Explore 35 Gorgeous Ways to Create a Planted Paradise for Your Betta!
It’s certainly an art to create your betta tank as an underwater paradise. If you love to try different aquascape designs, you may want to transform your betta tank into something stunning. In this article, I’ve listed down 35 planted betta tank aquascaping ideas.
You should go through the details of these 35 aquascape ideas to find out your preferable and budget-friendly setup. So, let’s check the following betta tank aquascape designs.
35 betta fish tank ideas
1. Betta Eco & Low-Tech Aquascape
| Materials | Tank, substrate, soil, aquatic plants, driftwood, stones, water, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
Can you think of a betta tank with no filter and no water changes? In this eco tank, you can set up such an aquascape with only hardscapes, plants, water, and betta fish. To maintain the filtering process, you need to choose fast-growing plants.
You should add good fertilizers to the substrate to boost the growth of your plants. You can add some stones, driftwood, and other decors to increase the naturalistic vibe. Since it is a low-tech betta tank, you need not take much hassle for its maintenance.
2. Colorful Betta Nursery
| Materials | Tank, substrate, aquatic plants of different sizes and colors, filter, lighting, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Hard |
This tank design will allow you to play with colors. If you want to make a planted betta tank, you can go ahead with colorful aquatic plants.
You can also add plants of three different sizes. Small-sized carpet plants will give you an area of green carpet. On the contrary, your betta can play and hide in the tall leaves. So, you need to add some large flowered aquatic plants too.
To balance tall and small plants, you can add some midground plants. For example- java fern, Dwarf chain sword, Anubias, Cryptocoryne, etc. Some of these plants will give a bushy appearance in your betta tank.
Lastly, you need to add some red plants to increase the overall aesthetic of your betta tank. You can choose among Red Tiger Lotus, Rotala Macrandra, Bacopa Colorata, Ludwigia repens, etc.
3. Minimalistic No CO2 Planted Betta Tank
| Materials | Sand, soil, stones, Rotala, Monte Carlo, lighting, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
This betta tank aquascape is suitable for any minimalistic lover. You can readily create this betta tank with Rotala plants and a few hardscapes. You might know that Rotala plants do not require any additional CO2.
So, it’ll be a no-CO2 planted tank. Add some Monte Carlo to add beauty to your betta tank. After adding lighting and filter, you can welcome your betta fish in this new tank.
4. Sweet Potato Betta Tank
| Materials | Tank, sand, hornworts, stones, sweet potatoes, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
Yes! You heard it right. You can make a planted betta tank aquascape with sweet potato.
In the beginning, you should prepare the bottom of the tank. You can make a thick layer of sand. Besides, you should keep some stones to increase the aesthetic appearance of this aquascape.
Afterward, you should place two sweet potatoes in touch with the water through the hole of the tank lid. Gradually, you’ll notice the sprouting roots of these potatoes.
After setting up the tank, you might realize how nicely you are creating life out of two sweet potatoes. In addition, the fluffy hornworts will give your betta enough hiding corners in the tank.
If you create this sweet potato betta tank, your betta will get enough room to explore and play with the roots and plants. This betta tank setup does not require any filter or CO2.
5. Indoor Jungle Betta Tank Aquascape
| Materials | Tank, soil, aquatic plants, floating plants, dead leaves, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
This aquascape will make your betta tank resemble an indoor jungle. The entire warm and plenty appearance will give your betta a vibe of wild habitation.
In the beginning, you should make a thick layer of soil and substrate at the bottom. Then, you can keep a large driftwood in the middle of the tank. To portray the jungle vibe, you should add some pebbles, aquatic grass, large aquatic plants, floating plants, dead leaves, etc.
6. tan betta tank Aquascape
| Materials | Tank, carpet plants, colorful aquatic plants, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
This colorful aquascape will add another dimension to the world of planted tanks. You can create magic with colors in your betta tank by keeping different types of colorful plants.
Since different textures and colorations of these plants are the main focus of this tank, you can also name it a Dutch-style aquascape. That’s why, you need not keep any hardscape for this planted betta tank.
To create this aquascape, you can keep Water Hedge, Ludwigia repens, Ludwigia Palustris, etc. The red and orange coloration of the plants will look stunning over the green-colored carpet plants. For this. You can choose pearl weed plants.
7. Simple Betta Tank With Amazon Sword And Caves
| Materials | Tank, pebbles, sand, Amazon sword, coconut caves, hiding cave stones, aquarium stones, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
If you want to keep your planted betta tank simple, you can maintain the simplicity with a few Amazon swords. For this, you should not add too many plants to the tank. Besides, this tank design does not encourage the growth of hair algae.
