I'm confused, are you planning on building up a tank like that and try to keep a fish alive in it as well? Or do you just want a tank with live plants on their own? 2.5 gallons is way too small for that much decoration AND a betta, I really wouldn't recommend more than one or two live plants. Multiple silk plants is one thing, they of course don't grow. And I absolutely would not recommend fertilizer in a fish tank, that sounds like a sure way to kill your fish.
As for the teacup, I've been told anything used by humans to consume food and drinks would be safe to use in a fish tank, just make sure it's in perfect condition because you don't need paint flakes floating around the water or having the betta hurt itself on any edges.
My intention was to keep live plants in the tank with the fish. I've been researching to find plants that don't grow tall or take up much space. I was thinking just one shoot of a java fern anchored to the cup, and keeping it trimmed. I think then, a moss carpet would be overwhelming to the small environment? I suppose I've been disillusioned by all of the aquascaped nano-aquariums I've seen. Boo, lol.
I had planned on buying the cup and saucer brand-new and cleaning it well before establishing it in the tank. Thanks for sharing your opinion! I'll have to consider things much more carefully than I'd thought.
Keep in mind that although a lot of those photos and ideas look pretty, very few of them are actually any good, way too many of these companies think bettas only need a couple inches of water to live in and just treat them like living decorations. If you wanted to do this, I don't think you'd want a smaller tank than 10 gallons. You really can't cycle a small tank, you have to do full water changes every couple of weeks and I'm not sure if live plants would mean you'd have to do it even more often. I've yet to have live plants so I'm not speaking from experience, but it seems like live plants AND fish are a bit of a pain in the butt to handle, especially in a small tank.
Yeah, I do full tank changes every week with two 25% changes twice in that week. I don't have any filters installed, so this is my way of keeping the Betta waters clean. Live plants are "supposed" to act as natural filters, but I'd still have to clean the gravel. I know the tanks I have are way small for the fish, but one tank was not of my choosing, and the other I bought to use as a hospital tank when my lady Betta got sick. I'd love to upgrade both of them, but that's just not in my budget lately. I have a 10G that I would love to dust off and start using, but I need to wait for a good paycheck before I can begin: I'd need a new filter and hood and everything. Barring that, I want to upgrade completely to a 30G.
My only concern with live plants is proper trimming and picking something that fits the environment that is already established. Apparently the java fern is larger than I thought, so I have no idea what to even try, despite looking up dozens of plant species.
I hate to jump on the "10 gallon or else" bandwagon and object to your plans, but a larger tank will give you much more room! Trust me, I wish I wasn't stuck with a 10 gal because I always seem to run out of room for things I want. People use everything from terra cotta to ceramic to glass accents in their tanks. Just make sure it's clean and isn't shedding paint chips or the likes. I like using brand new stuff in my tanks so I don't have to worry about soap that may leach off of it when I submerge it. Dollar Trees have amazingly nice dishes, so I would check there if you're still shopping for the teacup. As for fertilizer, I recommend Flourish Excel. It's 100% fish and shrimp safe. And honestly, you aren't going to find any plants that will fit well in a 2.5 gallon. I would just get the plant you want and split the rhizome to the size of the plant you want and go from there. Java fern can take a beating. Most swords can as well, but they're more likely to melt under stressful situations.
Haha, I'm itching to get a larger tank, but it's out of my means for now. And I figure I'd like to try and start small before I go big. I'm just glad everyone isn't "that's too small for a betta!"-ing me. I change the water quite often, so they're doing well. xD
I'll definitely have to try Dollar Tree! I never thought to check there, but it'll be interesting to see what they have.
Thanks for the tip on the fertilizer - I'm considering shrimp once I do upgrade to the 10G.
That's a good thing to know about plants. I was looking for something that grew up rather than out so I would only have to trim the leaves or stems. I like the shape of the java fern, so it's good to know that it's still a possibility!
Thanks much for your opinions on these things. I really appreciate it!
Ah, thank you again for all of this amazing information. I never knew that Bettas could hunt shrimp! I suppose I would have learned once I started researching in that direction, but Real Life Experience shared is always most desirable to me. I like the look of Cherry Shrimp, so I'll keep those in mind
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As for the teacup, I've been told anything used by humans to consume food and drinks would be safe to use in a fish tank, just make sure it's in perfect condition because you don't need paint flakes floating around the water or having the betta hurt itself on any edges.
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I had planned on buying the cup and saucer brand-new and cleaning it well before establishing it in the tank. Thanks for sharing your opinion! I'll have to consider things much more carefully than I'd thought.
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My only concern with live plants is proper trimming and picking something that fits the environment that is already established. Apparently the java fern is larger than I thought, so I have no idea what to even try, despite looking up dozens of plant species.
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People use everything from terra cotta to ceramic to glass accents in their tanks. Just make sure it's clean and isn't shedding paint chips or the likes. I like using brand new stuff in my tanks so I don't have to worry about soap that may leach off of it when I submerge it. Dollar Trees have amazingly nice dishes, so I would check there if you're still shopping for the teacup.
As for fertilizer, I recommend Flourish Excel. It's 100% fish and shrimp safe.
And honestly, you aren't going to find any plants that will fit well in a 2.5 gallon. I would just get the plant you want and split the rhizome to the size of the plant you want and go from there. Java fern can take a beating. Most swords can as well, but they're more likely to melt under stressful situations.
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I'll definitely have to try Dollar Tree! I never thought to check there, but it'll be interesting to see what they have.
Thanks for the tip on the fertilizer - I'm considering shrimp once I do upgrade to the 10G.
That's a good thing to know about plants. I was looking for something that grew up rather than out so I would only have to trim the leaves or stems. I like the shape of the java fern, so it's good to know that it's still a possibility!
Thanks much for your opinions on these things. I really appreciate it!
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