10 gallon Budget Betta Tank

I found a 10 gallon tank at the beginning of this month. It was on the street next to my apartment and seemed to be in working order. I tested it in the shower and there were no leaks so I was pretty stoked. I knew that I wanted to start a planted betta tank but I wanted to be thrifty.

Supplies:

1 - 10g tank - FREE

1/4 - Bag of coral sand - FREE (left over from previous project)

1 - Handful of small gravel - FREE (always have aquarium gravel on hand)

1 - lava rock - FREE (found it)

4 - River Rocks - FREE (left over form previous project)

2 - pieces of petrified wood - FREE (found them)

1/2 - piece of pine lumber 1x4x4 - $1.65

Some electrical tape - FREE (always have on hand)

1 - piece of bubble wrap reflective insulation - FREE (left over from previous project)

1 - brass socket - $3.49

1 - socket twin - $1.49

2 - 18w 6,500k CFL - $6.50

1 - Ext Cord 6ft - $1.99

1 - 3/4 inch L24" PVC pipe - $1.49

1 - 1inch L12" PVC pipe - $1.99

1 - 1"to 3/4" elbow - $0.49

1 - 3/4" male adapter - $0.59

1 - pack of 2 suction cups - $1.99

1 - Air pump - FREE (already had it)

Filter Sponge - FREE (already had it)

air tubing - FREE (always have it on hand)

Piece of Screen - FREE (always have it on hand)

some black poster board - FREE (left over from 20gallon Long build)

a few cinders from my 29gallon grow bed - FREE

= $21.67 out of pocket for initial set up

Flora:

1 - Anubias Barteri Broad Leaf - $5.49

1 - Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus) - $2.99

1 - Anacharis (Egeria densa) - $1.25

some Dwarf Hair Grass (Eleocharis acicularis) - FREE (cuttings taken from 29gallon tank)

Some Christmas Moss (Vesucularia montagnei) - FREE (cuttings taken from 20gallon Long tank)

= $9.73 out of pocket for plants

After setting up almost everything needed in the tank I ended up only spending $31.40

When my girlfriend gets home from class we are going to pick up a male betta fish and some dwarf baby tears (Hemianthus callitrichoides). When we bought the plants yesterday our LFS had dwarf baby tear (which they are always out of) but they could not sell them until they were sure that diseases were not brought with them from the distributor So looking to spend about $14.49 more (depending on how nice their betta selection is today).

This is my journey so far:






DIY Components:
For the filtration system I did a simple DIY sponge filter but incorporated an extension that sends the water through a 3/4" pipe filled (but not stuffed) with cinders from my 29g community tank filter (which I am hopping already have some beneficial bacteria in the pores) and active carbon pellets. The main section of the filter is just a 1" PVC pipe capped at the end with an air line and air stone at the bottom. I filled the PVC pipe with filter sponge and plastic straws. There are 6 1/16" holes drilled down the length of the pipe and then covered by more filter sponge (which have been zip tied in place). I adhered 2 suction cups with pluming PVC silicone so that the filter can fit perfectly against the tank wall. I am running a AAPA7 8L air pump. The completed sponge filter is not shown in these pictures.

Lighting - I set up the lights using a standard brass lamp socket, extension cord, electrical tape and wire cutter/stripper. For the fixture I cut a 1 1/8" in the middle of the 20"L pine board. Then inserted the brass socket which I attached to the extension cord by cutting the female end and exposing the wires so that they could be grounded to the socket. After the bare wire was inserted and secured flush to the socket, I made sure no wire was exposed by wrapping the entire top end of the socket with electrical tape. Then I used a twin socket insert allowing for 2- 18w 6,500K CFL bulbs. Then cut 2 pieces of 5 3/4" pine and secured them with screws to the end of the pine board light fixture. After the fixture was stable and sat exactly where I wanted it I attached some reflective-insulation to function as a hood and direct light.

Soon to come - simple DIY yeast sugar reactor for CO2

I will posting more pics tonight hopefully

Just called my LFS, dwarf baby tears go on sale at 5:00PM! Cant wait!

comments and critique please

This is Bunsen the betta.

The LFS tricked me and when i got there they said ,"plants might be for sale tonight but we are not sure." So i decided on no baby tears, but got this pretty awesome betta that looks like a bunsen burner flame.
total out of pocket cost = $33.40

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jpappy789 said:

Nice betta tank!

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Thank you jpappy I was excited to find this tank outside my apartment on the curb and I knew it wanted a betta housed in it.

ktrom13 said:

Bunsen looks good in that tank man!

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Thank you ktrom. My girlfriend picked him out and named him, he was only two dollars and it is amazing to see how nice his colors have become since seeing him in the for the first time in the LFS.