# Planted Tank Set up-with pics



## starrlamia

Yesterday I picked up my tank, and found a few bargains along the way so ended up setting up my tank!

The tank before i cleaned it









The stuff:




































The tank again, after i cleaned it and in its permenant home:









Sand!









I decided I didnt want a layered substrate showing so I put sand all around the edges before adding soil:









the soil, and going through it to pick out sticks and stones (lol)









In the tank:


















Now the fun part! The plants:



























At this point I was tired (it was about 3am lol) So I didnt take step by step pictures...

The finished product, the day after, still a bit cloudy but thats fine. My filter is in the mail so hasnt been set up yet, but i do have some MTS digging around in there.


















I wont be adding fish for another month or so, so I am hoping the plants fill in, I still need java moss and I have a piece of driftwood to put in.


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## mursey

Nice! I'm happy for any photos like this showing how to start a planted tank. What fish are you going to put in there?


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## starrlamia

im going to be putting 6 female bettas for a sorority, which is why im waiting for the plants to fill in before adding any fish (and of course to stabilize the tank)


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## Destinystar

Very nice..Love how you layered the sand and dirt !!!


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## starrlamia

thanks! the water is still a tad cloudy but Im not too worried about it right now. I added java moss so I need to take a picture (though I just sort of crammed it in lol)


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## Gen2387

First of all, congrats, that is a beautiful tank! Can't wait to see what it'll look like when the plants grow even more. 
Also, that divided tank in the back, I just wanted to say that those bee nest cave things are SUPER adorable! Where did you get them? :-D


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## starrlamia

Gen2387 said:


> First of all, congrats, that is a beautiful tank! Can't wait to see what it'll look like when the plants grow even more.
> Also, that divided tank in the back, I just wanted to say that those bee nest cave things are SUPER adorable! Where did you get them? :-D


Thanks! I got the beehives at petsmart for about five bucks.


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## CharStarr

*I want to thank you for posting the pics! I have been thinking of starting a planted tank and had no idea how to start it, this is a good first step for me in learning how and your tank is absolutely gorgeous and will look even more amazing when all the plants fill in and your fishies are in there! PS YAYY for another person from Ontario!!*


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## starrlamia

starrlamia said:


> Thanks! I got the beehives at petsmart for about five bucks.


http://m.petsmart.com/mt/www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12211392&un_jtt_redirect

Yay another ontarian and starr lol
If you have any questions about it let me know, the tropical fish sister site and planted tank. Net sites helped me a ton.


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## starrlamia

just a quick update, yesterday I added some java moss which I just squashed onto a lava rock and piece of plastic mesh, I also added in a little bag of gravel from my established tank to help get beneficial bacteria going. Today i went out and bought some trim to put on the top and a glass lid because the light is getting some condensation on it. I have a better bulb on the way and some cichild stones and hides which will be going in the tank at some point.

quick pic:


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## mursey

It's going to be so nice when you get those little ladies in there!


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## Sowman

Wow, I wish I saw this before setting up my tank. Cant wait to see how it will turn out. Keep us posted!!!


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## FlAussieMom

Its looks fabulous Star! I can't wait to start my own planted tank.


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## starrlamia

Thanks! 
I added trim and glass canopy, water is clear but low due to adding the trim (I will top it up in a few days)


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## BettaQi

I appreciate seeing this bc I'll be prepping my 10 and 5 gal purchases in the next month!


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## starrlamia

today I found one of my MTS on my floating wisteria... I have no idea how the little guy made it up there! lol


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## Twilight Storm

This is awesome!
I hate to ask but did you use the miracle grow potting soil or the garden soil in yours?

Or... *scuffs feet* if you wanted to list more of the the product names you used that we couldn't see names of....... it would be wonderful too. It's nice to know what brand of something WORKS when you go out shopping, or if you're like me you get something, say "Yea! this will work fine!" do something with it, and disaster ensues because it's not the same product. 

BTW what does MTS stand for?

Edited to add: PLEASE, please, please, please, let me see a picture when you get your chichlid stones in your tank. And is that butchers string you used to tie some of the plants down with?


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## starrlamia

MTS= malaysian trumpet snails, the only inhabitants of the tank so far. 

I used miracle gro organic garden soil
http://www.scotts.com/smg/products/...iracle-Gro-Organic-Choice-Garden-Soil-std.jpg

other then that I used some play sand (the only kind I found lol). I also picked up some flourish by seachem for fertilizer. Other then the substrate and fertilizer its just plants and rocks in the tank right now  The filter I bought is a sponge filter from ebay (it hasnt arrived yet). The light strip is by perfecto, I got it cheap off a friend, it holds a t8 bulb (I ordered a hagen life glo bulb for it, as it is in the proper K spectrum). And... thats about it unless you think of something else!

