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What should i do?

889 views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  Aus 
#1 ·
i have two questions :) ok first one..

1. I have a one gallon tank (picture below) and i need to get a new plant for it. i have a small bamboo in it right now, but you guys said it was bad so i bought a 4" amazon sword today. you guys said it would grow too big for my tank and it needs alot of light so i need a plant that will

stay pretty small so it fits in my tank
and it has some leaves and stuff so my betta can have a nice bed/hiding place :) any ideas? oh and i would prefer it to be from petco because its close by

2. I also bought a thermometer today and i dont know how accurate it is, but it says my tank is about 74 F. i also bought a small heater, but since i have a cover at the top of my tank, the cord cant come out so i cant plug it in :( and also, my betta has been fine with this temp. water his whole life, so idk if i should even get the water warmer. what would you guys do?
 

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#2 ·
Java Fern and Anubias are plants that will grow very slowly and are good for low light tanks. Most bettas like lounging on the leaves so I would recommend those plants for sure. If you like the look of Anacharis that plant will eat up ammonia and grows very quickly even in low light tanks.
 
#3 ·
Hi myfavfish.

Bamboo isn't a true aquatic plant so when it is submersed like in your pic, the leaves will melt off and the plant will eventually die. However, if you keep the leaves above the water, it does just fine. That's what I do in my tank.

Amazon swords . . . well, it might thrive and it might not. You certainly can try. It will get big if it thrives but all plant size can be controlled by pruning.

However, if you still want a low-light plant that stays small, I suggest anubias or java fern, both of which Petco has. Get a small lava rock at Petco and tie the anubias or java fern to it using fishing line or strong sewing thread. After a few months, the plant will root onto the rock and you can remove the thread. In theory, you can also plant anubias or java fern in the gravel but you have to be careful to leave the rhizome uncovered or it will rot and the plant dies. Know this one from experience.

74 is a little cold and while your guy might be doing okay with it, the lower temp is compromising his immune system so if he will get sick easier. I'd still recommend a good adjustable 25w heater but avoid Petco brand heaters. They tend to be faulty. If you gradually increase the heat in his tank to 78, he will be fine with the change.
 
#4 ·
ok now the temp. has dropped to 72 F and that is apparently the normal temp. hes fine with it but i think its too cold :( what about the heater? i need to find a way to make the cord come out. and would a 10w heater be ok? or should i go up?


and ill go get a java fern today :) and the lava rocks i see are really big for this tank :( so i dont know what i could attach the java ferns roots to if the rocks are to big :(
 
#5 ·
If there aren't any small java rocks, you can try just burying the java fern but don't bury it all the way, just bury the roots enough that it doesn't float away.

A 7.5w or 10w heater is fine but chances are it's not adjustable. That's okay too as long as you monitor the temp. A lot of adjustable heaters overheat the water. If it is the flat Hydor heater, it can be buried in the gravel but looking at the tank, it looks like the only way to get the cord to come out is to not put the lid on tightly. :(
 
#6 ·
myfavfish- I have that tank for two of my bettas, and I have the heater cord coming out of the same hole as the bubbler that's a tight squeeze. Otherwise there is another hole they have perforated on the opposite side of the clear cover that goes on before the light hood, and you can put it there. Hope that helps you, and good luck with your fishy friend!
 
#7 ·
Any rock that doesn't contain metals ought to be fine - I have quite a few clumps of happy java fern attached to small random rocks from the aquarium rock section with a small bit of cotton, just to weigh it down. If the rock has a slightly rough surface, the fern will anchor itself on there eventually so that when the cotton breaks down they don't float up again. Makes it easy to move them around!
 
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