Best aquariumdecor plastic plants according to redditors

A few things I would change though, to improve the setup and make this 3.5g tank work out for the betta... (PLEASE READ and bear with me, I know it's long but you'll learn a lot I promise!)

1. That's WAYYY TOOO MUCH GRAVEL... jeez damn, that alone is taking at least 2+ inches of what could have been more water space + going to trap a TONNNN of debris with all that gravel... my recommendation would be to remove enough of it until the small finer gravel just barely reaches a bit above the level of black frame at the bottom of the tank, and then have the larger pebbles/rocks on top.
   
2. Fill the water till it's about 1 cm below the top black rim frame of the tank (that's how much I used to fill mine up to when I had the exact same TopFin 3.5g tanks).
   
3. I highly recommend these silk plants, both packs:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KGBJ06 AND https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BG2TEAWith both packs, your tank will have nice and sufficient silk plant coverage. The taller plants towards the back, and the shorter ones to the front, those 4 will form a perfect mini jungle your betta will absolutely enjoy. You could try doing easy lowlight plants like Java Fern, but having had the same tank before, I think the rainbow LED light it comes with is far to dim to sustain most plants. Still you could try and see if java fern will be ok (they don't like their bulbous rhizomes buried though, so only bury the bit of the roots sticking out below the bulby-pill-shaped rhizomes).
   
4. Add 3-4 medium or large marimo moss balls (they look nice and they do eat up some of the toxins in the water) + Java moss [wrap some java moss around cables (heater cables)].
   
5. Add a 18-25w heater, preferably manually adjustable rather than preset, bettas absolutely DO need a heater, especially for winter months when its chilly. Their preferred comfy temperature needs to be kept at 78-80F. I do remember Petsmart has an 18w preset heater that's supposed to maintain 77 or 78F but I don't trust it, you can try it if you want but a manually adjustable heater is more accurate.
   
6. Ditch the included carbon cartridge (replacing that once per month is a money-grabbing gimmick by the pet store, because you should only ever need carbon filtration to remove medicine after a medicinal treatment of a sick betta, it's not really useful filtration otherwise). I recommend filling the big filter space with aquarium sponges cut down to size, towards the front of the filter where the outflow is + TopFin Quartz bioballs (you can buy a whole carton of them for a nice price) towards the back-half.
   
   1. https://www.amazon.com/3IN1-BIO-SPONGE-Biochemical-Sponge-QUACLEAR/dp/B00VPL0V0W <-- this pack includes fine, medium, and coarse sponges that you can layer inside the filter front (cut them down to size to fit if needed). Maintenance is the occasional gentle swish of the filter sponges in old tank water (NEVER RINSE IN STRAIGHT TAP WATER), about every two weeks or so (depending how gunked up they get).
      
   2. Add as much TopFin Quartz Bioballs (rinse them first in dechlorinated water) as fits in the space behind the filter sponges mentioned above.
      
      Other things you'll definitely need to have, and/or do:
      
      
7. API Freshwater Master Test Kit - You're definitely going to have to Fish-In cycle that 3.5g tank which means DAILY 25%-30% partial water changes to keep ammonia & nitrites low (you want those close to zero as possible to reduce poisoning of your betta during the process, so you need this test kit to be able to keep a careful watch on the ammonia and nitrite levels). ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE, VERY IMPORTANT, liquid water parameters test kit. Three main things to check daily or every-other-day: Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. Not cycled will read 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite, 0 Nitrate. Cycling in progress will read some ammonia and/or some nitrite, but little or no nitrate. Fully Cycled will read 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite, and 5-10 ppm of Nitrate, then when nitrate reaches 15-20 ppm in a cycled tank a water change is necessary to reduce said nitrates.
   
8. Seachem Prime - best water dechlorinator out there, and perfect for Fish-In cycling because it helps temporarily neutralize smaller amounts of ammonia (under 1ppm).
   