I will absolutely post pictures of the cichlid stones in the tank!


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## Twilight Storm

Nice, thank you. 

I got a bag of their potting soil, rather then the garden soil. I was told it's ok to use, just wanted to know what you used. I couldn't read the bag from the picture.

You inspired me to clean out the spot I want to put the tank and get started on it right now!  

I just finished up transferring my 2 mystery snails into a 5 gallon with my baby betta because I have a female that keeps laying eggs. My other snail is smaller and doesn't lay eggs so i'm guessing he's male. Who knows. I can't tell. Hopefully some magic will happen between them. If it doesn't, then no loss.

Thank you for all the pictures and information btw. This helps me so much.


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## starrlamia

oh yay, post pictures!!

i am not super knowledgable about mystery snails, I just grabbed some MTS because they burrow which helps aerate the substrate. 

if you need anymore info let me know! I found the main tropical fish keeper site really helpful as well as planted tank.net


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## MSG

You didn't bother to rinse the playsand? 

So a tank like this doesn't require siphoning?

I'm just wondering how this would work with the sand on top of the soil when it comes to cleaning.


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## starrlamia

No I didn't rinse it, I didn't see the need. 
You can siphon with sand but the technique is different, you hold the siphon above the sand to not suck it all up. You shouldn't need to do it often as waste helps feed the plants.


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## starrlamia

new stuffs came in the mail today! The new lightbulb definately looks better 








(might be hard to tell from pictures)

Cichlid stones came but arent going in the tank yet, I got the small size and the openings on two are fairly small but Im hoping with females who dont have big fins it will be ok, I held them up to presley and it looks like his body could fit in fine but if you want cichlid stones maybe try the medium size.
I also got 2 exo terra reptile caves which are supposed to be aquarium safe, Im going to silicone sand onto them to blend in better.


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## starrlamia

i wanted to post comparison pictures and this was easiest lol


















ETA looks like there has been a bit of plant growth yay


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## Sprinkles55

Wow, this is gorgeous! I've never tried a live planted tank, but the more I see the more intrigued I get, considering all of them look beautiful.


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## starrlamia

thanks! it is even scaped yet lol, I just threw the plants in to get some growth, Im currently reading at plantedtank.net for scaping ideas!


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## kfryman

Sorry to poop on your parade, but with a NPT, or naturally planted tank (soil based tank), you want fast growing stem plants covering like 50-75% of the tank until the tank is established. Then you can adjust the plants and add different ones. Most of your plants are slower growing and won't suck up as many nutrients.

When a soil based tank is first setup, the dirt is going to be giving out tons of nutrients, this is when algae is most likely to occur. You should be at least one water change a day for the first week or so to rid the too many nutrients. You can then back off a bit after your first trim of stem plants and replant those stems (You don't have any though besides wisteria floating). Add way more stem plants... 

Here is a picture of my tank, I need to move the plants around a bit though. (It is not current at all, this was a bit ago)


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## starrlamia

It entirely depends on what you read and who you talk to, I'm doing a low light tank and as such have low light and slower growing plants. It will come along just take longer than a tank with faster growing stem plants. 
I'm also not doing daily water changes and have no algae issues probably because of the lower light. 
Thanks for your post, npt tanks probably have as many different ways of doing them as as politics, everyone has different experiences and ideas of how to do it lol


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## kfryman

Every where I have seen it all says the same thing, every keeper of one says the same thing.

Also this tank use to be low light, I had problems because I didn't have enough plants. If you are interested, read the first stickies in order or skim them http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/aquarium-plants/


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## starrlamia

Thanks I will check it out. I've read a ton of different opinions all over the net


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## starrlamia

well i went by the lfs today and grabbed a few more stems (moneywort and purple cabomba), I also grabbed a piece of driftwood to make a moss tree. I grabbed stones to make some caves, black foam to make a backing but I havent gotten around to doing those yet. I did however silicone sand onto my exo terra hides:









and the tank: its hard to see the new plants because they are in the back/sides


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## starrlamia

btw i have read those stickies and about a million posts over at the planted tank.net forums


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## MSG

Oh about the Exo-Terra decorations. I thought they weren't designed for aquarium use? 

Why did you use sand to cover them? You should have should have used diamonds and pearls.


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## starrlamia

I found a statement from the company saying they were okay, guess I will find out. I want a natural looking tank so shiny things are out, wanted them to blend into the substrate.


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## kfryman

Sounds like the tank is coming along, how deep is the sand and how deep is the dirt?


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## starrlamia

They are both about 1 inch maybe a tad more.


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## kfryman

Ah, alright.

