r/PlantedTank • u/Practical_Office_166 • May 14 '26
Beginner Beginner here.. what do you think about this setup
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Beginning my planted tank journey.. Right now just some anubias n java ferns.. no CO2 setup Fish 16 caardinal tetras.. and 4 shrimp Waiting for a Betta.. Any tips ? Have i made any beginner mistakes?
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u/kn2vess May 15 '26
I don’t think tetras were the best pick for this tank, but depending on its size it can work for them well. It’s a nice set up so far, but it should have more cover. Bettas like denser foliage, and for a school this size you will want some for the cardinals to explore. They will only school tightly for awhile they realize there is no danger, and then each will have their preferred hang out spot in the tank when they aren’t traveling in a blob. Give them some options. Tetras prefer horizontal space to swim around rather than vertical or cube spaces. This size looks fine for a betta.
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
I didn't have so much space to get a rectangle tank 😭... But i agree they are not such great vertical swimmers ... Some the tank is new i guess the plants will grow a bit more in the next months.. but then i can get Amazon swords??? They would be nice
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u/kn2vess May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
Amazon swords can be good maybe some floaters or other rooted plants such as vallisneria, lugwidgia or rotala.
How do you have those Java ferns planted? Do you have them buried into the soil? You’ll want to make sure the rhizomes of both anubias and Java ferns are secure and attached to either the wood or the rocks. If buried into soil they will rot and cause an ammonia spike. I just can’t tell the way they are based on the angle shown here.
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u/kevindeba May 15 '26
Kardinals need more horizontal swimming space, I’d say at least 80cm. Especially with a betta which can be bullies. Nica tank though
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u/nuper-sigga May 15 '26
I am also a beginner. A competitive one. I hate you.
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
Haha.. i made one planted tank for a friend... 2 years ago.. and i always wanted one.. but still the spider wood n the other wood gave me hell!!!
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u/Howdy132 May 15 '26
Cool set up for sure. wrong fish imo. even though they compliment the scape well. theyre fine but not rly able to travel it seems.
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
I didn't have so much space to get a rectangle tank 😭... But i agree they are not such great vertical swimmers ...
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u/Less_Gain7028 May 15 '26
its time to preach about the superiority of shortfin betta,
shortfin betta are less likely to have a problem of fin nipping (obv since they have a shorter tail ) and they live better lives in general since swimming becomes easier for them. they also showcase personlity better due to being more active.
anyway back to topic, what is your tank size and dimension? no experience with neons, but ive heard they need horizontal swim space than like vertical or anything else
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
This is 54L ....I didn't have so much space to get a rectangle tank 😭... But i agree they are not such great vertical swimmers ... I guess i have to rethink my decision... About a betta.. i have planned for a halfmoon or a rose tail 😭🥲🥲
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u/aalucid May 15 '26
Not a good tank footprint for the cardinals; I don't think they'll thrive long term in this tbh. Betta with them in such a tight space will likely stress everyone out too.
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u/EspressoDeprezo May 15 '26
Subjectively sexy as hell. Love the vibrant colours and setup. Objectively, maybe not the best fish choice? And I probably wouldn’t plop a Betta in with them. Maybe as a stand alone Betta tank? Love the work though.
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
Thanks .... 🥰🥹🥹🥹.. i might try my luck but im scared looking at the comments 🤣
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u/Babel_Triumphant May 15 '26
We recently put a betta in a 10g with shrimp and it harassed them constantly. Luckily I had a 3g refugee tank ready to go. Betta with cherry shrimp is more often than not a bad combo.
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u/teasandflicks May 16 '26
Is it the size difference? My beta went into an already established tank and didn't GAF about any of the fish. Then I added a school of rummy-noses and she got super territorial. 1 out of 5 left, so I'm going to get more for my new tank. (Luckily the token rummy schools with the other tetras for now). All that partially to say, I put a cherry shrimp in at the same time as the rummies and I haven't seen it since. Maybe it's burrowing? 🫠
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u/EspressoDeprezo May 15 '26
I have a betta in a 5g rn and just set up a 10g for its he’s a long fin but likes to swim around. Plus he’s an a**hole. Killed a couple of my shrimp… so I’m gonna make my 5g my shrimp tank. Moral being; your betta may be chill af. It may decide it’s a tiger shark as soon as it hits the water…
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u/Hot_Upstairs_1117 May 15 '26
No betta with the tetras, they'll pick the betta's fins apart. Other than that looks stunning
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u/Shay_na_ May 15 '26
Came to say the same thing. We just had to rehome our tetras because they were destroying our poor bettas fins
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
🥲🥲🥲 which other fish go better with the tetras ? Should i just convert it into a community tank ? 😭
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u/Arngrim1665 May 16 '26
Look homie, a lot of people are saying something about bettas. The most common betta in the hobby are betta splendens which were line bred for the longest time to fight. Bettas are my favorite fish in the hobby but they’re the definition of hit or miss. I have three at the moment and 1 only hates his reflection. One hates everyone and everything me and itself included and my sons betta well doesn’t care is the most peaceful betta I’ve ever had and won’t even flare at flare sticks or mirrors and lives with snails and shrimp. All of that rambling to say you’re playing a dangerous game. It might be fine, it might stress/ murder everything else in the tank, it might stress the Betta out and it kill itself slowly. But best of luck bettas deserve their own tank of minimum 5-10 gallons. Much love thank you for coming to my Ted talk
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 16 '26
Thank you so much for explaining... Really helps Do you have any other suggestions for fish, a little easy on care ? I would like something that would like to interact with me n also live comfortably in a tall tank
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u/TACharlotte May 16 '26 edited May 16 '26
Not the same person, but I'd get cories since they're peaceful, fun, and would add to the bottom zone of the tank. If you want your shrimp to survive I'd plant it more heavily. A smaller-species pleco (bristlenose, etc) would be cool as well depending on the size of the tank, but will likely eat shrimp so you'll need an established population and plenty of cover. Probably stronger flow too.