9. Seachem Stability - beneficial bacteria blend which you'll need for establishing a nitrogen cycle.
   
10. Gravel Vacuum (mini size is good for 3.5g) - mandatory must-have item for tank maintenance, how else are you gonna siphon out the poo and food waste from the bottom of the tank? https://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Siphon-Vacuum-Aquarium-Cleaner/dp/B004RK40VY/ should be perfect size for your tank.
    
11. 5g bucket (yes I know that's more than what your tank water volume is, but imagine having only a 3g bucket and you're trying to carry it to be dumped, or to carry it for a refill and it's going to be sloshing around as you walk, so a larger bucket will help reduce spills from some sloshing.)
    
12. NorthFin Betta Bits - one of the best quality betta pellets out there (little or no fillers, high quality ingredients, no nasty toxic preservatives) https://www.amazon.com/Northfin-Betta-Bits-Pellet-Package/dp/B01C1ARV3K/
    
    Also PLEASE watch out with the overfeeding, your betta in this video clip looks super bloated (his little tiny belly looks about ready to burst, he's so stuffed). You need to fast him for 3-4 days until his belly looks almost flat again, then you can try giving him some daphnia as a mild laxative to help him clear out any further blockage (not to mention a heater to warm the water to a stable 78-80F will help his metabolism so he can process the food properly).
    
    Here's a reference of photos to help you determine how much food his little belly needs: https://i.imgur.com/4RR2LZ9.jpg (feed slowly 1 piece at a time, watch his belly, and aim not to let it get too far past the 2nd from the top picture).
    
    Please read these articles to learn more how to give your boi the best quality of life: https://www.reddit.com/r/bettafish/wiki/index
    
    Only once your tank is fully cycled (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 5-15ppm nitrAte) for a 3.5g tank, you will need to do one 30% partial water change (PWC) mid-week (Wednesday for example), and one 30% PWC at end of week (Sunday for example). Or if you won't be there over the weekend then do 1 PWC Tues. and 1 on Friday.
    
    Good luck!

He is sooo pretty! That said, the commenters above are right, and he'll really pop and bring lots of wiggles and joy to your family in a larger tank with a heater and a gentle filter.

I would reccommend an adjustable heater so you have more control over the temperature, and remember that you get what you pay for! Ive cheaped out on heaters more times than I care to admit and Ive regretted it every time :(

I would also recommend a gentle filter like a sponge filter since bettas arent great swimmers. Keep in mind that you'll need to get the sponge filter, an air pump, and airline tubing all separately, but the total cost should come to about that of an average hang-on-back filter.

In regards to fish-in cycling, he will be okay. Get a liquid test kit (avoid strips, as they're so inaccurate they're basically useless), then move him in into a bigger tank w/ heater and filter asap and do frequent water changes and testing. It will probably take about a month to establish a healthy bacteria colony, but your fishie will be fine as long as you stay on top of water changes.

Once your cycle is finished, you can reduce water changes to once weekly.

EDIT: Also note that plastic plants are sharp and can hurt a betta's delicate fins! Try to stick to silk or live plants. Bettas love live java fern and anubias plants because of the big, broad leaves for them to rest on. Plus, these plants are super easy to take care of.

If you're not at all interested in live plant care, try BiOrb silk plants. Theyre SUPER duper soft and the green ones have a pretty natural look to them. You can find them here on Amazon.

Good luck taking care of your new buddy! He is such a cute little fishie! Keep us updated on how hes doing! 💖

This is it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KQ4LZE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1QgJAbWY6GMPB

Lemme tell you about my fishkeeping experience.

Elementary School

I won a goldfish and a painted fish bowl at a local museum fundraiser. It stayed in my grandmother's car while we went to a birthday party afterwards - she encouraged me to just leave it in the shadows. It was summer in south Mississippi, so it was in 90+ degrees in a closed car for 3 hours. She tried to revive it by blowing bubbles at it with a straw. It didn't work.

Its bowl survived, and I kept a few betta in it over the years. One of them jumped out the night we got him, which in retrospect, was probably the kindest death he could have had. Another jumped out and was found alive, but very dried out, on the carpet. Grandma tried to revive him too. It still didn't work.