Waiting to see what it looks like in a few weeks.


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## starrlamia

Me too! Everything is still green, growing slowly but looking good! 
Here is the link about exo terra Btw
http://forum.livefish.com.au/discussion/3563/exo-terra-reptile-caves


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## BettaJen

Your tank is looking great!


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## starrlamia

Thanks 
I did the tree today and now it has ornaments! Guess I won't need a Christmas tree this year


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## kfryman

I always forget to ask lol, but what is the bag for?


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## starrlamia

Just some gravel from an established tank to help seed.


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## MSG

August 2009 was when that response was posted. 

I have several exoterra type decorations. 

I'll call the company myself to verify. The guys at the PTC & PS stores have told me they're probably not safe to use in a fully submersible environment. 

I'm about to sell some of the nicer exoterra type decorations for that very reason.


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## starrlamia

Let me know what they say


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## starrlamia

I decided to call myself, they are made from resin but they don't recommend using them in aquarium... Seems odd to me, I didn't pay much for them so it isn't a big issue. I have a ton of stones to build stuff out of


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## starrlamia

Ooh I wonder if I could finish coating it in silicone to make it safe, it's already halfway covered


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## starrlamia

What do you guys think of something like this as a centrepiece?


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## MSG

nope I wouldn't do that. 

Check this out. I'm going to do something like THIS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8XYoUOpRsg

A center piece should be something you're proud of, not something you just throw together. 

The thing in the YT video is gorgeous. I'm inspired to build something even better, but the only problem with the one in the video is it's probably not safe for betta fins. 

I'll have to figure out a different stone to use. 

I would cover the rest of your ExoT cave with pool filter sand instead or with diamonds & pearls.


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## starrlamia

It's a prototype lol 
And I think you missed my point with the caves blending into the substrate.


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## Olympia

Star I think that photo you posted looks a lot more natural than the cave in the video.


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## starrlamia

i am not a fan of that huge cave, and that is slate rock which actually isnt shark, I dont think it would hurt betta fins tbh. Plus I dont want to use slate as the main centrepiece, I want the river rock as the centrepiece and I may use some slate (besides as a top for the piece) but in other places in the tank and not in a focus.


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## MSG

The only problem with river rocks is due to their roundness they're not very stable. 

I would have to fish out the girls before I do any maintenance because of cave in risks.

Currently most of my girls happily swim into the nets. Not sure if they'll still do that if I create a nice cozy cave for them.

Not sure how they would feel if their cave structures gets torn down and rebuilt every other week.


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## Olympia

They're fine if you silicone them though.


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## MSG

I need to play with silicone some more. It's always been a disaster whenever I've used it in the past for non aquarium related projects.

I would still be worried about building a structure that's too heavy to move in and out of the tank. I got some planning to do.


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## starrlamia

silicone works well


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## babystarz

I would also recommend more jagged or flat rocks rather than rounded ones. Dunno if you've ever seen the old rock walls people have built in Ireland, but they're simple stacked stones that are placed so they fit together like puzzle pieces and they stand that way for hundreds of years; http://www.anntorrence.com/blog/at-images/2006/07/_AT03452.jpg

Here's an article on how the walls are built, I figure the technique is probably adaptable to aquascaping  http://www.ehow.com/how_5569125_lay-irish-stone-walls.html

It's definitely a more structured look than you are going for, but I wouldn't trust those round stones to not fall over and squish any creatures in the way. You could maybe glue them together with well placed globs of cement?


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## starrlamia

Im going for a more natural look and river stones are rounded and look more natural for a river waterscape, I am also going to be ensuring that whatever structure i end up with is secure so it wont be falling apart.


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## MistersMom

i really like that structure you built, it looks like something you may find in a creek/river/lake that naturally fell there, i also like your tank, its very pretty. i hope it all goes well, and i hope that your fish will love it. good luck! and i just wouldn't bother commenting back to MSG they seem to be trying to make your tank THEIR way, but its your tank so do as you want, building the inside of the tank is always the funnest part!  so don't let any one spoil it for you!

MSG, i understand your just trying to help, but Star knows what they want and is going to build what they want. you can build your tank your way, but you have no control over theirs. 

Thats the best part about not having to share your fish tank with the whole world, they don't have to like it, as long as you and your fish do. 
Good luck!


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## starrlamia

aww thanks! Im really looking forward to rescaping it this week!


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## MistersMom

i love your choice of plants, you tank looks aweshum :3 lol.


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## mursey

Starr I really like your prototype. I think it will work well, and yes, it looks very natural. You can find smooth stones that fit together well.


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## starrlamia

Thanks!


