store bought organic dirt will usually leach ammonia for about a month or so.


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

kfryman said:


> Uh, some of your plants shouldn't be buried in the sand, like th java fern wendilov (sp?) It will just die.
> 
> Test your water daily, you don't have very many stem plants and your plants will probably start melting (the crypts) and they won't do a thing for your ammonia. Be very cautious, ammonia starts to leach fast and your girl may not survive the heavy amount. I usually recommend waiting at least a week unless you gather soil from your backyard and already have plants (That is usually why OFL plants that day) store bought organic dirt will usually leach ammonia for about a month or so.


 

Should i let the java fern float? or what should I do with it? and what others?

I'm testing the water daily, and planning a water change for tomorrow. 

Should i take my fish out? And let it sit for a month or so? I live in an apartment complex so I have no yard to use which is why i used organic soil since thats what I read on OFL sticky. 

I haven't put any shrimp or snails in. Should i do that now too or wait?

How should I correct everything that is wrong?


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

oO did you buy a whole lot of anubias?... those you cant bury either ufortunately 

they are also not stem plants and dont grow very fast. yyou can tie those to a rock or drift wood . I do recommend at this stage to let it sit for a month, wholst all the other plants establish a goood root system. then you can put the fishie back in


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

Well, its offical, I suck at this. I'm gonna tear down the tank. I can't buy any more plants I spent well over 300 buying all the stuff yesterday. I got too many anubias because they're so pretty and now I can't even plant them  This is frustrating. I do have wisteria in the back. I have no clue anymore on how to go about this.  i feel like crying cause I spent a lot of time on this.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

sandrac8388 said:


> Well, its offical, I suck at this. I'm gonna tear down the tank. I can't buy any more plants I spent well over 300 buying all the stuff yesterday. I got too many anubias because they're so pretty and now I can't even plant them  This is frustrating. I do have wisteria in the back. I have no clue anymore on how to go about this.  i feel like crying cause I spent a lot of time on this.



calm down and dont tear anything down. take the anubias out and tie them to something, like the rock/ driftwoord you have. do the same with tthe java fern. 

You really dont need to buy anymore. the wisteria will grow pretty quickly an you can trum and replant really soon.

the crypts are similar in shape to anubias. so you can certainly move those to where you intended for the anubias to be. 

dont give up! LOL

let me show you my current NPT. how it started and how it enda up. some people cant do it in one go. I made many adjustments over many months and finally had it in a way I kind of liked. 

Top left: Day 1
Top right: Day 5
Bottom left: 2 months
Bottom right: 6 months

if you are wonderin about the 70% plant cover rule in mine, only the left side has soil. that side was 70% planted


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

I agree...take a deep breath....don't tear it down...sometimes you have to work with what you got! Take her out, let wisteria have a chance to grow, and if you come into $5, go and buy a bunch of stem plants...usually can get 1 or 2 bunches for 5$. Tie your java fern and anubias to your hardscape (drift wood and rocks). Keep lights on 10hrs/day so the plants will grow, and wait until everything works.
If you have sand, yes put in snails...especially Malaysian trumpet snails....this will help to ensure your soil and sand don't form any toxic pockets while waiting for plants to root there!
Everything will work out...just might take longer than planned 
Oh, and on your crypts: make sure the stems are buried...less melting 
Just plant their roots and smallest amount of green part possible!
And yes, you can float anubias and crypts and java fern...at least temporarily.


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

Thank you aokashi and ravenwinds with your kind encouraging words. Just what I needed! This is really testing my patience lol. I hate the sand, i can't move anything without it getting everywhere! So, I'm stuck with that. Ok.

So i will tie the anubias and java fern to my driftwood with a rubber band I guess? I realized I actually don't have wisteria, This is what I currently have:

Water sprite
small brazil swords
crypt wendtii
anacharis

If you have specific planting instructions for those please advice me! 

