plants for betta tanks

[jibruno]

hey guys, what are your preferences on plants for your betta tanks, and also should i have different plants when breeding appose to just having one?

[Virux]

I like Anacharis (Elodea) and Amazon Sword plants. The anacharis can grow floating or anchored, is very tough, and absorbs lots of waste and ammonia/nitrates. Amazon Sword is also tough and hardy, and the large leaves provide nice "Betta hammock" type places for the fish to rest on. Thick clumps of anacharis make good hiding places, too.

[Persica]

Personally, plants scare the pants off of me!
It was because of live plants that I lost my Persica. :( They started dying, contaminated the water, and as a result he got a bacterial infection and passed away... It was very traumatic.
So I stick to the fake.
I really like soft silk plants from Petsmart.

[Virux]

That is why I stick to hardy plants, and remove any dead plant matter when I come upon it. :) But everyone has different preferences. I've seen more Bettas injured by fake plants that anything, hence my general dislike of them, but if they are soft enough, they're great.

[DormDrax]

ANACHARIS!!!
*foams at mouth*
...
*composes self*
ahem I don't much like Anacharis... It always seems to die away and just muck up everything.

I'd say since... I've probably tried every plant in the book...

Java ferns are unkillable... Anubias as well are very hardy and grow beautifully into lavish leaf beds.

Both are slow growing but after a year should easily be three times original size even with no fertilizer added.

Wysteria is iffy... Poor plant is a Phoenix in disguise... It grows... Then dies... Then grows again... Then dies... Really weird.

[styggian]

I've got some Argentine swords, pennywort, wisteria, a banana plant, and marimo moss balls, as well as some plants I need to replace with true aquatic. Be careful of what's listed as aquatic at the pet stores, they label terrarium plants as aquatic plants.

[jibruno]

they have something out there called betta bulbs that grow plants that are supposedly good for bettas, is that a hoax or legit?

[styggian]

I tried some packaged plants bulbs, all they grew was nasty white fuzz, so I trashed them. I read some people get them to grow, but mine were duds.

[jibruno]

when they grow, do they help or are they useless? just curious

[styggian]

The ones I tried were apologetics, which as a live plant are good for tanks.