Firstly, you need to make a 3-4 inched layer of the substrate at the bottom of the tank. You can choose sand and pebbles. Then, you should add hiding cave stones, coconut caves, smooth-edged aquarium stones, etc.
Since your motive is to maintain simplicity, you should not add more than two décors to each item. Finally, you should add Amazon sword plants. These Amazon sword plants can grow up to almost 20 inches in height. So, your betta tank will not appear void due to fewer items.
8. spring forest style betta fish aquarium
| Materials | Tank, dirt, aquatic plants, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
Many betta owners want to avoid dirt while setting up a tank. But, this aquascape design encourages to use of dirt for setting up a 30 cm betta tank. Then, you can cap the layer of dirt with inert sand or gravel.
You should keep fast-growing aquatic plants in this aquascape. The dirt will add the required nutrients to these plants. In case you wonder how this tank works without any filter!
These heavy plantations will filter out the ammonia and nitrates from the water. Like spring forest, your planted betta tank will give your betta the appearance of a cozy environment.
9. Low Tech Planted Betta Tank
| Materials | Tank, aquatic plants, floating plants, dragon stones, LED lighting, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
To create a low-tech aquascape, you should add super fast-growing plants in your tank. You should keep in mind not to make an algae boom in your betta tank. To prevent algae growth, you can limit the lighting by adding some Amazon Frogbit.
In addition, you can add some grass-like plants. Such as Echinodorus Tenellus, Vallisneria, dwarf hair grass, etc. If you look at the aquascape design closely, you can notice a small sandy path too. In addition, you’ll not require any CO2 injection for the plants of your low-tech planted tank.
10. Planted Betta Tank With Sea Pebbles & Hygrophila
| Materials | Tank, substrate, sea pebbles, Hygrophila, floating plants, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
To create a unique biotope, you can use different-sized sea pebbles in your planted tank. In the beginning, you should make a layer of soil and substrate to support these rocks. Before filling the tank, you should position these sea pebbles first.
Not to mention, this aquascape design is friendly for any beginners. That’s why you can choose Hygrophila as your starter plant. To create a naturalistic appearance, you can add a few branches, dried leaves, Catappa leaves, floating plants, etc.
11. Underwater Simple Betta House
| Materials | Tank, Rotala, Sagittaria, floating plants, rocks, filter, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
Do you want to recreate a simple village house in your betta tank? Then, you can try this aquascape where there are small grasses all over the tank. Moreover, you can find a big tree in one corner of the tank.
Instead of big trees, you should choose trees with long leaves. Such as Rotala, Ludwigia repens, etc. On the other hand, you should add Sagittaria plants to create a layer of aquarium grasses.
Your betta fish may enjoy the aquascape filled with hardscape, aquatic plants, and floating plants. The entire appearance will give your betta a vibe of an underwater village home.
12. Low Maintenance & No CO2 betta fish Planted Aquascape
| Materials | Tank, sand, soil, driftwood, low-maintenance plants, filter, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
If you do not want to take many hassles of maintenance, you can set up this aquascape. You need to choose simple and easy-maintenance plants for this aquascape. Since you are making a no-CO2 tank, you should choose such plants.
Such as Java Fern, Anubias, Cryptocoryne, etc. To add different coloration to the tank, you should add yellow or orange-colored carpet plants. Before filling water to your betta tank, you can arrange rocks, driftwood, branches, and other décors.
13. Lucky Bamboo Betta Tank Aquascape
| Materials | Tank, topsoil, sand, lucky bamboo, ferns, small aquatic plants, filter, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
When all betta owners try to make a heavily planted tank, you can try a different aquascape with lucky bamboo. You can make the background black to get an aesthetic view.
To set up this aquascape, you need to do some preparation. Firstly, you should keep a 1-2” deep layer of topsoil. Then, cover the soil with a thick layer of sand.
Afterward, you should add a good filtration system and water to the tank. You might not know that lucky bamboo works as a natural filtration system too. After trimming the roots, you need to plant the lucky bamboo in your betta tank.
Since this aquascape is a planted tank, you should add some small aquatic plants. Such as Rotala Indica Green, Java fern, Amazon frogbit, Green Cabomba, Cryptocoryne, etc. No wonder this lucky bamboo tank aquascape will turn out amazing.
14. Planted Betta Tank With Driftwood
| Materials | Tank, driftwood, carpet plants, lighting, filter, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
In this planted betta tank, the main attraction will be driftwood. According to the tank size, you should choose a large driftwood. Natural driftwood can be around 12-18” tall.
