#bettatank

One year ago, I rescaped my 30-liter (8-gallon) AquaEl Shrimp Set into a lush, beginner-friendly jungle-style betta aquarium, and these photos show how it looks today.

The tank is built around easy, forgiving plants like Anubias ‘Coin Leaf,’ Cryptocoryne, Limnophila sessiliflora, and a carpet of Eleocharis, with Seryu stone, spider wood, and Amazon frogbit creating a natural, overgrown feel.

Over the past year, this setup has gone through bacterial blooms, algae phases, filterless experiments, and plenty of plant trims, but it has steadily matured into a stable, living ecosystem filled with biofilm, baby shrimp, and ramshorn snails.

My betta, Marmalade, has explored every corner of this scape, interacted with floating plants, and even learned to steal food from her shrimp tank mates.

While her health has declined due to a tumor, this tank has given her a calm, heavily planted environment where she can rest easily near the surface.

Emmett:

Emmett:

Emmett: w h a t is going on