I can go buy the stem plants today. Which stem plants should I look out for? I will also buy some trumpet snails (how many? i went crazy with the anubias I don't want to come home with like 10 snails lol)! Should I get shrimp too or hold off? (so sorry for all the questions, please bear with me). 

I will place Lucy back in her 1 gallon. Can I place a plant or two in there floating so she can enjoy? If so, which ones? I think she likes the whole jungle fever thing lol. 

I keep telling myself Rome was not built in a day. it takes time and patience. I have 3 other tanks to turn into NPTs (way later) so this is my practice until I get it right!

THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR HELP. YOU ARE REALLY HELPING OUT A BEGINNER HERE!


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

yes! lucy would LOVE it if you take out some anubias for her 
I thought I told you sand isn't easy in another thread XD lol.

stems plants are anything the sprouts leaves as they grow upwards.
These includes water wisteria, cabomba, anacharis, ludwigia, rotala. etcetc


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I've found superglue to be a really easy way to attach anubias to wood, rock etc. I will sometimes tie down the rhizome with fishing line or cotton but that is fiddly and time consuming. A couple of dabs of superglue and time to dry is all you really need. 

Same basic concept works with java fern and moss. 

It's a very popular method and have never run into any issues regardless of the brand of superglue I used.


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## Juicebox (Oct 24, 2012)

your tank looks beautifull,dont give up hope,you will get there,we all start some place


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

aokashi said:


> yes! lucy would LOVE it if you take out some anubias for her
> I thought I told you sand isn't easy in another thread XD lol.
> 
> stems plants are anything the sprouts leaves as they grow upwards.
> These includes water wisteria, cabomba, anacharis, ludwigia, rotala. etcetc


I know you did, it just slipped my mind. Trust me I'm banging my head against the wall now!! 

I will write a list down tonight and have the anubias and java ferns on the wood tonight as well

@littlebettafish..what type of glue do you use? it doesn't hurt the plants? and what is a rhizome? lol :-?


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

Juicebox said:


> your tank looks beautifull,dont give up hope,you will get there,we all start some place


Thank you so much! I'm really trying, hopefully it gets fixed soon!


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I just use supermarket brand of superglue. I have used both the more expensive and cheap brands and not run into any issues with either. Doesn't seem to hurt the plant at all. You just have to be careful if you ever remove it that you don't damage the plant in the process.

The rhizome is the thick sort of root that all of the smaller roots come off. It is what you don't want to bury in the substrate as it can cause the plant to rot.


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

Thanks Littlebettafish I will look into that. 

Could anyone also tell me how to plant a water sprite, brazil sword, and the crypt wendtii (floating or on wood)? 

When I get home I'm going to start moving things around! cross your fingers


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

sandrac8388 said:


> Thanks Littlebettafish I will look into that.
> 
> Could anyone also tell me how to plant a water sprite, brazil sword, and the crypt wendtii (floating or on wood)?
> 
> When I get home I'm going to start moving things around! cross your fingers


those you can plant in the substrate


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## Juicebox (Oct 24, 2012)

sandrac8388 said:


> Thanks Littlebettafish I will look into that.
> 
> Could anyone also tell me how to plant a water sprite, brazil sword, and the crypt wendtii (floating or on wood)?
> 
> When I get home I'm going to start moving things around! cross your fingers


check youtube theres loads of planting videos there


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

With stem plants, it is usually better to ( painstakingly) plant each stem separately...just slide it into substrate just about as far as it will go...remove leaves that are to be buried...if left on they may cause stem to rot...watersprite and anarchis are good stem/bunch plants...for what to look for: go to aquariumplants.com or aquariumplantscentral.com....both have good info, just look in their stem/bunch plant sections...this way, you can see a good picture and get info....both companies are great to purchase from as well...for future endeavours! 