When the height of driftwood surpasses the tank, the betta tank may give an appearance of a natural wild environment. Now, you can set up your betta tank by making a green bottom cover. For this, you can add some carpet plants. Such as java moss, pearl weed, Anubias nana petite, etc.
15. Underworld Paradise With Floating Plants Rooftop
| Materials | Tank, aqua soil, floating plants, long-leaf plants, aquatic grass, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
In maximum aquascape, betta owners tend to keep the surface area open. You can create such a unique underwater world for your betta where the floating plants act like a roof.
You can fill the betta tank with long-leaf plants. Such as- Microsorum, Anubias barteri ver. nana, Rotala sp, hygrophila, etc. Keep some almond and Catappa leaves to add tannins in the water.
Finally, you can create the roof of your betta tank aquascape with floating plants. The long roots of these floating plants will increase the additional beauty of this aquascape.
16. No Filter And No CO2 Low Tech Betta Tank
| Materials | Tank, organic soil, gravel, aquarium plants, lighting system, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
This betta tank aquascape is similar to the Walstad method. In this tank setup, you should place gravel over the layer of organic soil. This soil substrate will work as the support for the aquatic plants. Moreover, there will be continuous production of CO2 from this layer of substrate soil.
Since this aquascape design works as a self-sufficient tank, the aquarium plants will do the work of filtering. Hence, you need not install any filtration system. For this reason, you must heavily plant the aquarium.
On the contrary, you should decrease the growth of algae in the tank. You can choose different-sized plants to set up this planted betta tank. Such as Hornwort, duckweed, Salvinia, Dwarf Tiger Lotus, Water Lettuce, etc. Your betta fish can readily thrive in this ecosystem by balancing with heavy plantation.
17. Bushy Betta Tank Aquascape
| Materials | Tank, substrate, Anubias, Rotala Sp, Java fern, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
Do you want to set up such an aquascape where the appearance looks like an underwater bushy area? Then, you should follow this tank design.
To create the bushy area, you can start with Anubias plants. These plants are extremely hardy and low-maintenance. Besides, the long leaves of the trident java fern will add beauty to the bush. Don’t forget to add Rotala sp.
18. Java Fern Based Planted Betta Tank Aquascape
| Materials | Tank, substrate, stones, java ferns, spider woods, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
You can make a unique bonsai aquascape with spider wood and ferns. Firstly, you should place a few smooth-edged aquarium stones in the middle of the tank.
Then, you should keep some spider wood over these stones. After that, you can complete the tank with different types of ferns. For example- you should add some ‘narrow leaf’ java fern in the middle of the branches of spider woods.
In addition, you can add some baby Java ferns and the trident Java ferns. This aquascape design will be simple and beginner-friendly for any betta owner.
19. Planted Betta Tank With Hygrophila & Floating Plants
| Materials | Tank, substrate, floating plants, Hygrophila, etc, |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
By using only Hygrophila and floating plants, you can create an amazing underwater garden for your betta tank. Since Hygrophila grows fast in an aquarium, your betta tank will get filled soon.
This low-maintenance plant will create a greener environment in your betta tank. Also, your betta fish will be comfortable hiding and playing in the leaves of Hygrophila.
To make your betta tank aquascape complete, you should add some floating plants too. Such as Duckweed, floating fern, etc.
20. Rotala Sp. & Marimo Moss Balls Planted Tank
| Materials | Tank, pebbles, Marimo moss balls, Rotala sp, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
To create an underwater paradise, you can choose a few lucrative options for plants. In this aquascape design, you can create a planted betta tank with Rotala sp and Marimo moss balls.
Rotala sp will add a colorful addition with their star-like shape in the betta tank. These plants have a healthier growth which can grow well in less-intensive lighting. Furthermore, you should add some Marimo moss balls which will give your planted tank the vibe of the park.
21. Divided Planted Betta Tank
| Materials | 10-20 gallon tank, substrate, aquatic plants, mini filters, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
If you want to keep multiple betta fish together, you can go for a divided betta tank. Sometimes, the owners create such an aquascape for fun.
To create a divided tank, you should choose at least a 10-20 gallon tank. Firstly, you should set up the betta tank with aquatic plants, substrate, and décors.
Finally, you should place a divider in the middle of the tank. Do not forget to add two mini or sponge filters in the two sections of the tank.
22. Planted Betta Tank With Marimo Moss Balls
| Materials | Tank, substrate, driftwood, Marimo moss balls, aquarium moss bonsai, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
Another beautiful way to set up your betta tank aquascape is to use Marimo moss balls. These cute moss balls are also known as miniature filters due to their natural capacity to absorb nitrates. You can let these Marimo moss balls sink at the bottom of the tank or float.
