Dwarf Hairgrass and suggestions

[FlameTetra333]

Hey all,

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE answer this question. If I put some Dwarf Hairgrass in my tank and make a nice green carpet, would I have to ever clean my gravel? I'm getting a lot of mixed answers on this topic. I'm also trying to add some Amazon swords + one anubias to my future 5 gallon betta tank.

P.S. What else do you think I should put in my Betta tank? (fish)

Here is my setup plan:
Aqueon Minibow 5 or Petco 5.5 gallon aquarium
Homemade airlift filter
gravel

Life:
Dwarf Hairgrass
Anubias nana
Amazon Sword

Halfmoon Doubletail Betta (currently in a 3 gallon tank)
possibly some feeder guppies (guppy-endlers with short tails, don't worry lol)

Tell me what u guys think.

THX!

 

[FlameTetra333]

Would Harlequin Rasboras be good for the tank? I heard they are suitable for a 5 gallon. I might put 3 in with my Betta.

 

[Thyra]

I have two otos in each of my three bettas small tanks (2.5g, 5g & 10g) and have had no problems. I also have 4 neons & 2 mollies in the 10g with the betta which are doing very well. I have a betta in a larger community tank that has worked very well. None of my fish hide and the tanks are very active. I have noticed that when I put a betta in a larger tank it takes a few days before they get really comfortable and feel secure again. I don't find any of my bettas aggressive. The exception is I think - but don't know for sure - that they are the ones that keep the fry population down.

 

[KcMopar]

Vacuuming is a must to keep your fish healthy IMO. Its less with an under gravel filter but still a required maintenance.

 

[FlameTetra333]

Vacuuming is a must to keep your fish healthy IMO. Its less with an under gravel filter but still a required maintenance.

Ehhhhhh

you sorta dodged my question. I'm asking if I have a nice carpet of dwarf hairgrass, wouldn't it just eat all the nitrates, so i wouldn't have to clean my gravel? Don't get me wrong, I'm not lazy or anything. It's just that I'm a kid and I have school and HW, so I don't have much time to do my fish stuff.

 

[KcMopar]

I would say it would only be short term as the waste and uneaten food would start to accumulate. The plants do not eat the waste and uneaten food, there has to be a way to remove it from the tank. To vacuum less I would remove the gravel and get a hydor koralia pump and good strong filter. With this hydor you can point it at the bottom of the tank to keep the solids in the water column and the filter will remove it from the water. The problem is you need to have a spot for the grass to grow to help relieve the nitrates a bit. I hope this helps.

 

[FlameTetra333]

I would say it would only be short term as the waste and uneaten food would start to accumulate. The plants do not eat the waste and uneaten food, there has to be a way to remove it from the tank. To vacuum less I would remove the gravel and get a hydor koralia pump and good strong filter. With this hydor you can point it at the bottom of the tank to keep the solids in the water column and the filter will remove it from the water. The problem is you need to have a spot for the grass to grow to help relieve the nitrates a bit. I hope this helps.

But, If I get a carpet of DH, then I won't have to clean the tank AS FREQUENTLY, right? Say maybe, once a month?

 

[KcMopar]

I just do not see that being a very healthy tank in my opinion. You still have the problem of the poo and uneaten food laying on the bottom, rotting, then fouling the water. Maybe somebody has different experience with a way to lessen the maintenance. You could try an Algae Turf scrubber to make the nitrate near zero.

 

[Thyra]

When I am vacuuming I am removing the amount of water I want to change and I don't see where not vacuuming would change that requirement. I have 6 tanks and if I am not interrupted it takes less than an hour. Surely you can find a half hour once every week or two. For me the vacuuming takes less time than refilling the water.

 

[FlameTetra333]

When I am vacuuming I am removing the amount of water I want to change and I don't see where not vacuuming would change that requirement. I have 6 tanks and if I am not interrupted it takes less than an hour. Surely you can find a half hour once every week or two. For me the vacuuming takes less time than refilling the water.

For some reason, I just can't get my gravel siphon to work, so I use an automatic one, which replaces the water back into the tank (thanks, Marina).