Middle School

After several betta suicides, Mom suggested I get a tank with a lid. I got two. Meet the Dual Betta Hex. Oh boy. Where do I start?

• Yes, I used the gravel that came in them.
  
• No, I only sometimes used the godawful spiky plant. It uprooted itself too often for me to use it all the time. So oftentimes, my betta went bare-tanked.
  
• Yes, I had four bettas. One died after like a week, FOR SOME REASON. I removed the divider and patted myself on the back for Mr. Moomoo, the survivor, having such a big and comfy home.
  
• Yes, I cleaned it with dish soap... and again, patted myself on the back for taking such good care of my fish. They lasted SIX MONTHS. SIX WHOLE MONTHS! Betta are only supposed to live, like, two!
  
• Yes, I thought they were thrilled to see me. Really it's because I shook their tank until they "woke up". ^Oh ^^my ^^^God.
  
• Yes, I had dreams of being a rich woman one day and being able to afford a table-full of these torture chambers... after all, they stack and lock via ridges on the lids and bottoms, and what's better than four sick betta? That's right, a few dozen! (bleh)
  
  I also kept some fire-bellied salamanders in those contraptions. Poor things lasted maybe a month.
  
  High School
  
  I eventually saw the error of my ways in late middle/early high school and upgraded... to a 1 gallon tank, pretty much exactly like this. A vast improvement over two betta in half a gallon of water (why...) but still unheated, and the undergravel "filter" was a joke. I stopped using dish soap, more out of laziness than out of knowing you shouldn't, but sometimes was "nice" to my betta and gave the tank a good soapy scrub. I had a dwarf frog for exactly one night and returned it to PetSmart the next day for a full refund. At least this time, I had a proper silk plant instead of some fin-ripping monstrosity.
  
  College
  
  Enrolled in a marine biology program (because I love fish... yes, even though I didn't know jack about keeping them healthy) I went all-out and had an 8 and 5 gallon tank, properly equipped, filtered, heated, and maintained, for pretty much just betta. One of my betta lasted two years, got visibly sick one day and nothing I did helped him. He slowly petered out on the bottom of his tank over a month. The other lasted nearly 5 years, 2 of which were in my inexperienced and not-really-caring mom's care (I had an unexpected cross-country move) where the tank got cleaned once a year when I'd come home to visit.
  
  Graduate School
  
  Right now, I have a Fluval Spec V here beside me that's getting a dry-start dwarf baby tear carpet planted tomorrow. And its planned livestock? A betta. In a nano freshwater tank, they're all that really thrill me. Keep your scarlet badis, keep your red cherry shrimp, keep your rasboras, betta are my jam.
  
  Maybe I'm overcompensating?
  
  TL;DR: Betta holocaust. I got better.

Thank you!! I've always admired aquascaped tanks, but I kill everything green so I wanted to see if I could recreate it with fake plants

I actually found most of it on amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BUFSKYW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - the bamboo leaves. My betta LOVES this, he's constantly up napping on the leaves. Also, I put the bulk of it under the filter & it diffuses the flow nicely so he's not getting blown around the tank.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5CP1F6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - this was the ground cover. One mat was more than enough for the full tank - I just cut it up into smaller shapes & trimmed down a few wispy pieces to try and make it look more natural.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N6ISXKP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - the wood was the most expensive part; there were a lot others that were cheaper and I cringed hard at spending $30 on a stick lol - but this
one seemed closest to what I was looking for

Get yourself a set of tools like these. When I plant things I just grab the plant by the base with the tweezers and plunge it down into the substrate. No mucking about digging holes or anything. If your plant is to buoyant, you can buy plant weights/anchors that will hold it down in the substrate. Alternatively, you can tie the plant to a rock to help hold it down.