For crypts: a seller on aquabid (another awesome place to buy from) told me: plant the crypt, carefully as they can be delicate stems and all, and then gently pull plant up ever so slightly....he said everyone wants to plant it completely but crown area (where roots end and leaves begin...usually whiter area) does a bit better if its farther out of substrate than you initially plant it. I know, its a bit convoluted  but he said just plant it how you normally would and then gently pull it up a bit. I find this does help with melting issues.

Swords: they usually have a rosette pattern, plant roots, anything green keep out of sand! When they start growing, they usually take off fast...so, plant towards the back or one side and leave growing room around it. They also have higher light needs, so be careful not to shade it with other plants.


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

I would get 5 or 6 Malaysian trumpet snails ...you could start off with less...not a specific number needed as they will usually over run your tank if unchecked 
MTS don't have egg sacks...they birth live babies, so more than likely, you will awake one morning to a tank wall or part of the substrate littered with these tiny, perfect shells that look like unicorn horns!


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

Ok, so it was a long night last night! I tied the anubias and java fern to the driftwood. I had no glue and was too lazy to go out and grab some 


I planted the wisteria and anacharis in the back. 

I did plant the crypt wendtii and brazil swords, roots only, and left the green out of the substrate. 

My only worry is this. I have the soil at the bottom and then a cap of sand. The sand is only half as thick as the soil. Should the roots reach all the way into the soil?

Also what are your opinions on using soil as opposed to a special aquarium plant substrate like fluval?

I have not been able to find the snails  i'm going to call more LFS tomorrow and check.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

MTS are common hitch hikers. if your lfs arent hobbyist, they may not know what you are talking about. They are viewed as pest snails by the amateur aquarist 

you can get those fore free usually if you'd just ask the shop keepers.

the plant roots will grow to reach the soil, you really dont have to worry much about that.

I cant answer much about the substrates, I treat all sustrates the same way.


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## KriStellar26 (Nov 5, 2012)

Hi.. I read your thread and went to aquariumplantscentral.com and it didn't bring anything up. Could this be www.plantedaquariumscentral.com? I found it when searching for the other... Thanks!!


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

Agreed with aokashi. Roots will grow to reach soil like the plant will grow towards the light.
It is possible you already have some trumpet snails....but if you want more, I will send you some if you pay postage...just PM me!

I am a dirt girl! Since I did 1 NPT/dirt tank, I have done them all that way....goes along with my pagan naturalist lifestyle ...easier to deal with as I don't have to use fertilizers, except occasional iron for my swords and other iron lovers. Once they are set-up, they are as close to a true ecosystem as possible. My first planted tank, I did with caribsea's version of eco-complete. It required a lot of rinsing, but then I could replant as desired for first month without mud cloud, but it seemed to me that it was harder to keep stems in the substrate...and after 1 month, dirt will no longer try to escape when you move things around AND since you don't vacuum eco-complete like gravel, after 1month, you get some "dirt" clouding the water, so those expensive substrates lose their primary advantage.
Of course, I LOVE the smooth sand cap...I use Petco black sand...it's kind of messy while planting and filling tank first time, but even that is OK after you get rhythm of it: sprinkle peat on bottom of tank (should be able to see through it to glass), add your sifted dirt (tried wet or dry...not much difference), put water in to make wetter than damp but not soupy, pour on dry sand, add enough water to fill above sand about 3 inches (pour water into shallow bowl that is sitting on sand so as not to disturb substrate....main thing is don't get impatient; fill verrrry slowly), I let sit for a bit to help everything get saturated....and then plant slowly and carefully!
I'm sorry that you had such a hard time with sand but honestly the "high tech" substrates have just as many drawbacks with rinsing four dozen times (darn near literally) and then always having to dose aquarium with ferts.


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

Yeah sorry....that's the right site you have. The owner is wonderful and normally has a selection of plants for sale on aquabid site, as well. From aquabid, I've purchased from her, p_volitan, mikeswetpets, snail_chen, and a few others. You can get some good deals from them...it was great working with ones I have listed.


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

I regret to inform one java fern has died and one crypt also has passed. 

