Questions About Silk Plants

[loohoo313]

I have had my betta now since December and have gotten a great deal of help from all of you. 5 Gallon with a single male.

I keep the water super clean and have treated for several problems. (Fungus and fin rot.) My friend who has an amazing huge goldfish tank says I should use only plastic plants because the silk plants can retain bacteria and continue to keep him sick. I heard that plastic plants can harm their fins. Nemo continues to have fin rot issues even after two treatments with tetracycline. Do you think the plants are the problem?? I don't understand why he still has the problem if the water is very clean? Is my friend right?

 

[fuman_chica]

Someone else will know better than me, but you could always try taking the plant out for a while to see if it seems to help.

 

[Taridan]

I'd go with silk plants or live plants or none at all, Definately not Plastic. When you gavel vac/clean the tank, do you move the plant at all? I usually take my silk plants out and rinse them off in the sink with hot tap water about once a month both to kill any bacteria that might be on it and to get any algea or sediment buildup off, then put let it air while I get the water ready for changing. Its easier IMO to put them back when the tanks are about half full (Less water on you ) and then I add the treated water which takes care of any choline left on the plants from the tap water. I've had silk plants in my hospital tank and both my girl with a wound and that cotton fungus and then more recently my male with Swim Bladder issues both have recovered okay.

 

[loohoo313]

I took the gravel out weeks ago because I thought it was contributing to the bacteria problem. I suction the waste out every day and do partial changes every couple of days. I do rinse the plants off when I do full changes about once a week. He loves sitting in the plants and resting so I think emotionally I was hesitant to take the plants out because he loves them. But I know that logically, I should remove them at least for a while. I feel bad when I see him resting on the bottom of the tank. I'm a sucker. The fish has me whipped. lol

 

[Rediahs]

I'm no expert, but from what I've heard, yeah, plastic plants can hurt their fins, while silk plants are excellent. Don't really know about their capacity to harbor bad stuff though. Like the others said, remove it for awhile and see if anything clears up.

But just remember, just because something happened before another thing, that doesn't mean the previous thing caused it. It's like when people take medicine for colds, and then think the medicine cleared up the cold. You were going to get better even if you didn't take the medicine.

What I'm saying is... don't give up on silk plants even if the problem goes away if you take it out. Try it a few times. Correlation is not equal to causation.

 

[lisie]

I have plastic plants in all my tanks except two (which have live plants)... and I've never had a problem with the bettas ripping their fins or anything.