I’m personally a large fan of live plants, so I don’t have a ton of recommendations, but these seem very safe, affordable, and fun for your friend

I’d also recommend a floating betta log

Hello Shep! OP, hope you don't end up so busy saving the galaxy you forget to feed her :(

As for fishtank decor I couldn't find any rocketship ones, but I did find these that look cool, if you'd like to go for sort of an "antique Prothean" theme.

https://www.amazon.com/Ble-Ornmt-Ufo-Crash-Cave/dp/B00FKVFCKC

https://www.amazon.com/RIBBON-PRODUCTS-030157015909-Environments-Crashed/dp/B00C3ESXYG (this one looks great for an "ancient" look but it's small, the other one seems to be a lot bigger)

https://www.amazon.com/Uxcell-Plastic-Aquarium-Accent-Underwater/dp/B00H56CBVI (these look like the trees from the Presidium)

https://www.amazon.com/JW-Pet-ActivAir-Floating-Satellite/dp/B000FHGMZU/

https://www.amazon.com/Glowing-Artificial-Decorative-Aquarium-Ornament/dp/B00ST6SX24

https://www.amazon.com/Uniclife-Artificial-Decorative-Aquarium-Ornament/dp/B01EY327BI

https://www.amazon.com/Uniclife-Jellyfish-Ornament-Decoration-Aquarium/dp/B06XRNV4G2

https://www.amazon.com/Uniclife-Silicone-Decorations-Artificial-Ornament/dp/B01MSTXAC5

https://www.amazon.com/Uniclife-Ornament-Artificial-Decoration-Landscape/dp/B01N6BMKCL

Glowing plants would definitively help bring up the "alien" look I think. Uniclife has a bunch! Or a "Kahje" look if you put in some pink jellyfish alongside the "Prothean ruins" :P

Fluval Plant and Shrimp Stratum, 8.8-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JMABYUO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_-L5WCbZV9ZHY6

My betta loves the live plants!

Sure, both the Cube and the Bowl are a mix of Seachem Flourite as base substrate and Fluval Shirmp Stratum in the surface

The Spec below is using only Fluval's

Amazon they look really good for the price.

As stated in title, Fishy is the newest member of our household.

My first instinct was to read up on bettas and in doing so, found this subreddit.

I have several doubts, such as:

• what kind of betta is this?
  
  
• Is it healthy? (Ive seen more vibrant colors on pics posted here)
  
  
• Can/Should I pair it with other fish?
  
  
• Are pellets preferred over flakes?
  
  As per suggestions on this sub, I think buying a bigger tank is my number 1 priority; im currently looking into a Tetra Tank (3 Gallons), this one is favored by my wife, as she finds its aesthetically pleasing (and I agree). However, most people suggest a 5 Gallon tank, so Im also looking into a GloFish Tank, we both dislike the blue led on this model and the black plastic lid it comes with.
  
  In any case, we're also looking to buy the following:
  
  
• heater
  
  
• Thermometer
  
  
• Silk plant
  
  
• Log/Hiding spot
  
  
• Filter * which we think we would only buy if we get the Tetra Tank, as per amazon commenters suggestions.
  
  We already have a net (for scooping), drops to dechlorinate water, aquarium salt (for cleaning) and what you see already in the tank.
  
  Please help us give this fish an awesome life!
  
  PS.: We are not in the US, if it even matters.

I like the Fluval Flora Plant Aquarium Kit I have a bias towards freshwater plant setups though.

Thanks! It is an Anubias barteri var "Coffeefolia"- planted in a glass pot similar to this one. He uses it as a couch sometimes; I potted it so I could move it closer to the surface for him.

I have the same plant I think, here for $8 on Amazon: Marina Naturals Green Dracena Silk Plant, Medium https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KQ4LZE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1QgJAbWY6GMPB

Water parameters are super important! You can pick up a testing kit on Amazon for a good ten dollars cheaper than I've seen in stores, and I can't even begin to tell you how much of a lifesaver it is! ( Also it's just good to have for peace of mind. )