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## starrlamia

havent redone the tank yet, most likely will do it thursday or saturday
Today I did pick up 7 rummynose tetras. I thought about going with rasboras but the only ones I really like are galaxy and my lfs didnt have any captive bred, plus they were twice as expensive!

i may pick up an assassin snail or two because I have a ton of snails and want to cut it back a bit. Im also considering some khulis or corys but im going to sit on that one for a while!


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## starrlamia

redid the tank yesterday, still a bit cloudy, and i have some things to move around


















im going to grab a few more crypts and rearrange some of the cabomba in the back, its hard to see in these pics though


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## MSG

*Very nice...*

Thanks for mentioning galaxy rasboras. 

Gala Rasbies, look really interesting and I'll be keeping my eyes out for them. 

Oh yeah, I finally got a response from Hagen/ZooMed about their decorations/plastic plants from the reptile/amphibian section.

Hagen: "We thank you for taking the time to contact us.

You can use the plastic plants, but we suggest not using the cave, it might break down after a period of time." 

I'm somewhat disappointed because I have all these reptile decorations, but guess I won't be using them now. 

Also one of the more interesting decorations, I tried to clean a little with just a little water, baking soda & a very soft toothbrush. Within 10 seconds the paint was coming off. So I stopped immediately. 

Something you may want to ponder..... 

Anyway, I like how you rearranged everything even though it's a little cloudy. I wish I had those plants to play with. Mine are all severely neglected. 



BTW, where did you get the idea for applying sand mixed with silicone to the log/cave? You used gloves, correct?


 What kind of filter are you using for your tank? I don't remember if you mentioned it or not.


What type of fluorescent light are you using? 6500K?


Where's the rummies, I don't see any in those photos?
I would go with a cory type fish instead of the kuhlis. I think kuhlis like to hide too much unless you get like 5-6 of them.


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## Olympia

5-6 cories, 5-6 kuhlis. I rarely see my cories in the daylight (right now they're breeding so they're psycho every where lol). I gave them good hiding places and they use them. For kuhlis, seems half and half... I've seen tanks where the kuhli loach will spend all the live long day out in the open.. and tanks where they're never seen.. more hiding places and you'll probably see them more often, spread out little hidey holes throughout the tank. I think it's pretty equal when it comes to amount of time spent hiding. 

Galaxy rasbora are a sensitive micro fish that should _never _be kept with betta, nor any other mid dwellers as a general rule. Species only tank for those beauties.


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## starrlamia

MSG said:


> Thanks for mentioning galaxy rasboras.
> 
> Gala Rasbies, look really interesting and I'll be keeping my eyes out for them.
> 
> Oh yeah, I finally got a response from Hagen/ZooMed about their decorations/plastic plants from the reptile/amphibian section.
> 
> Hagen: "We thank you for taking the time to contact us.
> 
> You can use the plastic plants, but we suggest not using the cave, it might break down after a period of time."
> 
> I'm somewhat disappointed because I have all these reptile decorations, but guess I won't be using them now.
> 
> Also one of the more interesting decorations, I tried to clean a little with just a little water, baking soda & a very soft toothbrush. Within 10 seconds the paint was coming off. So I stopped immediately.
> 
> Something you may want to ponder.....
> 
> Anyway, I like how you rearranged everything even though it's a little cloudy. I wish I had those plants to play with. Mine are all severely neglected.
> 
> 
> 
> BTW, where did you get the idea for applying sand mixed with silicone to the log/cave? You used gloves, correct?
> 
> What kind of filter are you using for your tank? I don't remember if you mentioned it or not.
> 
> What type of fluorescent light are you using? 6500K?
> 
> Where's the rummies, I don't see any in those photos?
> I would go with a cory type fish instead of the kuhlis. I think kuhlis like to hide too much unless you get like 5-6 of them.


well I ended up covering the caves completely in silicone and let it set for several days so hopefully nothing happens, but then Ive had aquarium specific decorations lose paint and my fish survived lol


BTW, where did you get the idea for applying sand mixed with silicone to the log/cave? You used gloves, correct?
ive seen people cover bowls and candle holders for their tanks so I just stole the idea, I wanted the caves to blend in so sand seemed liked a good idea

What kind of filter are you using for your tank? I don't remember if you mentioned it or not.
I will be using a double sponge filter if the thing ever comes in the mail, should have been here this week, I may go out and grab a sponge filter from a LFS just so I cant get one going, the ones I bought were on ebay for super cheap so it isnt like Ive spent a lot for onel lol, so right now no filter, Ive been testing my water daily so i can keep up with it.

What type of fluorescent light are you using? 6500K?
Yes, it is a T8 fixture with 1 24" Life glo bulb which is 6700k (pretty much the same thing).

