A challenge.

[johnfcarter]

Hi. Recently I was given the leftovers from a neighbors tanks. He gave me a 5gal tank, a bunch of java moss, ten cabomba plants, a bag of flourite gravel, a 13watt light, three amano shrimp and a betta (pink female).

Here is the challenge. Help me me create a beautiful tank with few or no more stuff. I will try to follow a given plan and post a picture of the result.

So, suggestions?

ps this is my first aquarium feel free to be insultingly clear in your suggestions. If this combination of plants/fish is bad or impossible, I'd like to hear that to.

[bryan]

Get a nice branchy piece of bogwood as a centrepiece. Plant the cabombas in groups around the base so that it grows through the branches. Get a rock, tie the moss on the rock and place wherever you like.The betta may attempt to eat the shrimp.

[|squee|]

Simple beautiful tanks can be created with a good driftwood like bryan says.

Get a good branchy one, tie moss on it, cabomba at the back, pour in gravel such that it is very thin in front, and increases in height towards the back just enough to support the driftwood and looks natural. Leave the gravel as it is, or put more moss on it.

[StanChung]

'insulting clear' lol. new one.

5 gallon is ~19 liters, that's about 12x10x10"- a nano tank.

13W would not be enough for cabomba. Do make sure you have planted tank bulbs or similar household 6500K bulbs.
The plant options for you are mosses and ferns-low light plants or you can upgrade your lighting to at least 24W. 32W and you can grow anything you want though I'd see a problem for you on how to fit it in.
With more lighting you would need CO2.

So let's you stick with 13W, get yourself some ferns to tie onto the driftwood that members have suggested. Make yourself a moss garden by tying some of it onto branches with some fishing line and some of it onto rocks.