I was really new to keeping a fish tank when I first got my guy, and quickly learned aquarium decor is ridiculously expensive. Terra cotta pots are a pain to find on Amazon in my experience, but if you have the opportunity to pick a few up in a gardening store ( basically for pennies! ) they make excellent hides. ( Of which you want at least two per axolotl! ) I have four in my tank; two normal, one sliced in half to make a kind of cave a bit lower to the ground. ( Just make sure you sand down all the edges! ) The last one is wide, but only a couple inches tall, so I filled it up with sand to give him a little raised platform. PVC pipe can also be used as an inexpensive hide, and I've seen people do some really cool stuff with it. Also, plants! I grabbed these off of Amazon and my axolotl loves them, but in terms of live plants, you can't go wrong with marimo balls. ( Though there are other live plants that work well with them! Java fern and java moss are just two examples. )

Also, Axolotls are messy little guys. I'd highly recommend getting a turkey baster to clean up their waste and any uneaten food they leave behind. Personally, I feed my axie nightcrawlers with a big pair of tweezers and it helps keep the tank neat and tidy. ( Plus, it's a lot of fun! )

No problem! It took a bit of time to link all of that, lol.

While you're going through my post, and researching more, please prepare to feel a bit overwhelmed. Don't let that dissuade you from this rewarding hobby! You will kill fish, plants, grow algae, and make many mistakes, despite how careful you are. I've lost quite a bit of fish myself, but each one has given me a new perspective about how to do better in the future.

I don't take losses lightly, but sadly they are a fact of life as a newbie aquarist. They are your pets, and in your care. Do not forsake them, no matter how lazy you may feel that day. Their lives are gifts. How you handle that is a clear judge of your character.

I really enjoy checking out The Planted Tank every day. I've gotten quite a few awesome deals when buying fish, plants, and equipment off of the members there. In fact, that's where I should have sent you instead of amazon (but I suppose amazon is less time-intensive).

If you are interested in learning more about plants, check out PlantGeek. You will discover that different plants require different amounts of light intensity, as well as levels of CO2 in the water. Your style tank is considered "Low-tech". If you are not currently using proper soil substrate for planted tanks, like Eco-Complete or "safe" potting soil, your plants will probably die. "High-tech" tanks include CO2 systems that slowly fizz CO2 gas into the water column, which is carefully measured, because too much CO2 will asphyxiate the fish. CO2, however, makes an aquatic plant grow fully, and is what many model tanks use. However, low-techs can grow quite well if done correctly.

Good luck, and feel free to PM me whenever you want some specific and timely help. I'm online a lot at work. ;)

https://www.amazon.com/Penn-Plax%C2%AE-Aquarium-Plant-Anchors-12pk/dp/B0002APYD6

I got five of these individual tanks. There's a small clear divider in the middle that's removable. I took the divider out and each girl got their own tank during the first week for quarantine. They're just shy of about a gallon of water capacity.

I had them all lined up so the girls could see each other during quarantine week. After the first day they all stopped flaring at each other.

I acclimated them to the main tank's water and temperature by slowly replacing the water in their individual tanks with water from the main tank.

I then bought a floating fish breeder box and started to put the girls into the main tank. Least agressive first to most agressive while rotating them in and out of the breeder box before releasing into the main tank. There was about 15 or 20 minutes between each rotation, just long enough for me to observe the girls in their new environment behind the plastic keeping them safe from each other.

My guess is that since they'd been seeing each other for a week in a similar fashion they pretty much ignored each other once they were all free in the main tank together. Spent most of their time exploring and picking their own spots. About five minutes of chasing while they all played musical plants and then harmony from then on.

Yep. This is the link where I got my Staurogyne Repens

I bought 3 of them and was able to split each of the 3 into 3/4 pieces. Probably could have done more splitting but not much more.

