Plants For Bettas?

[Captain Retardo]

I will be getting a 5 gallon betta tank (divided) and I want to put some live plants in there, preferably ones that the betta will know (Southeastern Asian Plants), but it dosent really matter much. Any suggestions?

P.S. Easy to take care of plants, that dont need CO2 injections.

 

[lisie]

You might want to check out this site. The plant guide should help you out.

 

[JoLtNbolt]

My bettas love hornwort. It's a floating plant that grows like crazy. They like to hide in it, and sometimes rest in it.

 

[soritan]

Your question would probably be better answered at Plantgeek, or in the plants forum. Information that would be helpful: What type of lighting are you willing to provide? Substrate? Ferts? etc.

If you aren't willing to pour your funds into specialized plant care products (which tends to be quite a bit more expensive than than the fish or the plants themselves), then your best bet is simply to research low light plants, as the bettas themselves don't actually care what plants are in their tanks, so long as they can rest their royal rear ends on them when they feel a nap coming on.

My singular warning: I witnessed one of the sharper hornwarts actually tear a male betta's fins as he sat on it, one time. While this particular betta might have been more delicate than others, you have to admit, your standard issue VT is a delicate sort when compared to their hardier breeder/wild caught cousins.

My male VT tends to favor the java fern and anubias plants, which in my 5g are large enough to be an inch away from the surface of the water. He sits on them and sips the oxygen as he sees fit.

Planted 5g tanks or less have a lot of problems, fair warning. It's worth the effort if your goal is to provide your betta with the "kicken-est crib in town", or if you have a yen for aquatic bonsai, but if you aren't willing to spend a slap-silly amount of time and money on it, your best bet is fake plants (he won't know the difference. >< )

 

[BWBettas]

Some of my tanks have floating Riccia in it. They love hiding in it but i also have a small bunch of around 5 stems of a fast growing plant for them to rest on

Bret

 

[Captain Retardo]

Your question would probably be better answered at Plantgeek, or in the plants forum. Information that would be helpful: What type of lighting are you willing to provide? Substrate? Ferts? etc.

If you aren't willing to pour your funds into specialized plant care products (which tends to be quite a bit more expensive than than the fish or the plants themselves), then your best bet is simply to research low light plants, as the bettas themselves don't actually care what plants are in their tanks, so long as they can rest their royal rear ends on them when they feel a nap coming on.

My singular warning: I witnessed one of the sharper hornwarts actually tear a male betta's fins as he sat on it, one time. While this particular betta might have been more delicate than others, you have to admit, your standard issue VT is a delicate sort when compared to their hardier breeder/wild caught cousins.

My male VT tends to favor the java fern and anubias plants, which in my 5g are large enough to be an inch away from the surface of the water. He sits on them and sips the oxygen as he sees fit.

Planted 5g tanks or less have a lot of problems, fair warning. It's worth the effort if your goal is to provide your betta with the "kicken-est crib in town", or if you have a yen for aquatic bonsai, but if you aren't willing to spend a slap-silly amount of time and money on it, your best bet is fake plants (he won't know the difference. >< )

I dont want expensive hard to take care of plants, I just want to have some real plants, that are low mainetnence.

I guess I'll get Java Moss, Riccia (what BWBettas suggested) and some anubias plants, such as the dwarf anubias

Is Riccia hard to take care of? I dont have much info on it, Ill look it up right now, any anecdotes about it?

That PlantGeek site is great!

 

[Bloo]

I think your question is easily answered - and I agree Hornwort (cheap as chips and grows like mad) is fabulous for bettas and personally have never witnessed any tearing of fins with this plant (I've kept CT's, HM's & Plakats with them). If you decide to go for fake, get silk plants. Some plastic plants can be quite nasty with sharp bits.

Riccia is a pest and a pain to take care of and generally only do well in high light tanks with CO2. If it does well without that in someone's tank, it's luck I guess.
The bits that break off get stuck and sucked up in the filter. And just generally looks messy. No real benefit to the betta at all in my opinion.

Pinned topic on ways to handle Riccia - other than just a floating mess.

 

[Captain Retardo]

Okay, I guess I'll go with Hornwort, I will be having it for my 29 gallon also. Will Java Moss be good for the tank also? I will be getting that for the 29 gallon too!

 

[ILM]

I know my bettas have always loved watersprites (the ones with the lacier leaves)--in my tanks it grows using just regular cheap tank fluorescent lights. I don't even plant it, it just floats and puts out new shoots. Fish love to snuggle in it, sleep in it and it provides hiding places (in the girls dorm) when one starts chasing another. The breeders also love to build their bubblenests in it. All our tanks are basically for the fish so we don't do anything to maintain the plants--don't fertilize, don't give them plant lights, don't trim them. I also like to throw in a few of those "grow your own" bulbs 'cause I like to see what kind of leaves grow out of each--generally, the leaves are too delicate and stalks too thin to support too much more than its leaves.

 

[mantis147]

I use floating riccia & they like hiding in between the vallis.