To create this planted betta tank aquascape, you should fill up the bottom layer with the thick substrate. Then, you can keep driftwood in one corner of the tank.
Afterward, you should introduce the hero of this aquascape- Marimo moss balls. Besides, you can keep aquarium moss bonsai as a welcome addition.
23. No CO2 Planted Betta Tank
| Materials | Tank, substrate, fertilizer, aquatic plants, medium-ranged lighting, filter, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Hard |
This betta tank aquascape will help you run the planted tank without CO2. So, it’ll be a low-tech planted tank.
To create a no-CO2 planted tank, you should create a low-energy tank. The lighting level should be medium. Also, you should choose a filtration system with low energy.
Since this aquascape design is a no-CO2 planted tank, you should choose easy-maintenance plants. That’s why you can add Anubias, Amazon sword, Java fern, Vallisneria, cryptocoryne, etc.
Do not forget to give fertilizers to your plants. Besides, you should choose a nutritious substrate for making a planted betta tank without CO2.
24. Sandy Beach Betta Tank Aquascape
| Materials | Tank, pebbles, aqua soil, large rocks, Amazon sword, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
You can give your betta tank a vibe of a beachy area. For this, you should make the bottom layer of the tank with pebbles, aqua soil, and a mixture of aquarium substrate. Not to mention, smooth-edged large stones can bring out the beachy vibe in your betta tank.
In this betta aquascape, you should not add any carpet plants or small aquarium plants. You should add such aquarium plants that grow tall. Such as the Amazon sword, Anubias Hastifolia, etc. Your betta fish can hide and play among the long leaves of these plants.
25. Planted Betta Tank With Botanicals
| Materials | Tank, soil, sand, alder cones, dried leaves, pods, cholla wood, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
This betta tank aquascape encourages to use of botanicals that mimic a natural ecosystem. So, you can add several types of botanicals to your planted betta tank.
For example- leaf litter, dried leaves, twigs, bark, cholla wood, moor wood, alder cones, monkey pods, bamboo leaves, etc. Make sure that these aquarium botanicals are safe for your betta fish and other inhabitants. The tannins will make the tank appearance murky that is similar to the wild environment.
26. Naturally Planted Betta Tank With Walstad Method
| Materials | Tank, soil, sand, driftwood, aquatic plants, moss, almond leaves, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
Do you want to go for a low-tech aquarium with no filter, no frets, and no CO2? Then, you can try this betta tank aquascape with the Walstad method. In this tank setup, plants take responsibility for filtering the water.
Firstly, you should create a thick bottom layer with dirt and sand. Make the soil wet. After placing driftwood, you should take steps to cover it with moss.
Since plants remain the main focus in this method, you should choose some low-maintenance, stem plants carefully. Some popular choices of plants for the Walstad method are Spagittaria Sabulata, Bacopa Monnieri, Rotala rotundifolia, Bucephalandra Lamandau, etc.
It can take around 10-20 days for the plants to settle in. After completing the setup, you can introduce your betta.
27. Stone And Driftwood Based Planted Tank
| Materials | Tank, stones, driftwood, low-growing aquatic plants, lighting, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
In this betta tank aquascape, your betta fish will not get lost in heavy plants. To create a minimalistic tank, you can prioritize large stones and driftwood. Then, you should add some low-growing aquatic plants.
In addition, you should keep some almond leaves to add anti-bacterial effects and tannins in the water. Lastly, you must install the required equipment like a filter, lighting, heater, etc.
28. Yellow-Tinge Aquascape With Ludwigia Repens & Alder Cones
| Materials | Tank, stones, pebbles, branches, alder cones, Ludwigia repens, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
In the wild, betta fish live in tannin-rich water. To create a similar environment, you can follow this aquascape design.
To keep the aquascape simple, you need to add only Ludwigia repens and some large stones. Some floating plants will act as the cherry on top of this betta tank. Finally, you need to add some alder cones.
These alder cones will add tannins to the tank water. This results in a murky or yellow-tinge appearance of the entire tank.
29. Simple Planted Betta Tank With Marimo And Driftwood
| Materials | Tank, substrate, Marimo, driftwood, Vallisneria nana, Ludwigia repens, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
This aquascape promotes simplicity within an ideal environment. Instead of making a heavily-planted tank, you need to choose some low-growing plants for this tank setup. Add some master soil and pebbles at the bottom layer of the tank.