Everything else I think is looking pretty good. I haven't found trumpet snails..Are there any other ones I should buy? Should I be feeding my plants or be doing anything else? 

I saw on youtube all these videos and i should have bought the fluval edge kit for planted tanks...it comes with the cool substrated and CO2 stuff..Oh well maybe for the next one. Anyone have experience with these?

On another note. My anubia in my 1 gallon tank where I have my female betta in seems to be idk. Hurt? Could my betta possibly be eating/biting it?


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

ravenwinds said:


> Agreed with aokashi. Roots will grow to reach soil like the plant will grow towards the light.
> It is possible you already have some trumpet snails....but if you want more, I will send you some if you pay postage...just PM me!
> 
> I am a dirt girl! Since I did 1 NPT/dirt tank, I have done them all that way....goes along with my pagan naturalist lifestyle ...easier to deal with as I don't have to use fertilizers, except occasional iron for my swords and other iron lovers. Once they are set-up, they are as close to a true ecosystem as possible. My first planted tank, I did with caribsea's version of eco-complete. It required a lot of rinsing, but then I could replant as desired for first month without mud cloud, but it seemed to me that it was harder to keep stems in the substrate...and after 1 month, dirt will no longer try to escape when you move things around AND since you don't vacuum eco-complete like gravel, after 1month, you get some "dirt" clouding the water, so those expensive substrates lose their primary advantage.
> ...


are trumpet snails the best to use? I heard they reproduce like craaaazy! lol

Yes my experience was bad lol but I did learn from it thanks to you guys! 

Should i get some iron too or any other supplements to help?

I will post a pic tonight after I remove some of the dead ones and get some more opinions from everyone. 

Thanks again! 

P.S i had bought the expensive fluval substrate. It was hard to work with too. Turned the water black and you pretty much had to change the water until it clears. Idk how the people on youtube did it.


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

Sorry about late response...was offline for a couple of days.
Don't have experience with fluval edge...most of composite substrates have to be rinsed in a bucket like forever  and they don't last any longer, and most of time a lot less, than your dirt tanks ...ok, what I have had to come to turns with is this: do I want this tank to be a self-sustaining ecosystem (or close to it)...or do I want high-tech lighting and co2?
I have done both and for most part, I like my little ecosystems better. But I am still fidgeting around with low-tech setup, trying to get everything working how I want it to...and let's face it, at this point in my life, I cannot afford $5000 or more for 1 tank setup in high-tech...which is what your looking at to compete with the "true aquascaping" breed out there!
So, someday I want to aquascape a huge aquarium, but I am still learning about the plants and how they behave underwater...so, for now, I will perfect my ecosystems and maybe make a hybrid someday soon...so many options...
You will never be happy with your tanks if you keep up an internal debate between high and low-tech, so choose one or the other, or hybrid of the two, and don't look back after you begin.

MTS: like any snail, they can be a pest and breed like crazy...but, they are the only choice to help you aerate your soil under sand cap to keep out pockets of dead anaerobic soil....you can poke holes with a pencil/stick/fork to help, but I don't know how effective that is. With MTS, I just leave soil/substrate alone because I know between snails and plant roots, my soil is taken care of adequately. I know they sell them on aquabid and I have plenty available if you just want to pay shipping.

...yes, you might have to, on occasion, dispatch some extras (or you could attempt to sell them on aquabid ...or give them away...
OldFishLady states emphatically that your "ecosystem" needs snails to work, to be an ecosystem. I will defer to her experience...even if pond snails love munching on aquatic plants and even with my Brown ramshorns that seem to eat my plants when they say ramshorns don't eat your plants (huh...could have fooled me!). Seriously though, at least my MTS don't eat my plants!


