Decorating on a budget

Ok now today I came across all these used plants for a good deal at a garage sale, but I'm starting to think that I didn't think thoroughly enough. I wanted plants they could easily hide in or make bubble nests under and such like that but I don't want to choke them out of swimming space either. I need to learn to balance.

So Alpha got a 2.5 gallon tank yesterday and I've put only a few things I got (including a thermometer) in his tank, but the purple thing I like so much is more out of the water than in the water. It's 1/2 stems in the water and it's WAY over-hanging. I like the right side of the tank, the new plant (plus the old ones from my cousin) fit there nicely but I dunno if he's able to hide well. A branch of the purple plant is floating across the surface which I don't mind, he's got plenty of breathing room, but what about the bottom of the plant??? Is there a way to cut off some of that stem and still be able to weigh it down??

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I saved plants aside for when my son's fish gets his bigger home as well. Maybe I need to mix-match them a bit better??? I put one in his vase but it takes up quite a bit of room, I'll probably put a different one in there. Not a lot of room to come up to breathe.
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any suggestions on how to work with what I have??

The only thing I'd be worried about is that if you cut the stems of the plastic plant to try to make them shorter, they're probably wired inside with steel which will then rust and seep into the water. You could just lie the stem part sideways on the bottom and cover it with a clean rock and some gravel to hold it down and shorten it?

I like that red plastic plant you have, it looks like it'd be good for nesting under and the leaves look soft.

Yeah, I got the softest plants they had. They had a lot of spikey plasticky ones which I knew wouldn't be good for the delicate fins.

Maybe I'll try the red plant in there first, take out the purple one for now.


Edit: Ok, I took the green grass-like one out even though it was used well and put that instead in the smaller home and took the plant that was in there and put it where the grassy one was in the bigger tank. Then I put the red plant in where the purple one was. They both look MUCH better and provides some hiding and resting spots without crowding them or their surface area. Seems they like to lounge on the leaves too. I'll have the two biggest plants I have till after I get the other tank. I wouldn't mind a big plant that had a top that floats along the surface a bit but for the size of tank we have it's a bit much unless they'll be ok with weaving through a maze to get air O.o I don't wanna drown them. I'll consider that flat rock idea. I could also melt plastic over the ends to cover up any exposed wire if I DO decide to clip them. I'll make sure no metal is exposed.

bigger tank:
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Smaller:
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And yes, he's flaring because he loathes the camera. It shines an orange light really bright when it's focusing right before a picture and he reacts to that light.

They look good! More natural and plenty of swimmy room!

Looks good. Maybe in the bigger tank you could use a plant pot to give them a bit more cover. You can either lay it on its side or out it upside down and chop part of the front of so theres a hole at the bottom for the betta to go in but apart form that they look good.

i have that same red plant and the green version in one of my tanks. if you figure out how to get it to "fan out" let me know! lol mine has been in for a year and they both still have the leaves going straight up like that, i even tried bending them. your tanks do look good though!

TY guys!!

One of the plants ripped my RT's (in the big tank) anal fin though, which really has me concerned. I know to keep the water super clean with frequent changes and such but I gotta find out what did it and see if I can smoothe it out.

perhaps for the bending, maybe warm the plastic up a bit to permanently bend it, almost melt it just enough to give it a permanent fan??? That's the only thing I can think of without using wire.

Are they silk plants?
You should try to avoid putting plastic plants in their tanks for that very reason!

Yes they are silk but have plastic stems and such. I think I found where the problem is, one of the flowers has a spiky plastic center and the fishy seems to favor that area of the tank. I'll clip it and smooth it out so it won't snag. I'm also checking to see if the underside of the leaves are coming off because that could be snaggy enough as well. Alpha seems to be fine, I see no other rips and some minor color changes that could be due to maturing.

Ahh ok, I know the type. Most of the time live plants are cheaper, and they're good for the tank! I suggest Java Moss, Java Fern and Moss Balls as they're hardy and don't require a large amount of light.
A good temporary, cheap bigger make shift tank for little Fishy is a large clear bucket, tupperware/storage box or glass mixing bowl with clingfilm/saran wrap stretched over the top to let the air in and out and stop him leaping out!
As long as it's big, seethrough, strong and safe (plastic or glass) I'm sure he'll appreciate the space

Well this vase is bigger than any tupperware we have and all our buckets are white plastic.

I can't go with plants....they actually cost about the same here and, again, I'm living off 17.30/week for my son and I both and with him starting school on Tuesday I'm gonna need to save more now than ever. These plants I got for just one dollar at a garage sale...it's all I could afford. I'm trying hard to find everything I need for them but at the same time my son's needs come before fish. The fish will survive just fine while they wait, they are well fed and I keep their water in top condition. Maybe someday I'll get a huge tank and do the live plant thing, but for now they gotta stay in 2.5 gallon tanks (which is the minimal recommended for just one betta fish) and deal with the fake plants. Partly why I agreed to them was because I didn't think I would need to do much else than keep their water clean and feed them. I love their personalities and how one prefers some things while the other fish doesn't.....but I'm trying to do what I can, the minimal needed for them to be happy and healthy while I try to get our lives straightened out. If I could find a job somewhere then I wouldn't have any problem going big and growing plants and do this whole eco-system thing.