Plants are extraordinary additions to fish tanks. There are plenty of live and fake plants we can choose from. Today, we’ll share the 11 best live plants for a betta tank.
Bettas are usually found in shallow, freshwater areas with thick vegetation. Thus, when keeping bettas in a fish tank, we should try our best to mimic their natural habitat to make them feel comfortable.
The benefits of putting plants in a fish tank can be amazing. They can help provide a clean environment for the bettas. Once dangers and threats approach, they can serve as hiding places. If the light intensity is too strong, they can block the light to reduce stress on bettas. In addition, when it comes to breeding time, they can be shelters for the female and baby bettas, and provide a flat area for the bettas to lay eggs on.
Thus, it’s a wise decision to put some plants in a betta tank. If you are preparing some plants for your betta, stick with us and choose the one that suits it best.
1. Java fern
Java fern is a suitable plant for beginners. This hardy plant can live in a wide water temperature and doesn’t need much light to grow. It belongs to the rhizome plants family. So, a substrate is not needed to grow it. You can plant it by attaching its root to the rocks, driftwood or other decorative things.
Most plants grow by taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, but the java fern doesn’t need any carbon dioxide to grow. And the breeding process is also simple. You just need to cut the plants into two from their rhizomes or remove the newly born tiny ferns from their leaves.
The maintenance of java fern can be very easy. It won’t grow too fast, so you don’t have to worry about the overgrowth. Trimming plants can be very annoying if the plants grow too fast, but with java fern, you can get rid of it.
2. Java moss
Similar to java fern, java moss also doesn’t need a substrate to bury its root. Attaching the root to some decorative things can successfully plant java moss in a fish tank. And you can use it as a carpet plant or floating plant for your betta tank.
The growth of the java moss won’t be influenced by the light intensity, which means whether the light intensity is strong or weak, it can grow well in your tank. Its soft, green fronts are perfect areas for bettas to lay eggs on. If you want to add some plants to a breeding tank for your bettas, java moss won’t let you down!
3. Hygrophila
To keep hygrophila in a betta tank, you need to ensure the tank size, which should be no less than 20 gallons. It’s because this plant can reach 28 inches in size, which is far longer than most fish or even the tanks. This also helps provide hiding spots for critters in the tank.
However, you should not ignore the drawbacks of planting hygrophila in a betta tank. The hygrophila is a fast-growing plant, much faster than most fast-growing plants. This feature means it will overgrow in a short period and influence the biological system in the tank.
In addition, the light intensity it needs is high, which will easily lead to algae break. Thus, if you add it to your tank, you should keep an eye on its growth and excessive algae.
4. Anubias
You can get multiple types of anubias when you search it on the Internet, including anubias nana, anubias coffeefolia and so on. The abubias are another type of rhizome plant that can grow on rocks or driftwood.
This plant grows in a low-light environment and doesn’t need any carbon dioxide to grow. It grows very slowly, which saves your energy on maintenance. But sometimes the algae will cover its leaves, so you may need to clean the algae for them.
5. Anacharis
Anacharis is becoming more and more popular among aquarists these years due to its bright color and low maintenance. This kind of plant can be a filter to remove the toxins in your tank. When it comes to planting, you can let it be planted on the substrate or float on the water surface, both are good choices.
But you should keep in mind that anacharis needs a lot of light to grow. Thus, the selection of aquarium light is important if you want to add it to your betta tank. You should consider the needs of both the bettas and the anacharis.
6. Amazon sword
A tank of at least 10 gallons is needed to keep the Amazon sword since it can grow up to 3 feet. It has broad leaves that will occupy much tank space while providing hiding areas for your bettas.
To better grow the Amazon sword in your betta tank, you should make sure it is planted firmly in the substrate. You should also add some carbon dioxide and nutrients to the water to help its growth.
7. Water sprite
Planting water sprite on the substrate and floating it on the water surface are both feasible. Except for the decorative role, the water sprite also plays role in removing the toxins in the water. With its fast-growing feature, it will share a load of filters in your tank.
But fast-growing also causes problems. When it starts to overgrow, it will take in all the nutrients in the water, which makes it harder for fish to live. Thus, you should regularly trim it or use some fertilizer to control its growth.
8. Vallisneria
Vallisneria can grow very tall in your fish tank, which will buffer the water flow for your betta fish. It can also help cover some equipment in your tank to prevent attacks from the fish.
If you want your build up a planted tank for your bettas in a few days, the Vallisneria will be a good choice considering its growth rate. The tolerance to different environments and low maintenance make it suitable for beginners.
Remember to trim the Vallisneria with a scissor when it grows too tall and begins to cause trouble.
9. Banana plant
The banana plant gets its name from its banana-shaped roots. In the picture above is a green banana plant, but there are other colors. According to the light it gets, the color will vary.
If you put the banana plant with other plants, you should trim it regularly, or its big leaves will block the light and hinder the growth of other plants.
10. Marimo moss ball
To make your betta fish happy, you can prepare some toys for them, and marimo moss ball is a great option. Bettas will pull the moss ball around the tank. “Planting” a marimo moss ball in a fish tank can be very easy, you just need to drop it into the water.
This plant requires a low-lighting environment and has a high demand for water conditions. You need to control the water temperature and lower the ammonia and nitrate levels to zero. Maintaining is also easy since it doesn’t have big leaves and won’t grow fast.
11. Cryptocoryne wendtii
Cryptocoryne wendtii is a hardy plant that can easily grow in a fish tank. Its leaves vary in colors, you can see dark green, reddish brown, or other colors on different cryptocoryne wendtiis.
This plant prefers slow-moving water and its height can reach about 8 inches if being taken good care of. It doesn’t have a high demand for light supply. You can keep it both in low-light and high-light environments.
Conclusion
Bettas are always kept in a small bowel because of their small size, but it’s wiser to put them in a larger fish tank. In such a tank, you can put more things. Aside from more efficient equipment, a larger tank allows you to add some plants for bettas, which is helpful for their growth.
In this article, we’ve mentioned 11 live plants that are good additions to a betta tank. But they are not all the species, if you like none of them, you can seek other options. If you are satisfied with some plants in our article, do not hesitate, to go to the local store or online store to buy them!
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