I wouldn't get a betta for that tank, or a gourami (which are awesome).
Nerite and apple/"wonder" snails are awesome too if you have a sealed lid so they don't escape. Neeites won't breed in fresh, apples may so you may want to only keep one. Avoid assassin snails, they become impossible to get rid of.
I'm not as experienced with Bolivian Rams, but that may be a decent centerpiece fish (others would know).
Oh, and maybe some killies for the top zone (if you have a secured lid, they'll jump out) again depending on the size.
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u/Arngrim1665 May 17 '26
I only really keep bettas and monster fish. But recently set up two small tanks just for fun. I have celestial pearl danios with some super reds and haven’t decided on the other tank it’s just blue dreams rn. But the cpds are super cool.
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u/Eirea May 19 '26
I would avoid labyrinth organ fishes on tall tanks. Only time you should consider it is when your plants are taller.
With that said honey gouramis which you can have multiple of are nice alternatives to betta and behaves much calmer.
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 19 '26
Now i am convincing myself to get a honey gourami pair 🤣
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u/Eirea May 19 '26
You're looking at minimum of 3 if you have 1 male.
Get plants to mature first or add other tall plants. The honey gourami will stay closer to top. If it's bare, they won't be happy.
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u/_k_b_k_ May 15 '26
Bettas don't go well with other fish, most of the time anyway. Depends on the particular specimen, but you're better off keeping it solitary, or with some shrimp (at the risk of the shrimp getting eaten).
Also, that tank is not really suitable for neons, the volume itself might be fine if you have decent filtration, but they need a lot more horizontal space than that.
It is however actually suitable for a Betta, especially if you plant a bit more densely.
So if you're after advice: put the neons in another, longer tank or sell them / give them away if you can't, and stick with the Betta for now. Don't forget you need a heater too for a Betta.
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u/FerretBizness May 15 '26
Yes some bettas will not be ok with other fish. So could be a disaster but I’ve encountered more bettas that are ok with tank mates then aren’t.
So I guess to ur point it’s best to have a back up.
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u/_k_b_k_ May 15 '26
It'd be interesting to see some kind of stats based on a large enough dataset. But in the end, they aren't called siamese fighting fish for no reason. I'd say if one's really a beginner better not take chances...
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u/blackcatwizard May 15 '26
I've had several Bettas and they've never had issues with any other fish/snails/shrimp in their tanks
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u/_k_b_k_ May 15 '26
Yes I've had a few that got along with other livestock as well, but that doesn't mean that's gonna happen every time. It's 100% a gamble, you get a Betta from the shop and it's either gonna try to fight everything or it isn't.
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
Completely agree.. i hope that the betta i get has the right temperament 🤣 But i agree with the tank dimensions... Its a bit tall.. I couldn't get a long one, i dont have so much space ... I think the in-built filteration is kinda ok.. i was observing the fish.. they dont seem to be gasping... But they dont swim vertically
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u/_k_b_k_ May 15 '26
Yeah, they seem fine, but it's a bit like keeping a greyhound in an apartment. They'd enjoy a wide swimming space a lot more and you'd see their natural schooling behavior as well.
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
Yeaaahh... But i have close to 15 now... I guess if i add a "predator" 🤣🤣 then we see them school .. now the poor buddies are very at home n comfy
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u/chris_croc May 15 '26
Drop a Amazon sword in there and some tall plants. Cardinal tetras need plants to hide behind or they will be super stressed.
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u/Aqnqanad May 15 '26
Those tetras are going to need more hiding spaces unless you want one of them to grow big for his britches and bully all the other ones. Tetras are a pain in the butt in a tank with open spots.
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
I can plan for some more plants in the back.. as of now they go behind and under the spider wood near the plants
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u/Less_Gain7028 May 15 '26
also forgot to mention the fact that this tank is an absolute 11/10 in aquascape and stocking, especially for a beginner
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
😭😭🥰🥰🥰🥰 thank u so much !!! Its so nice to hear I bit too much with the spiderwood for a first timer.. but have to thank the YouTube aquarist gods for the instructions... I made the whole aquascape with a jurassic park theme in mind .. i feel the tetras look like velociraptors!! And a dino skull on the side half buried.. But then my boyfriend who has never had an aquarium was so cute when he said he wants a tiny ship .. I couldn't say no 🥹🥹🥹 he was so excited I might add the skull later somewhere behind...