Oh yes, sorry forgot to mentioned those stuff: the soil I use is this below

S.T. International STR-CO2AQUASOIL-D550-2KG- BLACK-UP Aqua Soil for Aquarium Plants, 4.4-Pound, Black: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00I3P1CQU?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

I started those aliexpress seedlings (carpet stuff) dry in another container under a led grow light first and then I moved them into this bowl

Flood Light with Cable and Plug LED Plant Grow Light (SMD no remote): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07G5NBQK8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_10OLBbH7NW17E

So, since he's having such a problem getting to the surface of the water, the VERY first thing I would do is go and get a breeder net like this: Uxcell Fish Tank Aquarium Net Breeder, White Green https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00H4XTQQ0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_oodXCb71NDJCS
(Hopefully ur local fish store or Walmart will have them, but they're smaller than this Amazon one.) Putting him in this net keeps him right near the surface so he doesn't have to struggle to get his much needed surface air and The bigger the net, the better...that way you'll have a little room to stick a plant or 2 like these in it: Blue Spotted Betta Plant, Amazon Sword Great For Betta Fish and Use Betta Leaf Pad & Betta Log https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00N3ISXBE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7qdXCb9ZDM0KQ
Betta Plant Red Anubias Leaf By Blue Spotted, Great For Betta Fish https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00M0NC1UM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JrdXCb86XDAZJ
Smarlin Aquarium Plants Decoration, Artificial Plants for Fish Tank, 2 Pack (6 inches Height) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07PH2L3QQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_dsdXCbEV8JH9H
Giving him a nice, small silk leafy plant to rest on or hide under will help keep his stress level down and help him heal faster.
Also, get some frozen Daphnia from your LFS (Petco, PetSmart, etc.) Daphnia sould work as a gentle laxative for him... apparently peas are NOT the answer for constipated Bettas. If you can't find that, then get some freeze dried Daphnia such as this: Hikari Bio-Pure Freeze Dried Daphnia for Pets, 0.42-Ounce https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B003WRG54I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_XDdXCbFWCWWVH
If you HAVE to use the freeze dried, try to soak it for awhile in some tank water, it's SUPER light and never stops floating. I pinch the shit out of it between my fingers under water and try to kind of saturate it that way

Next, you can either:

1. Completely fast him for 3 days, and see if he poops in his little temporary confinement, and if he does, let him out and see if he is back to normal. If he still can't swim right, put him back in the net and feed him a little bit of the Daphnia and wait. Keep ur eyes peeled for a (hopefully) healthy poo. Or:
   
   
2. You can give him an Epsom salt bath. I find conflicting ratios all over the place and maybe somebody else can chime in here and help us out but common mixture seems to be 1 Tablespoon per gallon of water. Here is a very good detailed step by step on how to properly do a salt bath:
   http://bettasplendid.weebly.com/salt-baths.html
   
   Let's start here and see what happens. But, hurry up and get him that breeder net!😉

Here's the links for the two trees: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072N7X4ZT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_h2cg4x8841lIn
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H56CBVI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_tvS8jRwNMj66v

And the tank is a 30 gallon rimless jvj

I got all of mine on Amazon! Here's one I got, others should be in the related items.

Hey all, I’m finally preparing to make the leap into shrimp keeping. I have a ~15 gallon tank (pictured above with water bottle for scale) with a sponge filter and I have a large piece of wood with Java ferns in another tank I’m going to move into it. I’m new to shrimp and planted tanks and am very excited, but in need of some advice as far as necessities.

I’m planning on getting the following:
-Fluval Plant and Shrimp Stratum (8.8 pound) substrate
-this LED Full Spectrum Light
-some java moss for ground cover

I have a couple questions as well:
-Are there any small snails y’all would recommend?
-What test kits would you recommend?
-Is RO/DI water necessary?

I’m looking forward to becoming a part of the community! Thanks for your help!

I just bought these and they are great for my 9" tall tank:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002ASDJ8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I bought these too, but they are way too tall:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KGBJ06/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Silk plants don't have to be super spendy.

Thanks for the reply!
I'll look into Java moss, since it seems to be hardy and good for a beginner. I was thinking about buying Fluval Stratum as substrate but since it's pretty expensive I might wait until the summer to make it a planted tank.

Plant weights, or basically anything aquarium safe you find laying around. You can tie them to a rock with sewing thread if you want.

A regular twist tie will probably rust, so id avoid it.

Can you guys help me find a green leaves version of this? It looks amazing but, I can't find a green one anywhere.