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

What if I used a gravel cap instead of the sand? Does that tank need a heater with those plants in them? Should i get better lighting? I'm trying really hard to keep them alive because they were really expensive. The water sprite is starting to brown  I for sure want a low tech set up. I'm not really experienced for a high tech.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

stuff like fluval stratum have a higher cation exchange capacity, meaning that they will draw nutrients into the substrate. Sand and gravel are typically inert. dont panic yet..... plants may melt at first when getting used to your water quality, the water sprite is probably just losing its emmersed leaves.
I find that it does better floating than planted.


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

Aokashi! you are going to slash my throat and kill me! I tore down the tank. Everything was just a mess and i hated looking at it! So here is what I did.

I added flourite (it was on sale, and my friend got it for me ) with some root tabs for a few of the plants.
I added more stem plants (cabomba, baby tears, anarcharis)
I also floated the water sprite
I added some seachem flourish liquid fert.
I changed the light to a 5100K 10 Watt

There are still no fish or shrimp. I think I have two snails from the plants. They are teenie tiny!

I have heard many things about when to add fish. Some say let the tank run for about three days and along with testing you can add the fish. Some say no until the tank is fully cycled and you get the right reading then add fish. What do you guys suggest? 

I wanted to know what the purpose of shrimp is? And Snails?

Also i feel as if my lighting is uneven. Should i worry about that?

And, i don't think everything is where its supposed to be. I think the wood is too big maybe? Idk. Lol I need to move things around.










There is no heater in it. Do i need one?


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

wooooowwwww
I like it! did you have fun? I have fun setting up tanks XD
I would wait a week or two and test the water parameters. is this still soil based or just flourite?


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

Very nice! No, driftwood is not too big...but, again its up to you! I would wait since you added so many ferts and the like...ferts, root tabs, usually don't need to be added right away, but shouldn't hurt anything except might get weird readings on tests...ammonia may have spiked but not for long since you have so many lush plants to suck it down!
Again up to you, but light does look less bright on the right...so far, you've done the right thing by putting anubias there...put plants that like or tolerate less light on that side (anubias, crypts, java fern) and then you don't have to get more light.

The shrimp and snails function as clean up crew for algae, dead or dying plants, and fish poop...they will help break it all down so plants can utilize nutrients better and faster, producing more O2 for fish. In a low-tech ecosystem like we are attempting to create with this setup, we need the plants and fish, of course, but we also need smaller organisms, like shrimp and snails, and then we need microorganisms....all these together gets us as close as possible to our goal of a mostly self-sustaining ecosystem!

You're doing great! It's ok that you tore down to make better...just so you know, flourite isn't needed in a dirt tank, but anything will work. Also, if you removed dirt, then this is technically no longer an NPT but it is a hybrid.
I also noticed that we didn't answer your gravel question: yes, you can use a fine gravel for your cap if you hate sand that bad! Read the sticky at head of NPT section as Old Fish Lady has explained this very well.
Did you use flourite as the cap? If so, you have to tell me how it works. I have used sand, gravel, and a combo of sand and gravel as a cap...they all have issues, especially when rushed.
Congrats on gorgeous lush tank!


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

No it is no longer soil  so no longer an NPT! But I did have a lot of fun setting it up and researching this new hobby/passion of mine!

I'm going to let it run until sunday with water changes and water tests. I will also be buying a few snails to clean up maybe. Then I will add Lucy into her new home. How many shrimp should I get? And what type of snails? I'm super excited to get these little buggers into the tank! I'm so fascinated by them

Afterwards i will work on planting a 10 gallon! Is it possible to do a planted tank with a divider? I know I will have to get two small different pieces of wood instead of one big one! Do the plants vary with a 10 gallon? I will have more room for light but would still like low maintenance plants lol. 

@ravenwinds..i did not add soil  I thought about it, but was too chicken to experiment lol. So does making a tank an NPT or a planted tank mean for less water changes? How exactly does this work. I tried to look for diagrams online lol. I know the plants take in the ammonia. 

Thank you all for helping me with my new passion! You have made alot of bettas happy and anxiously waiting for their new home!!