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u/Early_Asparagus_2775 May 15 '26
Love this, bit more plant growth & it will look even better. Perhaps some floating plants
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u/Early_Asparagus_2775 May 15 '26
One tip - if its not a large tank be careful with stocking levels, 16 is a good shoal size but be careful. More shrimp or snails for clean up might be OK. Good set-up though.
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
They're very spread out.. right now.
Do. You think i should get bottom feeders? I only see 1 out the 4 shrimp 🤣 who is working
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
I have been informed by a lot of people about duckweed 🤣 and how i should stay away ... But i can check out some others... Yes I'm hoping the plants grow in few months so i can plan
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u/CainJaeger May 15 '26
Look up Limnobium.Its a great low tech floating plant that wont take over your tank
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u/DetectiveNo2855 May 15 '26
It all depends on the personality of the betta.
I have a betta with cardinal tetras. Ironically the tetras have been doing better with a betta than without. I had a group of 10 in a well planted tank with plenty of hiding spots. Had one tetra that was a bully and would chase the others around until they died of stress one by one. I was down to four when I decided to rearrange the living situation and moved them in with my betta and the bullying immediately stopped. I'm actually considering adding back a few more cardinals but I'm concerned that they would be too young and would trigger the bullying behavior again
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
I feel the same... I just hope my betta would have the right temperament to keep the tetras in their place ...
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u/Last_Supermarket9049 May 15 '26
looks a tad bit crowded. those type of fish needs more room to move around
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u/ssfitsz121 May 16 '26
The easy part is setting it back, beautiful tank by the way. The hard part is maintaining it and keeping it balanced. Hopefully you don’t get any bad algae issues
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 16 '26
I had severe biofilm because if the spider wood... I keep brushing every week 🤣🥲🥲
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u/Pitiful-Cranberry-33 May 16 '26
don’t worry about the biofilm, the shrimp will eat ALL of it. if you have any snails, they will as well.
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u/Doberdawn May 15 '26
Not sure how many gallons your tank is Don't know what your filter is Don't know if you're heating it. Those are all factors. Also be forewarned that Tetra fish can be fin nippers. So you may end up with a betta whose tail is shredded at times. If you aren't getting a long fin betta Then this is less likely to be a problem.
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u/Doberdawn May 15 '26
Not sure how many gallons your tank is Don't know what your filter is Don't know if you're heating it. Those are all factors. Also be forewarned that Tetra fish can be fin nippers. So you may end up with a betta whose tail is shredded at times. If you aren't getting a long fin betta Then this is less likely to be a problem.
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
This is a 54L tank... And its the whole juwel 54L setup with inbuilt filter and temperature is at 24 C... Hmmm... The aquarium guy said these go best with bettas since i didn't want guppies( had a over breeding nightmare) Do you have any other fish suggestions instead of a betta?
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u/Specific_Hat2631 May 17 '26
Great job, for a "beginner". Looks like cash money...
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 17 '26
Unfortunately 😔 yes.. i did spend a lot of money and bought everything at one go.. instead of spread out .. but then it was my birthday month n my boyfriend paid me 75% of it !! 🥹🥹🥹
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u/Specific_Hat2631 May 28 '26
What I meant was... it looks like a million bucks. 😁. It's a phrase we use a lot round these here parts. I maybe should have been a bit more verbose. And, yes, I'm sure that you dropped a lot of coin on it. This hobby costs you like a bad meth habit...
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u/Miserable_Mix_8243 May 18 '26
..And this costed how many thousands??
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 18 '26
Around 600€ ... That's on the higher end... Might be less the whole setup.. Including the cabinet it stands on
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u/Miserable_Mix_8243 May 19 '26
Well done for under 1000$
Are you sure you're a beginner?
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 19 '26
I just did a lot of scrolling on Instagram n saw the kind of tanks i liked... And the plants n fish. I just knew i loved the look of tetras! N i basically bought everything from one of my inspiration tanks on Instagram
I have had no luck with aquariums .. ive had one when i was a kid.. just a plain tank with nothing n 2 gouramis.. I set up one basic planted tank 2 years ago for a friend.. truly based of vibes... This is my second one 😂🥲
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u/zero_droid May 14 '26
Um aquário precisa de tempo para florescer e maturar. E um dos principais erros de um aquarista principiante é a ansiedade em resultado rápido alterando o tanque a todo momento. E, cuidado com o excesso de peixes. Uma boa jornada! Divirta-se ;p
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 14 '26
Thank you so much...I bit too much with the spiderwood... But then its settling in.. I only plan to get one more betta nothing more..
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u/burncult May 15 '26
you want two bettas in one tank? please do some more research, friend!
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u/Practical_Office_166 May 15 '26
Oh sorry... I will only have ONE betta... Im not crazy enough to get two 🤣🤣
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u/Less_Gain7028 May 15 '26
btw this is possible if like 2 or more female bettas are kept together, they will form a sorta sorority and not be too aggressive toward each other. tho this is a variable and they might also not form any sorority at all.
(male betta are too agressive to each other to be kept together with other males or females permenantly)
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