# Planting 3 gallon tank



## tlatch89 (Apr 26, 2013)

Hi I have a 3 gallon cube tank for my betta, I'm tired of the plastic decorations and plants.

I want to get a small piece of driftwood, and add a few live plants. Any recommendations as far as what size wood and plants to go with?

Also, my main question is how do you clean the gravel with live plants?


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## peachii (Jan 6, 2013)

What kind of lighting do you have? Some plants are high light and need brighter lights. That would determine what kind of plants you need.

I use a piece of slightly larger than airline tubing we got at the hardware store, start the suction and clean the gravel that way. It's just as easy as the vacuum and if you get it small enough, it doesn't suck the water out to fast, just keep your finger close to or over the opening so if i curious fish gets close you don't suck the fins up in it.


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## tlatch89 (Apr 26, 2013)

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tetra-LED-Cube-3-Gallon-Aquarium-Fish-Aquatic-Pets/20693135

It's that kit ^^^

I'm not sure what the specs on the light is, but it is very bright.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

Are you just doing regular water changes for your 3 gall tank? The recommendation for 3 gall would be 1-50% and 1-100% water changes a week.
If yes then if you have a few live plants just rinse them when you do 1005% water change. Also make sure you buy silk plants , don't buy plastic. The betta fins are very fragile and he can damage them with plastic plants.
Do you know how to acclimate your betta to the new water ?
And since i think you are new owner i want to give you the link that i think has a lot of tips for the new owner
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=142066

This is acclimation for the betta when you do 100% water change
1. can have betta in the changing cup with about 15% of the water and keep adding small amount of the new water about every 5 min for about 5-6 times -this way you he will get used to the temperature

2. Note the temperature of the water.

Using a plastic cup, scoop him, along with some of his water, into the cup.
Clean out the tank. Refill with water at the SAME temp. Be sure to add the correct amount of water conditioner.
Float his cup in the tank for about 15 min. (Study during this time. If he sits longer, it's OK.)
Add a SMALL amount of NEW water to the cup. (Several tablespoons, or about 1.5 ounces.)
Let his cup float for about 10 min. (Study during this time. If he sits longer, it's OK.)
If the cup starts to fill too much, remove a SMALL amount of water from the cup. Discard it.
Repeat steps 5-7, until about an hour has passed. (If he sits longer because you're studying, that's OK.)
Gently release him into the tank.

3. To do a water change, use a little cup like a plastic solo cup - this cup must be only for him and have never been used with soap or other chems. Scoop him up in this cup (keep him in the cup about 1/4 full of water - it doesn't need to be much because he won't be in it for long) and leave him in the cup while you change his water. To do the 50% use a turkey baster - dedicated only to him that has never seen soap or chems - and drag it through the gravel and try to suck as much of the poop out as possible, in addition to 50% of the water. Use a thermometer under the running tap to get it to be the same temp as the water that is normally in his tank. When the thermometer says the flowing tap is the right temp, fill back up his tank. At this point, add the conditioner (dose for how much water you change - if you change half the water you add half gallon worth of conditioner, If you do a 100% water change dose for the full gallon change). Float his plastic cup with him in it in the new water. Slowly add a couple tablespoons of the new water into his cup every 10 minutes for at least an hour. Finally, dump him in gently but try to get as little of the old cup water back into the tank as possible. When you do the weekly 100% you will do mostly the same thing except empty his tank fully and rinse everything in it very well under warm water but never use soaps or chemicals. Once it's fully cleaned/rinsed you can refill it and repeat the cup/acclimate phase.

4. When I change the water I put him in the cup I got him in then I take everything out of the tank, rinse everything with warm tap water. Then I put everything back in the tank, fill it with dechlorinated new water, and then turn the heater on. When the tank water is the same as the cup water , then take the dirty cup water out and a little at a time and put clean tank water in the cup. After that I put the cup in the tank and he swims out.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Hi there! I've got that same tank and some of my medium light plants weren't doing very good. Even though the light is bright, it doesn't have enough of it to really be concidered "high lighting"

So with that in mind, here are some plants that you can have in there: 
Anubias
Java Fern (<---both of those plants have rhizome's that need to not be in the gravel. The roots can go in, just not the "crown" part where the actual leaves grow from. You can also tie them to your driftwood and they will grow there!)
Anacharis (although a cold water plant, it might need to be acclimated to the warmer waters)
Water Sprite (fast grower, can float or be planted)
Water Wisteria (also another fast grower than can float or plant)
Hornwort (although the "needles" may shed in your water, easy enough to take out though. Just scoop with a net)
You might be able to do some Cryptocoryne's like Wendtii.
Java Moss
Cabomda (although might not grow to be super bright green)

and that's all I can think of for now. As for water changes, just siphon around the plants, don't worry about getting right underneath them. However I use sand in mine which I find things will root better in and it's also easier to clean. Just hold the siphon about half an inch over the sand bed and go in gentle circular motions to kick things up and then it just sucks them up and you won't have to worry about digging up your plants. But I have done plants in gravel before so it's completely up to you which you'd like to do :-D

Along with plants, you might need a liquid fertilizer in which case, I use API's LeafZone and I split the dose into two during the week which my plants seem to love. But you can also get something like SeaChem's Flourish (be warned though, don't get Flourish Excel. That's a co2 replacement and can be easily overdosed) which will work great too!

