# Interested in switching to live plants



## kristengodsey (Jun 11, 2014)

Hi guys! So my betta is currently in a 5 gallon heated and filtered aquarium with all silk plants. I'm thinking about slowly switching over to live plants, but I have some questions/ concerns. 

1. Is it ok to add a few live plants among the silk ones? Like is it ok to have them together? 

2. How do worms, snails etc. get into aquariums? I HATE anything that crawls and I've had actual nightmares about finding 3-feet long killer worms and parasites in my fish tanks. I know many people bring live plants home and end up with this problem (although not like what I've had dreams about lol), and I'm wondering if there are steps I could to take to assure that doesn't happen. 

Is quarantining them at first enough? If there's always a chance that these things might eventually get into my tank, I'm probably going to drop the idea of using live plants. 

3. My tank is taller than it is wide, so I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for plants that grow tall relatively fast and provide a good amount of coverage. 

4. Also, what are some popular floating plants and how do they work out with aquarium filters? I have a Marineland portrait aquarium, and the water is always slowly circulating at the surface. The intake slots are also near the top, so would that cause a problem with filtration? 

Thanks in advance!!


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## Aluyasha (Sep 2, 2010)

Yes you can mix live with fake plants.
Snails can catch a ride on live plants, it is not guaranteed, there was a lfs where I used to live that you for sure got snails with their live plants however Petco, at least for me, has never given me snails with the plants. Not sure on how to kill them off without hurting the plants, I do know it can be done though. 
For plants that are good coverage I like the sword plants (mostly amazon and Argentine) Amazon swords grow quicker than others and are a favorite with my bettas. Wisteria is also a good one.
Duckweed is a good floater plant, I would go with the larger version though as it is easier to manage. You could also allow some anubias to float around too.


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## kristengodsey (Jun 11, 2014)

Thank you so much!! I'm going to look into all of those


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## Noofjeuh (Jun 5, 2016)

I have used Elodea in the past because it is more or less indestructable. It grows really fast and does not really need much light or care. 
mixing it in with silk plants is not a problem at all.

If you are afraid of snails or so You can give them a nice rinse in warm/hot water. It has never really hurted the Elodea. 

(One thing Elodea can float)


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## Aluyasha (Sep 2, 2010)

Noofjeuh said:


> I have used Elodea in the past because it is more or less indestructable. It grows really fast and does not really need much light or care.
> mixing it in with silk plants is not a problem at all.
> 
> If you are afraid of snails or so You can give them a nice rinse in warm/hot water. It has never really hurted the Elodea.
> ...


Well you know it is a fast growing, hardy, plant when it is labeled an evasive species. lol


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## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

Lol, all are good suggestions above.^

Just want to add one thing, the huge (bristle) worms that eat your fish are found in saltwater tanks, not freshwater.


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## NiceCrocs (May 14, 2016)

Anubias are pretty good for beginners. At least, I haven't managed to kill mine yet XD

They grow slowly, but can be simply floated in the water to provide surface cover. 

I have two Anubias, two Marimo moss balls, and several silk plants in my tank at the moment. One Anubias is rooted slightly in the gravel to keep it down (you can also tie the to decorations with fishing line; as long as the rhizome isn't buried) and the other is floating around on the surface.

There's also banana lilies, which grow quickly and have big broad leaves that get close to the surface pretty quickly. My sister has one in her tank and it looks amazing. I've been looking for one but haven't found any healthy ones at the shops lol.


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## VinceIII (Feb 14, 2016)

Another nod to the plants sold in plastic tubes at Petco and Petsmart. They're guaranteed to be snail free, and I haven't had any problems with them.


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## PrincessSeyshells (Oct 9, 2012)

To get rid of snails, you might also consider an aquarium salt dip or other dip. Explanations and instructions here. I was going to do a bleach soak with mine, but I wasn't sure if the stuff we had on hand was pure, so I ended up doing an aquarium salt soak. Saw some tiny snail shells on the plants as I was doing it, but I put them in the tank afterwards and have had no snail problems so far (it's been a week or two). 

Though if you don't want the hassle, +1 for plastic tube plants. Also +1 for anubias, they are hard to kill!


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## NiceCrocs (May 14, 2016)

Count me as a +1 for plastic tube plants. They're more expensive and need a good rinsing, but I've yet to get any crawlies from them.


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## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

Tip: Tilt the tube to slide the plant towards the top (above the label) and check to see how many plants you are getting per tube.


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## kristengodsey (Jun 11, 2014)

Thank you everyone for all of your advice!! It's very helpful. Another thing just crossed my mind too- how do you go about sterilizing a planted tank after a fish dies and you have decided you want to get another one? 

In the past, we've taken apart the entire tank and removed all of the decor, thoroughly rinsing everything before using it again. I assume you can't do the same for planted tanks, right?


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## NiceCrocs (May 14, 2016)

I've heard about others doing a bleach dip to sterilize plants in a dire situation, but I've no idea of the dosage or procedure. You may want to look it up though, as its good knowledge to have


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## brandy3392 (May 15, 2016)

I bought some plants that were absolutely infested by snails (bladder snails, I think). I soaked them in a solution of 1 tablespoon Alum per gallon of water for 3 hours. Rinsed well with clean water afterwards. It killed all the snails and didn't harm the plants. You can find Alum in the spice or canning section at the grocery store.


