3 gallon betta tank

[dindin]

Originally Posted by equi_design

I'm of the opinion that you should wait until your tank establishes before you start dosing Excel & ferts. Just keep an eye on your plants. They'll tell you. Typically for me, it's about 2 months in before I start dosing my nano-betta tanks (I have a 3gal, 2 2gals, and a 6.6gal Betta tanks).

x2. I have several betta tanks too. Light levels vary from low to high, and I only dose when I remember to (which isn't often!) They don't need heavy growth like bigger tanks.

[candice&jeff]

Hello again everyone!! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated, I've been super busy. I haven't ordered the filter, heater, or driftwood yet, but I'm hoping to ASAP. I did order another begginer plant package from another member, thanks Eleontie!! I should get it in the mail in a couple days.
Anyway, the plants have shown alot of growth. Do you all think DIY CO2 would be benificial to my tank? I'm also thinking about ordering a bottle of florish, or is there something you all recomend more?


Here's some pics.














P.S. Phonix-sky I went ahead and put the Dwarf Hairgrass in. It was a pretty small portion. If it melts on me you can give me a nice long "I told you so" lol.

[candice&jeff]

Also, I wanted to add that I got a timer for my light, I have it set from 10AM thru 9PM.

Please let me know what you all think good and bad.
Thanks,
Candice

[Strick]

Tank looks great. I'll bet that's one happy betta!

I think your photoperiod is too long, however. You're going to have algae problems, especially while you're not running CO2.

[candice&jeff]

How many hours do you recommend?

[candice&jeff]

Just another update, we got another plant package over the weekend. We've put an Anubias Nana plant in the tank and attached it to a piece of petrified wood. I'll post pictures soon.

I aslo got some riccia fluitans in the package, would it be ok to tie it down on the pertified wood?

We've also shortened the photo-period by 1 hour, its now on from 11AM to 9PM.

[Strick]

I would have suggested 8 or 9...

And, yeah, you can tie riccia to the driftwod. That'd probably turn out very nice.

[candice&jeff]

Thanks Strick! I'll post a picture tomarrow after I've attached the R. Fluitans. I'll also shorten the photo-period to 9 hours.

[candice&jeff]

Here's some pictures of the tank now that we've added the Anubias Nana and Riccia Fluitans. (The last picture is before we added the R. Fluitans)

I know the A. Nana is hidden behind the filter but we're planning to get a small HOB to repace that ugly interal filter.

Please tell us what you think!!

Thanks,
Candice & Jeff

[panther685]

I have this exact tank.

I had put a beta in there but he died because the PH was way too high. it was off the charts.

I have got the PH down now but I noticed that my beta was having trouble swimming with the filter (same one as in the pic). Is your beta having the same problem?

[psybock]

Bettas with long flowy fins can't handle the current very well. Crowntails don't quite have the finnage due to the fins just being rays and not massive webbing between them. Short finned bettas don't have as much of a problem with current. However, also realize that for the most part, betta splendens are made for calmer water. You can make a baffle like this, http://www.petfish.net/articles/Do-I...urrentkill.php and use it to cut down on the flow so it's not so much...

[candice&jeff]

Our betta seems to like the flow in the tank. I have noticed when he wants to relax he will get behind the little java fern and use it to hold him in one spot, like he is being pulled against it from the flow. When we first got him he was in a 1 gallon with no flow, he seems much much happier now.

Here's a pic of our betta "relaxing."

[candice&jeff]

Just an update, we added a few floaters and moved the anibias. I did notice a small amount of hair algea last week, I pulled it out. Also, algea broke out yesterday, I'm not sure what kind it is. It's stuck firmly to the acrillic. You can kind of see it in the pictures, it's on the front, the cloudy lookin stuff and on the filter. It just kind of looks like steam on the glass? Thats the best way I can describe it. I'm not to worried about it. Should I be, or do you all think it will eventually go away?

Anyway here's some pic's:

[candice&jeff]

It's been awhile since I've posted an update, so here it is.

ALGEA OUTBREAK! lol.

I had a very bad outbreak of hair algea, it covered the whole tank! So I took everything down and gave it a cleaning and bit of a makeover. I'll try to get some pics up soon. It now only has java fern, anarchis and riccia.

[lauraleellbp]

Did you ever start dosing on this tank?

I think you need a carbon source and balanced ferts to keep up with all that light. Excel is also good against hair algae.