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Personally I don't recommend dividers for planted tanks...for aeshtetic reasons. but if you do, try and make it look like two tanks. . wait for those stem plants to explode then you can do your 10 gallon for cheap XD Despite poplar belief not making a tank NPT does not mean that you need to do more water changes. but it does mean that you will need to use ferts. don't go too crazy with the ferts though


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

Yea, I don't think I would want a divider but thats how I have one 10 gallon with two bettas!  I will try and see how it works and if not then just pull the divider out and buy another tank. Lol. 

Aokashi can you recommend me a type of shrimp for my 5.5 gallon. And how many? I want to start looking at prices! Thank you!!


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## Friendlyfishies (Aug 16, 2012)

lol today the pics worked for me! how weird. Looks beautiful though!  

I totally know how you feel though, ive changed my plants around so many times I just decided to put them in pots til I decide LOL


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

i would start with ghost shrimp. they start at 33c at petsmart and 50c at petco. try to get the ones that are as clear as possible.

amanos are also great shrimpies. I think with 10 gallons that well planted you can definitely go community. maybe 6 neon tetras or something XD

but let the plants do some growing first.


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

I currently have 3 divided 10g NPT...I think fish appreciate the effort of real, live plants. The look on some of Thai bettas that come from small jars to me and I acclimate and then plop them in a jungle...they love it!
For this reason alone, I will plant their homes. Divided tanks look bad, aesthetically, but I will always plant them because it's for the fish, not our house decoration. I have come up with a solution, though....for the male fish as well as aesthetics: I have begun tying moss to the plastic grid divider....make it as thick and covered as possible since moss is such a slow grower. I got directions online on how to make a moss wall that you can hang up in the back or side and it will eventually cover that wall like furry wallpaper. It was easy to see how same idea can make the divider have furry wallpaper 
This way, it limits, until it obscures completely, the line of sight for the 2 bettas.
You could also plant a row or two of a tall plant like some of the larger valisnarias to make the divider/fence more obscured....
I agree with aokashi: start with ghost shrimp...they have a better chance of surviving being locked up with a predator than some of prettier shrimp like RCS Red Cherry Shrimp (or their orange, yellow, or blue cousins)...all of which start at $1/per shrimp and up! You probably want to start with at least 10...
Snails can go in, in my opinion, to tank now....they are pretty hard to kill...might want to put 1 or 2 pellets in per day or every other day...because I don't know how much microscopic food you have available in your tank at the moment...or you could give them some lettuce/spinach/blanched veggies...up to you.....just remove uneaten food everyday.


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

I will try that! Thanks ravenwinds! 

the only thing i have in the tank (that snails could eat) right now is propably dead plant matter from unsavable plants. I also have some green fuzzy string stuff on the driftwood. I want to say I have at least 5 tiny snails in there. I will drop a few pellets of food and a bit of lettuce for them to munch on. They are super cute! lol

Thank you everyone for your help! I hope these plants grow super fast so I can start on my next one!


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## SpookyTooth (Dec 23, 2011)

Your aquarium is absolutely lovely, sandrac! I'm really glad that you found something that works for you and wish you lots of luck with it. You may find you don't need to feed the snails as they should help break down dead and dying plant matter, they're wonderful additions to planted tanks. :-D


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

No need to feed the snails. if there is dying plant matter, let them do a clean up job first


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

Ok cool! These little buggers better get to working! LOL ;D


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

IMO the tank looks much better now actually! I would still prefer a 6500k light, but a 5100k _may_ work.

Yeah, no need to feed the snails, the plants will provide food when they start to melt and adapt to your water.


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

Yep...its the snails job to help break dead and dying plant matter! You already have the start of your clean up crew!


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

@OP: I don't mean to derail this thread, but you have the EXACT same tank as I do, and I was wondering what light bulb you are using? Your tank looks beautiful! I think you did a great job 

The bulb I'm currently using is the Aqueon mini CFL 50/50:










Does anybody (or OP) know if this is enough lighting in a 5 gallon for plants?