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## ashleynicol3 (Feb 23, 2016)

Plastic tube plants! And anubias is super easy.


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## stellenternet (Dec 3, 2014)

I am a beginner with live plants myself, but I do recommend them. They are great for the water quality! I get mine from a LFS. I had a snail accidentally come home with me but I kept him because he's cute so I don't know much about that.I recommend Anubias, Amazon sword, Java fern, Moss balls.


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## Aluyasha (Sep 2, 2010)

kristengodsey said:


> Thank you everyone for all of your advice!! It's very helpful. Another thing just crossed my mind too- how do you go about sterilizing a planted tank after a fish dies and you have decided you want to get another one?
> 
> In the past, we've taken apart the entire tank and removed all of the decor, thoroughly rinsing everything before using it again. I assume you can't do the same for planted tanks, right?


I believe you just sterilize them the same method you use to kill off the snails.


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## kristengodsey (Jun 11, 2014)

*Update- added live plants*

Hey guys! So I took the advice I got from some of you and left petco today with a 12 inch Argentine Sword. It says "echinodorus argentinesis" underneath. I took two silk plants out of Romeo's tank and replaced them with the the live plants. I'm attaching a picture 

So now that I have these plants in the tank, how long should I keep the light on for each day? Are there any other additives that I should get to feed or nourish the plants? 

Also, this is my first experience with live plants and I'm looking for advice/ comments/ suggestions on whether I even planted them right and what you think I should add next. Thanks!!!


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## kristengodsey (Jun 11, 2014)

*Update- added live plants*

I forgot to mention that I stopped by my LFS afterwards to see if he had any floating plants available, and he gave me some of this for free. Not exactly sure what it is, but is there a way to cleanse it before adding it to my tank in case there are any snails or eggs? I did a salt dip for the plant from petco, but I'm not sure if I can do the same for this.


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Love me my tube plants. They are "guarenteed" snail, pest, & diasease free. I love Argentine Sword & Anubias. I also have a lot of plants from my LFS that don't have snails, but you cant find (most) of them in tubes. Two I have found -- Java Fern & Ozelot Sword.

+1 to Marimo Moss Balls. And Java Moss --- You can get it online for $4.99 + shipping.


ETA --- They look planted right. At least, thats what I plant them like. That floating plant looks like Salvinna Minima. Just throw it in; most floaters don't have snails/eggs.


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## kristengodsey (Jun 11, 2014)

Great, thanks so much!!! Romeo is skeptical of the plants right now. He's alternating between flaring at them and resting in them lol.


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Lol that's how my sorority girls were. Now they sprint up to a leaf, bite it, then lay on it. *sigh* Bloodworms, what have you done?!


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## NickAu (Sep 28, 2015)

> you can also tie the to decorations with fishing line


You can also use Super Glue ( Crazy Glue ) to stick the plants to rocks and wood.



> To get rid of snails, you might also consider an aquarium salt dip or other dip


I find quarantining the plants in a tub of water with some No Planaria works well to kill all snails.


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Nick, Super Glue? 0.0


Shouldn't it be non toxic?


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## Autumncrossing (May 2, 2016)

Super glue works GREAT!! I used it for all my little Anubias in between the rocks there. Over time the glue deteriorates and the roots take hold! Ignore the photobombing Sasuke. A good trick to getting it to bond better is running it under cool water as you apply. This stuff bonds in water! 










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## stellenternet (Dec 3, 2014)

Just like any super glue?


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

So, I'm guessing, don't glue the rhimozome?


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## Autumncrossing (May 2, 2016)

I think I used gorilla glue, may have been Krazy glue though I don't remember. I was pretty generous with it too basically I just got glue on everything but the leaves and stem. Maybe I just got lucky though I don't know. The Anubias are averaging 1-2 new leaves per week so it must have been fine .


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## kristengodsey (Jun 11, 2014)

*Plants wilting?*

So it's been about a week since I added my first live plants. Some of the leaves are starting to lose their green color and they're becoming see-through, while another leaf has wilted. Is this normal with these plants at first? Is there anything I can/ should do to help the plants along?


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## jackh17 (Jun 23, 2016)

Noofjeuh said:


> I have used Elodea in the past because it is more or less indestructable. It grows really fast and does not really need much light or care.
> mixing it in with silk plants is not a problem at all.
> 
> If you are afraid of snails or so You can give them a nice rinse in warm/hot water. It has never really hurted the Elodea.
> ...


He I want to get a live plants for my 2 gallon tank which is tall and not too wide. Would this be okay to grow in gravel or does it need a different substrate? 

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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

kristengodsey said:


> So it's been about a week since I added my first live plants. Some of the leaves are starting to lose their green color and they're becoming see-through, while another leaf has wilted. Is this normal with these plants at first? Is there anything I can/ should do to help the plants along?


It is normal for some species to melt and lose leaves.

Did you use root tabs in the substrate? Any rooted plant needs them; especially Swords which are very heavy feeders. I buy mine on eBay. Not a name-brand but Osmocote in capsules. For Swords and red plants I also add Iron/Red Clay tabs.

Osmocote in Aquarium and Fish Supplies | eBay

Do you have a liquid fertilizer for the floating plants? I use Seachem Flourish Comprehensive.

The plants in the photo may be planted a bit too deep. A good rule of thumb is only the roots are in the substrate; not the crown. If you plant too deep the crown will eventually rot.


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