Where's the rummies, I don't see any in those photos?
They are all over the place lol, they love swimming through the plants but when they see me they also come to the front, I have to say I am quite fond of the little guys, they are quirky.

Olympia I have never heard that about the galaxy rasboras, ive seen people keep them in community tanks. I decided not to get any after reading about how hard they are to breed in captivity and that the aquarium hobby is wiping out the native population.


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## Olympia

Yes, they are one of those fish that you should be trying to breed if you get them. But really, they stay smaller than .75". Not something I'd put with a betta, and there are fish that would work but you have to choose carefully. You can read their profile here: Celestial Pearl Danio (Danio margaritatus) Profile
As it says, it's illegal to export them in their main range of Myanmar, but wild caught fish are being collected in other countries now. So they are protected over a large portion of their habitat.

Are you getting loaches/cories still? :-D

Also, hey, a fellow Ontario..ian? :-D


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## starrlamia

Yup I'm in kitchener! 
Not 100% on corys or loaches, I wouldn't be adding them for a few weeks anyway, so plenty of time to decide!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## starrlamia

here is an updated pic, I still have some cleaning up to do 








_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## kfryman

Looks much more clear! Can't wait for it to grow in and establish.


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## starrlamia

Me too! I'm on my way home with some more crypt wendtii and will post pictures when I plant and clean up in a bit.


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## kfryman

I had to do tons of water changes before my tank was more clear. You could also get 100mL of Purigen and put it in the tank to suck up color and all that if you want, cloudiness may still be there though.


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

its gorgeous!


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## starrlamia

Mine seems to settle after a day or so, I'm waiting for it to settle now after adding the plants so I can take pictures.


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## MyRainbowBettaFish

how nice! can't wait to see how it looks with your girls!


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## starrlamia

Thanks  I can't wait to get the girls be it will be a while yet


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## MSG

Very nice looking tank. After the crypt is planted, time to sit back and just let it grow out. 

Might want to get a little stand or something so you can take pictures of the tank in the exact same location to monitor it's progress.

I have to do that with mine otherwise I can't tell if I'm killing or growing the plants.


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## GreyHounD

I hope they sell soil and play sand here...

I love the set up!


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## starrlamia

GreyHounD said:


> I hope they sell soil and play sand here...
> 
> I love the set up!


Thanks! I'll send you sand and soil in return for some bettas, cattapa leaves and maybe rasboras? Lol 

Anyone have experience with shrimp with a sorority? They are cute


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## starrlamia

so here it is this morning, I spread the crypts out slightly and moved the small grassy plants around, a few minor adjustements and in a couple days when it is clear I will post another picture, then I need to sit on my hands and let it be lol


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## Olympia

Awesome! :O

It's _sooo _hard to just leave the tanks alone, isn't it? ;-)


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## staffylover

Looks great.

I have just recently set up my 5th tank and am waiting for it to settle and hopefully it will be ready for a boy next weekend. Planted it out today but need to sort out the filter as it is a tad too strong
I'll put some pics up when it has cleared


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## starrlamia

pic of the tank, still a bit cloudy but it will clear soon


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## starrlamia

another picture, slowly clearing out... will be doing a big water change tomorrow.


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## CharStarr

*It looks AMAZING. Everytime I visit this thread it just makes me want to do a NPT that much more. Unfortunately I have to wait until I have some time off, college starts up in three weeks and I wont have time to put into it. BOO. But I can come look at your pictures of your beautiful tank! Your decisions have been perfect, if I had a hat on I'd take it off to you!*


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## starrlamia

Aw thanks! I just realised I posted the same picture twice lol
Originally I wanted to breed but I'm hoping to get into school next year which means moving and I can't move that many fish.


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## a123andpoof

Your tank is so pretty! Makes me want to do my 5g. I just love it!


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## starrlamia

thanks


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## mursey

starrlamia said:


> Aw thanks! I just realised I posted the same picture twice lol
> Originally I wanted to breed but I'm hoping to get into school next year which means moving and I can't move that many fish.



I worry about that too- I am in a place in my life where I may be moving any time .. . sometimes I have anxiety about moving my 7 bettas. Normally I know I can take care of more than that. But moving is such a pain!

BTW your tank looks really cool. I want to do a planted tank but I decided to start with baby steps- I ordered more plants BUT I only ordered ones that can live floating or tied to a rock or wood. I do have one tank that has part fake silicone purpley-pink-and-white anemones and corals. . and partly mopani wood and real anubias floating around. I know it's probably considered weird to have half fake and half real plants. . . but so far it's working for that betta. It might not be that "classy" but I think he likes it. 

How long does it take for cloudiness to subside when you've added sand or whatnot?