But you can start off and see what happens and decide along the way. Oh also, some plants may "melt" meaning their leaves will look like they are melting but don't worry, it's just them getting used to the water and they will grow back in time. Make sure you clip off dying leaves as well, i just pull them off with my fingers and pinch off with my nail and that works fine :-D

Hope this helps!


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## tlatch89 (Apr 26, 2013)

Thanks for the replies and advice! I'm new to this and have read a good bit, I know the tank is on the small side but it's better than the cup he was living in at the pet store.

I removed the plastic plants and sharp edge decorations so his fins won't tear, cleaned the gravel and I did the 100% water change / acclimation you recommended. I don't plan on doing any more 100% water changes (until maybe after 6 months or so if it's super dirty). I used the same filter media from the previous water, added water with chlorine remover, and added the quick cycle drops for about three days. The tank seems to be settling in quickly. I plan on just changing a portion of the water weekly from now on.

I also added some live plant bulbs and buried them halfway into the gravel. Hopefully some of them start to grow in the next week or so. You guys have any luck or tips with the aquarium bulbs? Supposedly they are very easy to grow if you are patient enough. Hopefully soon Edward will have some plants to swim around (or attack).

betta.png


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## peachii (Jan 6, 2013)

We ordered our first live plants in January. In November when we purchased our first tank, I picked up a pack of the aquarium bulbs from Wal Mart. I am pretty sure they are still planted in at least 1 tank - but never sprouted. Hopefully you have better success with them.


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## ANHEL123 (Jul 21, 2010)

tlatch89 said:


> Thanks for the replies and advice! I'm new to this and have read a good bit, I know the tank is on the small side but it's better than the cup he was living in at the pet store.
> 
> I removed the plastic plants and sharp edge decorations so his fins won't tear, cleaned the gravel and I did the 100% water change / acclimation you recommended. I don't plan on doing any more 100% water changes (until maybe after 6 months or so if it's super dirty). I used the same filter media from the previous water, added water with chlorine remover, and added the quick cycle drops for about three days. The tank seems to be settling in quickly. I plan on just changing a portion of the water weekly from now on.
> 
> ...



Check out this link from Oldfishlady for the water changes tips on 3 gall tank size. 
http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=115758


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Yeah most bulbs are duds so just keep an eye out so they don't rot, that's all. I have heard of some of them sprouting so hopefully you'll have good luck with them!


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

lilnaugrim said:


> Yeah most bulbs are duds so just keep an eye out so they don't rot, that's all. I have heard of some of them sprouting so hopefully you'll have good luck with them!


One of my onions sprouted, but no luck yet with the crypts or the water lily that I really want. So what is that, one out of like 7 bulbs? Sad.


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## peachii (Jan 6, 2013)

To answer your original question about recommended plants for that light set up and would be pretty.

A marimo moss ball, every 2 weeks just take it out of the tank, squeeze it and roll it back into a ball.

Java Moss is little to no maint, it just grows like crazy.

Java Fern you can tie to a rock and it will grow slowly, don't bury the rhizome.

Float some water sprite, the betta will sleep/hang out on it

Water Wisteria grows fast but might be to big for that tank. Would be fin so long as you prune it. 

Bettas love densely planted tanks, they hide and swim through all the spots exploring. 

I'm sure there are more than this, these are just the super easy ones to take care of.

Also Indian Almond leaves are great to float in the tank, they will climb up on them and it will turn the water a tea color (if you like that).

All my bettas have a Betta Leaf suction cupped to the side of their tanks, made by Zoo Med, every single one of them loves it and uses it daily.


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## tlatch89 (Apr 26, 2013)

Little update, I had to throw a few of the bulbs out as they were molding up. I will be sending them back for fresh ones.

Two of the aponogeton bulbs have sprouted, one more than the other. The dwarf lilly bulb is still sitting there doing nothing, I hear they take a little longer to sprout.

Do I need to bury the bulb now, or just leave it how it is? Are those roots or leaves growing?

sprout.png


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## feralhound (Jun 2, 2013)

two out of 6 sprouted in my tank, as soon as they started sprouting upward like yours I buried them barely below the gravel and they took off. The leaves/plant is green, and the roots should be white and stringing (I don't know if you'll be able to see them this soon, I didn't with one of mine, but I would go ahead and bury it so you don't disrupt the root system later on).


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