 

[Thyra]

I have no idea what you mean by an "automatic siphon" but I can't see where that replaces a routine water change because you are just putting the same water back in the tank. The whole idea is to get rid of some of the "old" water and replace it with fresh new water. Once your tank is cycled that is what keeps the nitrate levels down.

 

[Fishman1995]

He uses the one that hooks up to your sink faucet i belive, and you can refill the tank with it. My mom used one of those, and to answer your question on stocking Id get a pair of Oto's, or some Shrimp. I have had betta's be fine with Fish tankmates before and i wake up one morning and he turned into the 5 gallon rip everything up massacre (Texas Chainsaw massacre, get it? lol) I have an Amazon sword in my 5 gallon, its doing GREAT! i highly recomend them!

 

[KcMopar]

I thought they were talking about a battery operated unit that caught the detritus in some media and expelled the water back to the tank.

 

[Thyra]

In reply #10 you say "it replaces the water" but it doesn't say how you remove the water and that is usually done by vacuuming - do you mean you are you just replacing evaporated water?

 

[Thyra]

BTW I agree, a 5g tank is too small for any fish tank mates for a betta with the exception of maybe a couple of otos.

 

[FlameTetra333]

He uses the one that hooks up to your sink faucet i belive, and you can refill the tank with it. My mom used one of those, and to answer your question on stocking Id get a pair of Oto's, or some Shrimp. I have had betta's be fine with Fish tankmates before and i wake up one morning and he turned into the 5 gallon rip everything up massacre (Texas Chainsaw massacre, get it? lol) I have an Amazon sword in my 5 gallon, its doing GREAT! i highly recomend them!

Actually, search "EHEIM quick vac pro". That's what I use (it's battery powered).

K, moving on to the stocking.

Instead of getting a 5 gallon tank, I got a 5.5 gallon KIT for only $14 (I used my Petperks card and a merchandise card to lower the price) so I ended up getting an extra half gallon. Great marketing Petsmart....

NEways, I seeded that with filter media and stuck my betta in there, he survived the night, so now its just him and a dying anubias.... I'm gonna wait a week then add some more fish.

ANY SUGGESTIONS? Keep in mind that the only 3 fish stores near me arePETCO, PETSMART, AND PETSUPERMARKET, so ONLY SUGGEST anything from those places.

Thx a bunch.

 

[FlameTetra333]

In reply #10 you say "it replaces the water" but it doesn't say how you remove the water and that is usually done by vacuuming - do you mean you are you just replacing evaporated water?

The auto vac I use pulls the water in the machine, puts the waste in a cartridge, and makes the water fall back intothe tank.

 

[FlameTetra333]

BTW I agree, a 5g tank is too small for any fish tank mates for a betta with the exception of maybe a couple of otos.

BTW, thyra, there are a lot of fish that can go into a 5 gallon. Guppies, microrasbora, shrimp, snails, dwarf cories, and nano-fish of that nature.
Of course I can't have guppies (betta will tear em apart) dwarf cories (not even available online) microrasbora (I don't wanna pay $1 million), and shrimp and snails creep me out (lol)

 

[Thyra]

I am aware there are a lot of fish you can put in the 5 g, but not with the betta -you will end up with the same experience Fishman had - the betta will try to defend that small of territory and keep it all to himself. I had ask about the battery operated siphons on a thread sometime back and the replies said they didn't have enough power to do the job and of course, it still doesn't deal with the water change so it would actually make it two steps rather than one.

 

[FlameTetra333]

I am aware there are a lot of fish you can put in the 5 g, but not with the betta -you will end up with the same experience Fishman had - the betta will try to defend that small of territory and keep it all to himself. I had ask about the battery operated siphons on a thread sometime back and the replies said they didn't have enough power to do the job and of course, it still doesn't deal with the water change so it would actually make it two steps rather than one.

It reall just depends on the Betta's personality. My betta just looked at his reflection, flared a bit, then left. I think I might try some Harlequins since they're small, or I might move the otos i already have.