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## starrlamia

no picture yet lol but a little update. After lots of consideration and thinking I decided not to do a sorority, I would love to but the logisitics arent coming together and my bf would be very angry if I had to seperate girls out into their own tanks. So I am going to do a community tank and look for a betta boy who will do good with other fish. Im going to talk to some local breeders and see what I can find. 

Yesterday I went out and got 6 kuhli loaches, the rummynose were pretty excited for tank mates lol but the kuhlis are a bit stressed atm so hopefully once they settle in I will see them a bit more.


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## Olympia

YAY!
Loaches! :-D
Pics once they all calm down! (no rush).


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## starrlamia

Lol definitely will! They are neat little guys, I ordered a small piece of Driftwood for them and need to add a few rocks to give them more hidey holes.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TheCheese909

I freakin love your tank lol. It looks amazing! Keeps getting better and better with every photo!

What does that little rock say? Temple of.. ?


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## starrlamia

temple of sirena

thanks


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## starrlamia

A few pictures, laid up with stomach flu so haven't done much. Water is a bit yellow as I added an ial leaf. 
Tank 








Rummys 








Loaches 

























I'll get some better pictures when I'm feeling better. I also contacted a local breeder about finding a docile boy betta.


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## kfryman

Is the water clear in person?


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## starrlamia

Yeah it's clear but tinted yellow, my phone takes terrible pictures.


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## kfryman

So does mine lol. I was wondering why it was always cloudy.


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## Jupiter

Khuli loaches are so cute! Your tank is looking good.


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## starrlamia

Thanks, kuhli are super cute and weird lol


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## starrlamia

Couple of pics taken with an slr, i was hurrying so not the best...


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## TheCheese909

Looks awesome!


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## cataze

Oh my gosh, I'm so jealous! I hope my tank will look half as good as yours!!!


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## starrlamia

Oh it will mine is pretty willy nilly compared to a lot of planted tanks. Thank you though


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## Fasht

I like how you decorate your tank, specially the upcoming "underwater" tree over at the back. Can't wait once your moss settles down.


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## starrlamia

update:
had a bit of a catastrophe last week, i noticed my tank leaking, so I had to tear it down. Bottom was cracked, no idea how that happened but I suspect it had to do with the tank not having a bottom rim and the surface it was on. In any case I had to buy a new tank, and I just reset it up last night.








still a bit of tweaking to do but it came together pretty well.


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## Olympia

Oh my gosh! So sorry to hear!
Did all the fish pull through okay?


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## starrlamia

Yeah thankfully the fish are all fine, a bit stressed but ok


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## TheCheese909

Awe, that sucks. Bad luck, I never even noticed that the other tank didn't have a rim at the bottom until just now.

Were you able to siphon the water and keep it so you didn't have to start a new cycle with new water or did you have to start over?


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## starrlamia

The water doesn't contain the bacteria that keeps a tank cycled. The bacteria lives on surfaces and in the filter. I did keep everything in tank water including the filter plus I am dosing with seachem stability just as backup.


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## Destinystar

Very nice love it...the rocks in the front I really like plus all the plants great work !


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## BeautifulBetta123

I want to set up a planted tank so bad yours looks great by the way


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## starrlamia

thanks guys!
when it rains it pours, my poor guys have developed ich. Ugh, started salt treatment today, hopefully it works and is cleared up in a few weeks.


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## Destinystar

Sorry to hear that...hope they get all better soon !


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## Bettanewbie60

Omgosh...sorry about the other tank...what a pain after all your hard work! I'm glad to see you were able to get set up again. I have loved this thread...really makes me want to do one too.


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## CharStarr

*Sorry to hear about your other tank and your fish getting ick! That's terrible.*


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## starrlamia

thanks guys, things are not getting much better, Ive lost 4 tetras and all of my MTS, I have no idea what is killing them, as I havent even added all of the salt that was suggested to help with the ich, it is a very low/moderate amount of salt and I cannot for the life of me figure out what is going on. My kuhlis seem to be the only ones unaffected.


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## cataze

Oh no! I hope whatever it is will stop soon!


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## Olympia

Sorry to hear about the snails. I doubt the salt did them in as they easily adapt to live in brackish (salty) water. 
Moving the tank might have caused an ammonia spike? Did you check?


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## starrlamia

Parameters are good, 0 ammonia and nitrite, 10ppm nitrates.


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## mursey

I'm trying to convert my tanks to planted. I almost killed my favorite betta the other day because I didn't know that ADA Amazonia Aquasoil leaches a lot of ammonia into the water and you have to cycle that before you put it with live fish. I'm lucky I had those ammonia sensors on. .. it spiked and I had to take Alejandro out, dump all the substrate, and start the tank all over again without (for now). Now I have the remaining Aquasoil in a spare tank .. . ugh

Just thought I'd mention it if anyone tries to get all "fancy" and get Amazonia. So for now I just have floating plants but I swear my bettas are in love with that too.