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

Bahamut, I have that brand but not the exact same bulb. The one I use says the kelvin on the front. I believe it's black and grey box that says 5100k. I'll see if I can find the box here somewhere tonight and then I'll PM you a picture.


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## bahamut285 (Dec 10, 2010)

Thanks so much, Sandra! <3


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

I don't know about those compact fluorescent bulbs...I know Petco sells a brand that works quite well...zoomeds (i think! It's found in their aquatic light bulb section, but their reptile section has many items from this brand!) The bulb I use says "Daylight" on it and is 6500K...Kelvin. Many planted tank people state that you don't want to have less than 6500k.


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

Hello guys! Thank you for all your help! I have now started on my second planted tank. I'm not really liking the way it looks. Maybe I'm just being picky...I wonder if I could get your thoughts and suggestions once again  please!!

I have two 6500k 10 watt bulbs, substrate is flourite
Crypt spiralis
Dwarf Onion
Crypt undulata
bacopa carolina
anubias nana (on driftwood)
brazilian pennywort(planted and some floating)
amazon sword ( a little too tall but seems fine for now) I think
camboba( planted in three different spots)
anacharis


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Hi! I would move the drift wood to the right a bit...and maybe add an opposing element on the opposite side


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

I have heard from a couple of sources (and it is what I do...most of the time  put only one area of a certain plant....meaning don't scatter a stem plant around the whole tank, but put it all near each other. Try placing all the cabomba in the same area....it could be part of opposing element..such as, move driftwood slightly more right, put in small pile of river rocks (or a tiki head...whatever and plant all the cabomba behind and/or around it. If the driftwood was to right of center, it would help cover some of long stems of amazon sword, making that side look more full and dense with plants.


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

Ok, I placed all of the same types together. Does pennywort do better planted or floating? I feel like I should have placed the cabomba towards the opposite end. oh well..I really don't feel like moving it lol. I placed some root tabs and put in some flourish comprehensive. How many times a week do y'all suggest i add the flourish? I will be adding shrimp maybe tomorrow or later this weekend. no snails unless its a nerite.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Better XD but not quite there yet 

I have a contest for plants which you seem to have good lighting for  join?

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=121325


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

GRRRR!!! What else should I do? You know what would be awesome!! If you drew me a diagram of a top view of my tank and told me where to place everything? DDD Please feel free to tell me what I'm doing wrong lol. 

A contest?? I've never entered one before!!! awesome I will enter now!! yay!!


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## ravenwinds (Feb 5, 2012)

Sandrac....it takes your OWN creativity...you are the artist...and your doing awesome!
You could place cabomba on opposite side if you won aokashi's contest or got some small plants to place on the left...a nice crypt or something w/roundish leaves that crept along ground would be nice 
I don't think that cabomba would look as good on right though...seems like it would make that side too busy with wispy textures...hmm...
The pennywort does well I am told either way but I don't know from personal experience.
The cabomba would eventually mask the onion (?) planted on right rear.
And remember...for the most part its like play-doh...you can move things around later or now...live with it awhile and see how it grows together; it will give you a better idea of what to do!


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## sandrac8388 (Sep 4, 2012)

Lol thanks ravenwinds, I try to be creative but I feel I lack that skill..I'm going to leave it as is i think and let everything grow out.. I think the amazon sword is way too big  but I have no where else to put it I might trim some of it, I don't want it to block the light for other plants. Its about 20 Inches tall and my 10 gallon is only 12in. 

I will be buying the zebra nerite snails through e-bay I think..the only place i could find them. I will be putting an order for my next planted tank. So far I have this..

Ancharis
Crypt spiralis
ludwigia
crypt undulata
hygrophilia
cyperus helferi (about 10" tall)
cabomba

2 pieces of driftwood..one covered in riccia and one bare (i'll add some anubias to it)


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