I got those off Amazon and they are petty decent for their price. Here’s the link. Co-link 3 in 1 Long Stainless Steel Aquarium Tank Aquatic Plant Tongs Scissors Tools for Fish Tank Plants https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y9ZGYMK?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Agreed. I've never seen a molly of a guppy with those colors. Most likely a platy or swordtail, my bet is going towards koi swordtail because it seems to have a more elongated body than a platy. The substrate looks a lot like Fluval's shrimp or plant substrate.

ya I added some beneficial bacteria from my established little Betta tank. I shook the filter out in the water column of the new tank. for my substrate I am using the fluval substrate. I will definitely give it some more time. I was just going off of this post and was using a week as a reference. My tank is also not planted yet. I did not want to add plants just for them to absorb ammonia and be kind of counter productive while I am trying to establish the bacteria (although some people tell me plants help the process)

Absolutely! I wasn't sure it was allowed at first. I have two of the Marina Ecoscaper Hydrocotyle Silk Plant. $2.97 (!) at Amazon, but it's an add-on item, so it only ships with an order of $25 or more.

I've used this set for 6 months with no problems.

Yeah, I'm using Fluval substrate for my 10 gallon. My tank itself should be fine since I bought it new and I've never medicated it. I think it's something wrong with my tap water

1. Blue BlueTooth It's blue and bluetooth! And happens to be the blue version of the speaker I use all the time. (frys sells it refurbished at an epic discount from time to time)
   
   
2. Summer kids Summer dress It says summer AND it's for summer! I don't know what strawberrying summer means though...
   
   
3. disgusting egg seperator It's food related. It's seriously weird.
   
   
4. German Shepherd Umbrella I want to get this for my mom. It looks like a pup we had and she never buys happy things for herself.
   
   
5. Sharon Shinn 12 Houses Series Fantasy world with magic and swords by one of my favorite authors.
   
   
6. A spot of bother Ebook I kept meaning to put on my kindle because $1
   
   
7. Leather Dog Collar with German Shepherd Faces Making that one easy for me! I've been eyeing that for my GSD
   
   
8. Skull Art I just love staring at it, but have never found an excuse to get it. So I figure that counts. I tend to focus more on useful things in general.
   
   
9. V for Vendetta Great movie, and a pretty amazing message about what can happen if a society becomes complacent.
   
   
10. Tactical survival kit Being able to cut wood, start fire, etc will be pretty important. Never underestimate the ability to cut and carve spears.
    
    
11. Slideboard Trainer I am trying to get back into rollerblading, but my heart is making that difficult. I've been eye one of these for a while because I could train in the house for bad health days/weather/ to find out how far I can go now and hopefully improve it without crashing out halfway through a park.
    
    
12. Add on Betta Plants Because fish are cool
    
    
13. Sharks! Because sharks. Is it sharks? Cuz I like sharks.
    
    
14. Standing Wheelchair They should be cheaper because they seriously improve the health of wheelchair bound people. A sibling company to one my husband and I used to work intended to get him one through their charitable side, so this one was an easy find for me.
    
    
15. More sharks!!! I hadn't seen this before, might be nice when I am vending. Why you gotta go make me look at stuff? LOL
    
    
16. vanilla essential oil I use this. It is amazing. Almost like baking vanilla, warm and lovely.
    
    
17. Fashion Plate Kit Not the exact one I had, but the same idea. It was a lot of fun, and I design and sew now so...
    
    
18. Writers Toolbox Something to help with the inevitable writers block, to relax, and play with ideas.
    
    
19. Super Wide angle lens I've been photo obsessing for almost a year now, and am now trying to sell some prints when I vend at fairs!
    
    
20. Octopus TP holder Hes got 8 arms, so why not? Makes me giggle.

I have been using... what i think is a mixture of https://www.amazon.ca/Fluval-Plant-Shrimp-Stratum-8-8-Pound/dp/B00JMABYUO and https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00TU4NKC2 with a small amount of green/blue gravel mixed in(from a failed aquascape in the passed) for the better part of... 5 years?

Bubble madness?