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## starrlamia

oh no! glad you caught it in time!

Good news! I changed out some water yesterday and did not add more salt, my last 2 tetras are actually swimming around and active! I still have no idea whats going on but yay!


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## starrlamia

wanted to update, I lost 6/8 rummy nose 1/6 kuhlis, some cabomba, repens and most of my MTS.
Lots of water changes and a while later everyone was doing really well! I added some plants to replace the ones I lost. yesterday I went out and got some more rummy nose and some shrimp... Already lost 2 rummy nose. I have a feeling that I just will not have luck with these guys, so I wont be getting anymore. Im going to give it a week or so and see how many I have left, if the rest survive I will keep it as is, if more die I will be looking to rehome the rest to someone who can give them a chance. Getting pretty discouraged tbh, I may just get a male betta, more kuhli and shrimp if this keeps up. 

Plants are doing good overall though.


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## CharStarr

*I know it hard not to, but dont get discouraged! You have done an amazing job thus far and it takes awhile to get a balanced set up. I hope you keep going, I miss seeing your pictures!*


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## starrlamia

Thank you  I will get some pics soon, only two tetra left but my shrimp are doing good!


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

Hmmm I wasn't aware you can use soil as a substrate! Nice job!


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## starrlamia

recent pic of the tank, I added an HOB and had to take the plants out in the back left corner as they all died, the HOB killed my little hill and I trimmed some of the giant sword leaves so one part is pretty empty atm








I broke down today... i was in a LFS and they had giant roundtail bettas. So I got one haha. He is doing good in the tank, pretty docile, just ignoring the tetras, shrimp and kuhlis, hoping it stays that way! He is huuuge, twice the size of my crowntails, I want to say he is cambodian but he isnt, he is flesh/white body with light blue/white irridescent fins. Will try and get a decent pic in a few days.


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## starrlamia

picture of my new betta:









directly under the light his fins shine a light blue.


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## starrlamia

a few updated pictures of the tank, the tree and all my java moss are growing great! If you look close you can see some shrimpies 



















betta!


















and a couple shrimpies


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## SpookyTooth

Absolutely stunning! The floor is such an interesting colour. That betta is a BRUTE! Love it!


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## starrlamia

thank you! the betta is a brute, he is a funny fellow, so very mellow but so serious looking.


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## ChoclateBetta

What is the floating plant?


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## starrlamia

It's s wisteria though there is a sprig of purple cabomba in one of the shots


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## ChoclateBetta

Nice I should get some wisteria to grow floating in my tanks.


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## starrlamia

I really like it, it grows roots hanging down which looks cool, very easy plant too


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## MaisyDawgThirteen

I love your tank! It is wonderful!


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## starrlamia

Thanks! It is filling in nicely now!


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## CharStarr

*Your tank looks amazing!! Im so jealous.*


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> today I found one of my MTS on my floating wisteria... I have no idea how the little guy made it up there! lol



What are MTS? lol


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## starrlamia

thanks guys!

Kourtney- Malaysian trumpet snails


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## Lady Courage

I LUUURVE your tank! It's so beautiful! I've read through the entire saga of your gorgeous tank. You've put so much work into this, I'm in awe of you. 

I love the way you decorated the tank; it's so natural and mystical, practically untouched looking- except the writing on the rock of course. lol I love it. When I can start my own natural tank, I shall be coming back to this thread for inspiration.


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## starrlamia

Thank you!!!


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## CandiceMM

What a great tank!!!! My boyfriend is planning for a NPT and he is so envious of the pics!! Great job!


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## Aus

Hey, what a stunning tank this has turned into! Love the rock formations, and everything looks so lush. I enjoyed your step by step pictures, too. 

It's such a pleasure to read threads like this. 

And awh, shrimpies. I somehow feel a tank isn't quite complete without a few. 

Nice job, and the new betta is very handsome.


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## starrlamia

thank you guys


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## starrlamia

couple of pics

floating dwarf sag (came out when i moved it)









java fern 









shrimpie!


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> What do you guys think of something like this as a centrepiece?


That is so awesome! This thread is so inspiring! I have a 5 gallon right now with some plants and I LOOOOOVE to start a NPT just wasn't sure where to start but now I have some ideas and the inspiration! Thank you so much!


