# Planted, or not planted, that is the question!



## Ziggythebetta (Dec 5, 2015)

Hello all!

About 4 months ago my mom got me a Betta and I am loving it! When we got him he was in a little bowl so I went ahead and purchased a 3.4 gallon tank. 

the tank itself came w a light and filter, the filter was pretty basic so I went ahead and bought a Tetra PF10 whisperer. flow was a little fast but went ahead and made a few mods and its running perfect now. I also just ordered a Finnex Stingray LED. 

right now all I have is a silk plant, 3 small moss balls, a dwarf cat fish (drawing a blank on the name right now) and obviously my betta. 

I have regular gravel from petco in there now..

so im interested in adding a few plants in there. I think it looks great and if it makes my fish happier then im all for it! 

im a little new to this so im trying to read up and learn as much as I can but I was just hoping someone could give me a few words of advice.

I also wouldn't know where to get plants besides local petcos or petsupermarket.


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## Ziggythebetta (Dec 5, 2015)

I was wondering if I would be able to keep the gravel or need to go w sand? ive read about clamps or something of the sort for roots. but like I said earlier, im pretty new to this so im trying to educate myself as much as possible but theres just so much info to take in and I don't know the basics so I get a little lost from time to time


also, is a Nerite snail something I should consider? or will my tank be too crowded. id love maybe ghost shrimp.

I had a driftwood in there also but my water was turning yellow, although I soaked it for 24 hours. I still have the driftwood now, just sioaking it in a bowl in my room and changing out the water as frequently as possible to see if the yellow stops coming


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Your catfish is probably one of these three: Otocinclu aka oto, Corydoras aka cory, Plecostomus aka pleco. Post a photo if you want help IDing specific species and breed.
Return the catfish, no matter the species they need a larger tank, and spending on species they should be in shoals of 6 or more (pleco should be solo but smallest common species (bristlenose 4-6 inches) needs a minimum 20g for just 1 if you keep multiple bristlenose(peaceful pelco-most other species get territorial and don't do well sharing a tank with their own kind) you should have a 40g breeder or 75 g tank, but if you have a male and female bristlenose breed *constantly *and you get overstocked very quickly.. the largest species get over 24 INCHES and need 200g+). Otos should have a 20g or larger for their shoals. A dwarf or pygmy cory shoal of 6 can be in as small as a 5g but I think a 10g is a better minimum tank size.


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## razzhasbettas (Dec 22, 2015)

Aquatic plants are a great thing to add to your aquarium, they improve the water quality and make your fish happier. Here are some easy-to-care-for aquatic plants for beginners:
Anacharis - high light, can be floated or planted
Java fern - low light, can be floated, planted, or tied to rocks/driftwood
Anubias Nana - low or medium light, can be planted or tied to rocks/driftwood
Water wisteria - low, medium, or high light, can be floated or planted
Water sprite - low, medium, or high light, can be floated or planted
Java/Christmas/Spiky moss - low or medium light, can be floated or tied to rocks/driftwood
Marimos are a good choice!

I wouldn't recommend going to Petco or other big chain pet stores for plants, they often know nothing. Check to see if there's a fish store in the area, they often sell aquatic plants. If you have to order online, look for some of the less expensive options on Amazon, make sure to read reviews! If that's too pricey, a user on this site, JDAquatics, sells a lot of aquatic plants for really good prices, so private message him asking about it!

- The gravel should be fine for the plants, no need to switch to sand. 
- I wouldn't get a snail, you don't want to overstock.
- The driftwood is leaching tannins (natural color from wood/leaves that lowers PH) into your water. Is it just something that you picked up, or did you buy it sterilized and ready to sink? The tannins will eventually go away if you soak it for a few weeks.


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## Ziggythebetta (Dec 5, 2015)

Aqua Aurora - I have a Cory catfish. 
I read that they only grew a couple inches, I plan on getting a bigger tank and leaving my Betta alone in the 3 gallon so I was going to transfer the Cory to the bigger tank, looking at a Fluval tank, 10-20 gallon. in a few weeks 


razzhasbettas - thank you for the help! I will see if I can find any fish stores around, I know of some saltwater fish stores but ive yet to see one for fresh water? 
I got the driftwood from PetCo and was told to soak it, its soaked about a week now and seems to be getting less and less yellowish


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Ziggythebetta said:


> Aqua Aurora - I have a Cory catfish.
> I read that they only grew a couple inches, I plan on getting a bigger tank and leaving my Betta alone in the 3 gallon so I was going to transfer the Cory to the bigger tank, looking at a Fluval tank, 10-20 gallon. in a few weeks


Depending on the type of coy some need as large as 55g as they are active as adults. And they should be kept in proepr shoaling groups of 6. Being solo they can get stressed.


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## Ziggythebetta (Dec 5, 2015)

Aqua Aurora - hmm, I was told about getting them in schools but had read they would be okay being alone, either way ill take your advice and return the little fellow, no need to overstress him. thankyou !


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## Ziggythebetta (Dec 5, 2015)

I would like to get a larger tank but I feel like that would be more work. I have read keeping a smaller tank is a lot of work. would maybe going bigger be an option for me? I am up for the challenge


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## razzhasbettas (Dec 22, 2015)

Well, keeping a smaller tank is generally regarded as more work because it's so hard to maintain steady water parameters. For instance, if you get a 10g and set it up(filtered/cycled with lots and lots of plants), you'll have to do waaay fewer water changes to keep a consistent environment. Also, you could get a couple of those snails you were looking into.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I do small tanks (1-4gallons) with plants and it's not much work at all. Plants complete the system by taking in toxic waste and generating oxygen. If you have enough plants you can cut down on the water changes. I personally think a 3 gallon tank would be wonderful for a betta. Go big if you feel up for it or test the waters with a smaller tank (not too small!) , either way you can't go wrong choosing a planted tank!


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## Ziggythebetta (Dec 5, 2015)

ao - im loving the 3 gallon tank for my betta! only reason i want a bigger tank is to make a community in there, ill post a picture tonight or tomorrow of my bettas tank.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I look forward to seeing them! you can (and I recommend) buy plant packages online. keep an eye on the bettafish marketplace (classified subforum), you can get some great deals. You really don't need much to fill up a 3 gallon!


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

Having live plants in a tank regardless of how many is not a reason to do fewer water changes.

Regardless of what others may say 50% a week water changes is my golden rule. I quite often do 2 a week because I can and want to provide my fish with the best possible living conditions. 

Remember clean water has never hurt a fish.


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## Ziggythebetta (Dec 5, 2015)

I do at least one 50% water change per week, kind of a routine for me, im also considering doing a saltwater nano tank 5g , like the Fluval spec V


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I do once weekly in my betta tank too, but sometimes I go two weeks. Having a planted tank gives me that option without the water becoming toxic for my fish.

You'll see that with a healthy planted tank your water will retain very stable optimal parameters - plants are pretty amazing 

good luck with the SW tank! I love the colors in SW fish, but it's an expensive investment and I have too many other hobbies to pursue at the moment!


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