I am planning on using an overflow filter with probably 5 gallons of ceramic media flowing down to this pump: https://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-store/Coral-Box-Jebao-DC-2000-Controllable-Water-Pump-w-level-float-235-to-525-GPH.html then back up and into the tank.

Inexpensive Silk Plants

I have had two of these in my tank for about a month now and they are super soft and my betta loves swimming through them/hiding behind them. I’d also recommend pairing them with a hammock for your new friend to rest on since they plants aren’t the sturdiest. BUT at $2 a pop these are the best you can find (imo)

I got these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079CZRVB8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RncPCbNYGY10K

They're super soft :)

Aquarium Fish Tank NAG Glass Plant Cup Pot Holder Crystal Red Shrimp https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ID1ZZ6M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_WV6jyb69BCM3N

Look at Marina Ecoscaper plants.

The wood shape is actually from 2 pieces of wood leaning on each other. The tank has the far left and far right pieces.

As for the soil - Caribsea Eco-Complete 2 bags of this stuff filled my 20 gallon long perfectly.

Fluval shrimp stratum

Nice.

There are a few ways to add height to a 'scape. You can stack wood and rock (creates lots of hiding places for bottom dwellers); athough you'd have to get creative to go very high with it and still have it be stable. Can also use longer pieces of wood with lots of branches (manzanita is good for this) that reach towards the surface). Or you can use taller plants. Live plants could be difficult with your setup (although you can always anchor some java fern on top of your hardscape for extra height); but they make XL sized fake ones.

The cloudiness will go away. I assume you're going fishless cycling? Should be long gone before the tank is established.

Thanks for the thoughts! Couple of questions regarding them though.

Does a small time variance of around an hour of light time make a large difference? Like for example, I work an eight hour shift but go get dinner before coming home from work, so it might be on 8.5 or 9 hours a couple of days a week. Or is the timer mainly for convenience sake?

I had mixed up the three seachem products instructions. I realize now that I was dosing two extra doses of flourish a week instead of the excel. Should I forgo a couple of doses of flourish since it is the fertilizer and just use a tad bit more excel for a couple of days until the algae is gone? My lfs sells these fancy measuring kits with a syringe type thing, eyedropper, and some measured glasses for two bucks, so I got one of those when I first thought about doing the tank. So the measurements were right, just not the correct product. >_< My fault lol.

http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-12690-Plant-Stratum-4-4-Pound/dp/B004H1STY2 This is the type of substrate I am using. Is it not considered a fertilized substrate? I almost picked up root tabs today just in case, but I figured I would ask first.

As for the light, would an outside desk lamp work since I currently have a hood and no slot for another light in the hood?

Last question, What do you think would be a good photoperiod for reducing the algae? I have read to leave the light off completely, but I dont think I would want to do that to the plants.

how much do you want to spend? you can get 9L of ada amazonia shipped to you for 47$ but I realize if that sounds like a lot, planted tanks can be as cheap or as expensive as you want to make them. I like shiny things though, and the more expensive stuff is a lot less of a headache in the long run because its made specifically for planted tanks. Amazon sells fluval which is a little cheaper, http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-12692-Fluval-Stratum-16-7-Pound/dp/B004H2APVQ

adgshop.com sells amazonia for $47 with free shipping. I just bought a bag for my 45-p which is about 10 gallons, and I still have 2/3s a bag left, id say a 9L bag would be close to what you need on a 28.

So for a substrate how about this?

https://www.amazon.com/S-T-International-Aquarium-Plants-4-4-Pound/dp/B00I3P1CQU/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=ada+aquasoil&qid=1567530118&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-14

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And then a carpet plant I am looking into is S. Repens, and then I really like the idea of having some Hornwort in the tank, but I may back off to prevent overcrowding.

Hey! Some other people asked about the air pump and fertilizer, but the root tabs are the the Seachem Flourish Tabs (these ones). There are five left. These are the scissors and tongs I have. Let me know if you're still interested!

Staurogyne Repens - Foreground Carpet Aquarium Plant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014UR87JY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Nd.9ybD3A2PT1

This is the Flora!