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

babystarz said:


> I would also recommend more jagged or flat rocks rather than rounded ones. Dunno if you've ever seen the old rock walls people have built in Ireland, but they're simple stacked stones that are placed so they fit together like puzzle pieces and they stand that way for hundreds of years; http://www.anntorrence.com/blog/at-images/2006/07/_AT03452.jpg
> 
> Here's an article on how the walls are built, I figure the technique is probably adaptable to aquascaping  http://www.ehow.com/how_5569125_lay-irish-stone-walls.html
> 
> It's definitely a more structured look than you are going for, but I wouldn't trust those round stones to not fall over and squish any creatures in the way. You could maybe glue them together with well placed globs of cement?


The rock wall idea is AWESOME!
I really like the idea of a rock wall in the back of an aquarium as a backdrop! That would be so cool!


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> havent redone the tank yet, most likely will do it thursday or saturday
> Today I did pick up 7 rummynose tetras. I thought about going with rasboras but the only ones I really like are galaxy and my lfs didnt have any captive bred, plus they were twice as expensive!
> 
> i may pick up an assassin snail or two because I have a ton of snails and want to cut it back a bit. Im also considering some khulis or corys but im going to sit on that one for a while!



Do assassin snails assassinate others or something? [assuming from their name and your post!]


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> a few updated pictures of the tank, the tree and all my java moss are growing great! If you look close you can see some shrimpies
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Gashhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! I love the wittle shrimps >U<


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## starrlamia

heya!
yep assassin snails eat other snails so they can help rid your tank... I have sooo many snails right now lol


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> heya!
> yep assassin snails eat other snails so they can help rid your tank... I have sooo many snails right now lol



That is interesting C:

How big are the MTS as well as the assasins?


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## starrlamia

Mts get about an inch, not sure about assassins, I haven't gotten any yet.


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> Mts get about an inch, not sure about assassins, I haven't gotten any yet.


Awe, well if your looking to get rid of some I'll be more than happy to take some off your hands


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## starrlamia

I'm in Canada, I can totally give you some if you are in the country, if not they are easy to find!


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> I'm in Canada, I can totally give you some if you are in the country, if not they are easy to find!




Awwwe! I'm wayyyyy in friggin Bum effed Egypt![ I'm in Louisiana US!]

Hmmm, Maybe they have some at petsmart or something.
I went and got some ghost shrimpies last night and set up my NPT!
I'm so excited! All I need, I think, are some snails now! I'll make a thread about it in a minute!


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

Here is the link for my NPT DD

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?p=1272831#post1272831


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## starrlamia

Kourtney, do you have a local aquarium society? that's where I got mine! You could also post over on the planted tank forum, as there are often people giving them away for just the cost of shipping.


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> Kourtney, do you have a local aquarium society? that's where I got mine! You could also post over on the planted tank forum, as there are often people giving them away for just the cost of shipping.



We have a bunch of different pet shops and I know Jefferson feed has a lot of fish, aquariums, etc and I know they have plants just not sure what kind and what kind to get


How would you pay for shipping? Could I just mail them cash?


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## starrlamia

most of them take paypal, but you could probably arrange to pay by cash, you'd have to talk to the sellers


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> most of them take paypal, but you could probably arrange to pay by cash, you'd have to talk to the sellers


well I hope cash is fine cause thats all I have atm. Unless american express is okay. I'll be getting a prepaid Am. Express in the mail within the next couple days and I got it specifically for ordering stuff online and such :3


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## starrlamia

you can set up a paypal account using the amex


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> you can set up a paypal account using the amex



Oh! sweet!
Well then I shouldn't have anything to worry about 

Thanks so much!


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## starrlamia

a few more pics

shrimp buffet




























Mr. Giant betta









landscape


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## starrlamia

moss betta hammock


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> a few more pics
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Khulie!!!!!!!
How many do you have and what size aquarium?
I'm getting a 20 gall eventually and want to get some khulies :3


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## starrlamia

I have 5 and it's a 20l


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> I have 5 and it's a 20l



Sweeet!!!
I wanted to get atleast 3 but the more the merrier!

First I have to see if Ciroc is okay with it.
I think he will be if there is enough hiding spots. I mean thats a lot of space for a little betta :3

I have a lot of work to do but I am SO SO SO HAPPY Shawn understands my new hobby


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> I have 5 and it's a 20l



Is it possible for you to get a picture of the whole set up?
I'd love to see it and be inspired C:


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## starrlamia

There are shots in earlier posts it hasn't changed much.


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## mursey

starrlamia said:


> moss betta hammock


Hey I am doing the very same thing! My bettas seem to like it.


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## ItsKourtneyYoC8

starrlamia said:


> There are shots in earlier posts it hasn't changed much.


Okie dokie ill search for it or something.
But I don't think I can get 5 khulies, maybe 3 because I need to get a 20 gall tall and don't they need a lot of floor space? I might just get 2 or 3 if I can.


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