# Pet store guy



## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

I went to my local pet store yesterday, I wanted to buy the 3 gallon tank they had for sale. The guy there told me that it would be very difficult to grow any variations of plants in it due to the size. Something to do with the one fish not making enough bacteria or something. Is there any truth to what he said? 

I bought a piece of driftwood and will buy the tank online due to it being $25 cheaper on Amazon.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

I started this tank about a year ago. It is 2 gallons. I currently have 4 species of plants. Anubias could easily be added as well, and probably will be soon. The whole thing is documented fairly well, though I only recently came back to update. Yes, some plants might not do well, and I find it is hard to have rooted plants because there isn't a lot of floor space in a drum shaped bowl. The most important thing is to never do a 100% water change with plants, at least not some of the species I have.

http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=84180

Edit: The most important thing for plants is light. Get the right lights, or at least allow enough sunlight in and plants will grow.


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## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

Thanks for the response. I'm not going with a drum, but rather a rectagular-type tank with a filter and heater. Once I figure out what heater I definitely want to get, which I just about have, it's just a matter of ordering. I guess I definitely need a lid so the fish doesn't jump out.


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## megaredize (May 21, 2012)

i have 2 anubias and 1 marimo ball in all my 3 gallon critter keepers. i dont have a filter but do have heaters in them and as long as you dont do a 100% change your fine. I do use a siphon so i can still quickly vac the gravel. You could do 2 50% water changes a week i would think. I personally do 2 changes a week but i do more than 50% i do like 70%


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

Just be careful with a filter on that small of a tank. Don't want your fishie's fins becoming a sail! I personally don't have one on mine, I just have enough plants and growth that they do a pretty good job of removing waste (but I have one on my 5.5 gallon, I am by no means anti filter!). Sometimes I get as much as an inch or more of growth on the anacharis a day. That pretty much eats things up. But that is an important thing to note: if your plants are not established and/or wilting in any way you will need to do more water changes because they are causing a problem, not depleting one. Once you have your plants established though (maybe about 1 week to 3 months depending on a lot of factors), you should be able to do less water changes.

I actually really recommend that if someone doesn't have a betta already that they establish plants before bringing a fish in. With plants you have an organism that lives off the nutrients that the fish creates, and water changes using a dechlorinator remove quite a bit of those nutrients. You can have much more toxic levels of ammonia with plants than you can fish. Obviously you will have to use artificial methods to create ammonia before the fish, but it creates a much less stressful environment when a fish does move in. Basically I am recommending a fishless cycle to establish plants instead of or in addition to an actual cycle.

Additionally, if you have a friend that has an established tank of 5 gallons or more, I highly recommend you use some of their tank water to fill your tank.
I actually just used water from my 2 gallon to seed someone's new 2 gallon, as well as plants from my tanks and they grew inches in the first week, but it is hard to guess if someone has a cycled tank that small without testing the water.


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## modestdemidov (Oct 24, 2012)

My tank has three gallons of water, is filtered and cycled, with one betta and two snails, and I have...5 kinds of plants in it? Yeah. I have an anubias, a java fern, a moss ball, java moss, and watersprite and they do fine.

The java moss i keep free floating because I like to use it to break up the current from my filter, and the watersprite I let float on the top of the water because it'll grow roots all over that look pretty and dangly like that...the java fern and anubias I just keep very lightly anchored into the gravel by a few roots, keeping the rhizomes exposed.

The only think I had a problem with was anacahris, it always melts on me. But I think that's a temperature issue, not to do with bacteria.

I'd say go for it.


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## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

modestdemidov said:


> My tank has three gallons of water, is filtered and cycled, with one betta and two snails, and I have...5 kinds of plants in it? Yeah. I have an anubias, a java fern, a moss ball, java moss, and watersprite and they do fine.
> 
> I'd say go for it.


Do you have any photos of your setup?


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## modestdemidov (Oct 24, 2012)

zebra3 said:


> Do you have any photos of your setup?


on my tumblr I do, don't really wanna fill the thread with a bunch of pictures

bit crowded, but dick seems to appreciate all the plants he can rest in, and he also likes to build nests in the watersprite


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## starrlamia (May 3, 2012)

i've seen people set up planted tanks that are 1g, it can be done if you provide what the plants need to live.


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## zebra3 (Sep 3, 2012)

modestdemidov said:


> on my tumblr I do, don't really wanna fill the thread with a bunch of pictures
> 
> bit crowded, but dick seems to appreciate all the plants he can rest in, and he also likes to build nests in the watersprite


I like it. I'm surprised there's no top, however you have all that floating stuff to keep him from jumping.


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## modestdemidov (Oct 24, 2012)

zebra3 said:


> I like it. I'm surprised there's no top, however you have all that floating stuff to keep him from jumping.


there is a top, it's just see through c:

this is actually my first tank, I've only kept bettas in 2 gallon bowls before this, and I never had one jump...but people say they do, so now that I have a tank i got one with a lid


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Lol the guy doesnt know anything. as someone stated previously, light is very important. and fish dont produce bacteria. bacterias are living things... you cant just produce them.

fish produce ammonia with is used by the plants...

Any way here is a planted 2.5gallon

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/26/va2upetu.jpg


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## modestdemidov (Oct 24, 2012)

aokashi said:


> Lol the guy doesnt know anything. as someone stated previously, light is very important. and fish dont produce bacteria. bacterias are living things... you cant just produce them.
> 
> fish produce ammonia with is used by the plants...
> 
> ...


That is a beautiful tank o:


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

modestdemidov said:


> That is a beautiful tank o:


Thanks! just trimmed it down today because everything was growing a little too thick. didnt take phoos yet though


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## Hallyx (Jun 11, 2011)

WoW, Aokashi. I knew you were into that, but that's really beautiful---and all easy-care plants, too. I'm very impressed.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

thanks  they are all fairly easy non CO2 hungry plants  but some needs highlight XD or they start detatching from the substrate 

I have the fussier plants such as. HC, glosso and stuff growing in the HOB and my emersed containers/jars


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