Then, you should add driftwood, Marimo, Ludwigia repens, Vallisneria nana, etc. You can keep some peppermint plants too. Although this tank is not filled with aquatic plants, the velvety appearance of the green Marimo balls will surely catch your attention.
30. Betta Sanctuary With Duckweed
| Materials | Tank, sand, pebbles, stones, Devil’s ivy, duckweeds, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate. |
Duckweeds are one of the most popular choices for low-maintenance aquariums. You can create a sanctuary for your betta fish within a tank. All you need is a good aquascape design.
After making a layer of substrate, you can keep stones of different sizes. Some décor items will help your betta play and hide in captivity. To increase the beauty of the betta tank, you can add Devil’s ivy in two corners.
Their heart-shaped leaves may add extra beauty to this aquascape. Last, of all, you need to keep duckweeds on the top of the tank. Finally, a planted betta sanctuary is completed with limited materials.
31. Betta Paradise With Carpeting Plants
| Materials | Tank, stones, sand, aquarium plants, heater, filter, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
Do you imagine creating a betta paradise with a serene environment? Then, you can take ideas from this tank aquascape design.
At the bottom of the tank, you should keep a layer of sand and soil. To keep the aquascape simple, you need not fill all areas with plants. You can also keep some large stones in your betta tank.
In one corner of the tank, you can implant some large aquarium plants. Such as Water Wisteria, Dwarf Spagittaria, Hornwort, Amazon Sword, etc. Lastly, you should add some floating aquarium plants. For example- Duckweed, Water lettuce, etc.
The secret to achieving such a calm aquascape is to control the algae growth. By controlling the nutrients and lighting, you can have clean water in your betta tank where you get a clear view.
32. Nano Betta Aquascape
| Materials | Tank, substrate, rocks, aquarium plants, filter, lighting, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
You can create a betta tank with the appearance of a water garden. Hence, you can choose nano aquascape for your betta. To make your tank aesthetically pleasing, you can add different-sized aquarium plants. You can also experiment with color variations of different plants.
Some large stones and a good layer of substrate will pull off the vibe of water gardening. However, you must not forget to add a good filtration system. Add LED lighting for the proper growth of these aquarium plants.
33. Low Maintenance Betta Tank
| Materials | Tank, sand, hornwort, lighting, filter, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
If you want to create a low-maintenance aquascape, you can set up a hornwort-only-betta tank. This tank design is pretty simple, cheap, and effective.
A 10-gallon tank will be a perfect choice for this aquascape design. Firstly, you should make a layer of the substrate at the bottom of the tank. You can use sand instead of gravel.
In this tank design, you need not add varieties of plants. Only hornwort can steal the show of the betta tank with its fluffy-looking stems and fast growth. Moreover, these hornworts are popular for consuming waste components from tank water. So, you can readily set up a low-maintenance betta tank with only hornworts.
34. Betta Tank With Betta Tunnel
| Materials | Tank, betta tunnel, aquarium plants, lighting, filter, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Moderate |
You might be familiar with one of the most popular betta toys named the betta tunnel. Another creative way to DIY the betta tank is to keep the betta tunnel as the main focus. Here, the betta tunnel is the main show of the betta tank.
Your betta can relax, swim, and hide in the tunnel. This toy is a fun addition to your betta tank. You must buy a safe and durable betta tunnel for your betta fish. In addition, you should do the tunnel placement carefully.
To help your betta breathe air, you should set up the betta tunnel near the waterline. Lastly, you need to fill the betta tank with varieties of aquarium plants. You can choose Salvinia, java fern, Amazon Sword, Vallisneria, etc.
35. Simple planted betta fish cube tank with alder cones
| Materials | driftwood, alder cones, slow-growing plants, floating plants, etc. |
| Difficulty level | Easy |
To create this aquascape, start by spreading a layer of fine gravel or sand substrate evenly at the bottom of your cube aquarium. Next, position the driftwood in the center, creating a natural arch or focal point.
Plant a variety of live aquatic plants like Anubias and Java Fern around the driftwood, ensuring some are placed behind and some in front to add depth.
Add a few floating plants on the water’s surface to provide shade and cover. Scatter alder cones across the substrate for a natural look and to benefit water quality.
Finally, install an aquarium filter and LED light, then fill the tank with conditioned water, and let it cycle before introducing your Betta fish.
About Author
Hello, I’m Muntaseer Rahman, the owner of AcuarioPets.com. I’m passionate about aquarium pets like shrimps, snails, crabs, and crayfish. I’ve created this website to share my expertise and help you provide better care for these amazing pets.
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