# Best type of betta for heavily planted tank



## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

Not sure if type would make any difference but figured it'd be best to ask anyways. I have had halfmoons in the past but never in a real heavily planted tank and worry about fins catching plants. Should I worry or would any type be ok? I'm looking to either get a male halfmoon or a king plakat. I'll post a tank pic once my lights turn on.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

It's a bit cloudy but here's my tank.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

thats hardly heavily planted, any betta LOVES a tank with plants, and if their live plants, their fins will never get torn on them. goodluck!

and LOL your signature!xD thats great!


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

Thanks  I'm not done planting so it will be heavily planted. Just getting started but glad to hear either way I go would work. Now to work on my filter flow, I used my shutoff valves but going to see what other options I have.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

that works! goodluck!


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

+1 to kjg1029.

Only plastics are a real risk to bettas. It would have to be a woody plant to worry a bettas tail methinks, or a least one with stiff needles. Either of which are unlikely to be aquatic/fit in the tank XD Yay plants!

Tank is looking good, and will look better later. Update us when the planting stops?


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

Will do on the updates. Just really need what I have to grow and add one good plant on my right background, probably wisteria and may get more dwarf sag to fill in the foreground.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

I'd recommend cutting some foam/sponge and putting it over the intake to your eheim canister. I did this for my Xerxes' tank (and the qt, and the 20g when it had a betta)
Got some cheap misc. black (or any color) filter foam (non aquatic product based foams/sponge work too as long as there's no chemicals/cleaners in them)
took the intake bottom part off and put it on top to measure
using a razor (scissors also work) cut out the foam around it so there was 1/2-1" thicker foam than filter cover 
then at the 'top' started cutting into the core to slip the intake into
crammed it in and put back on the filter. 

Works great, keeps bettas from getting fins sucked in and shredded! But it will need cleaned out once in a while (depends on your stock and how messy the tank is) if the flow seems to low just ring out the foam/sponge on the intake in removed tank water and it should be better. I've not had to clean mine out yet and the tank has had fish (and snails) since May this year.
Also you may need to reorient your filter outflow spray bar. I have mine aimed to the wall its suction cupped to to reduce the flow, keep an eye on your betta when you add it, see if it has trouble going to the surface for air or food (with current spray bar orientation)


As a side note... I hate the green eheim pipes.. Why can't they be black like some other brands? :c But aside from color i love my Eheim canisters (and heaters)


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

Good advice. I have a sponge from my old fuval hob I can cut to fit the inlet. Just cleaned my heater I took out of the tank when I lost my last betta and put it in, getting excited about having a betta again.


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## MikeG14 (May 31, 2014)

clopez1 said:


> Thanks  I'm not done planting so it will be heavily planted.


I would recommend adding some top floaters. Your betta will love hiding & resting in them and it will make him feel more secure.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

I have a banana lily that has a leaf nearly at surface level. It would make a great bed. I'm not a fan of floating plants. Actually trying to get a brighter light to get better growth.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

what type of light do you have?


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

2 13w 6500k CFL in hood. Want to go to 19 or 23w. I am running pressurized co2 and dosing ferts so I want to take full advantage and get better, faster growth.


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## kjg1029 (Jun 14, 2014)

oh i see! sounds like a good setup!


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

Been working on it for a while. Built my own regulator and inline diffuser.


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

Aqua Aurora said:


> I'd recommend cutting some foam/sponge and putting it over the intake to your eheim canister. I did this for my Xerxes' tank (and the qt, and the 20g when it had a betta)
> Got some cheap misc. black (or any color) filter foam (non aquatic product based foams/sponge work too as long as there's no chemicals/cleaners in them)
> took the intake bottom part off and put it on top to measure
> using a razor (scissors also work) cut out the foam around it so there was 1/2-1" thicker foam than filter cover
> ...


Im gunna use that foam trick on my filter. Have been thinking of moving it to the betta community tanks as it is on my (mums) tank atm... much rather have it on the betta setup. 

A litte off topic, but as OP and you are also using eheim externals, I found my LFS sells clear tubing and fixings, almost identical to Eheim but dirt cheap as they are unbranded, I was thinking of switching mine out for that, as the diameters are the same. :3 Should work fine.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

I don't mind the green myself. I hope to have my plants cover all of it anyways.


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## MameJenny (Jun 11, 2012)

I think that halfmoons are the nicest bettas for heavily planted tanks. A lot of the ones with larger fins tend to have a hard time swimming, so they like having lots of plants to rest on.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

I do love halfmoons.


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## SunnyCydUp (Aug 31, 2014)

I see a banana plant (lily) in there - did you bury the rhizomes? They should sit just atop the substrate - or *barely* in it. If allowed, it will shoot some pretty thick roots through the substrate and anchor itself.

As was mentioned earlier by many, your tank's not heavily planted, yet. Go ahead and add some floaters, and also add a couple of stemmed plants, too. Another thing you could add - Marimo moss balls are great for the bettas to lay/rest on.

All my tanks are heavily planted. For the betas: have a dragonscale half-moon in one; a black copper delta tail in one, and 7 VT and CT females in another (sorority). Hide and seek is a fun game for all. They hide, I seek.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

I lost the rhizome, it rotted so the plant is buried. I want to get some wisteria and anacharis. I'll look for some frogbit since I hate duckweed.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

for floaters, you can also look into Salvia minima, Red Root Floaters, and Dwarf Water Lettuce


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## sweetbettafish (Sep 7, 2014)

That is a really nice tank! Any betta would be lucky to live in it!


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

Thanks sweet, I like red root floaters but I don't want a mess with long roots and high plants getting tangled. That's why I went with duckweed but hated how it stuck on my arm when I trimmed plants.


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## MameJenny (Jun 11, 2012)

clopez1 said:


> Thanks sweet, I like red root floaters but I don't want a mess with long roots and high plants getting tangled. That's why I went with duckweed but hated how it stuck on my arm when I trimmed plants.


I got around this by making my dwarf water lettuce float in places where I don't have plants. I've grown to like how the long roots look, even when they get a bit tangled in things.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

I like the look, just a bit paranoid about fish getting entangled in it or plants getting uprooted.


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

My bettas love the DWL, even my longfinned HM. Im going to have to start selling mine soon though. Its taking over!  Dont have much issue with it uprooting everything cos it was added last, so everything else had rooted in nicely.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

Does it block lots of light?


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## SunnyCydUp (Aug 31, 2014)

DWF, or any other floaters, can definitely become invasive with the offshoots. However, you can easily remove them if/when it becomes too much. 

Strategically selecting/placing your plants in the tank will ensure enough light filters to all. Example: Java fern and crypt don't require as much light as anacharis or ludwigia. 

The biggest plus to all of the plants, of course, it makes it a happy tank for the occupant/s. ;-)


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

I can't imagine going back to an unplanted tank. I went from SpongeBob decor to plants and I love it. It's hard work but worth it.


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## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

Totally agree on not going back...

Myrio is a nice fast growing plant as well as most species of Rotala. I got somewhere around 10-20 stems of Myrio from lilnaugrim and now the entire back half of a 20g long is filled with it as well as my divided 20, my divided 10, and two of my 5s. The other 5.5 holds my King so I give him a little less plants since he isn't quite as streamlined. From the original 14 stems of Rotala I now have a patch growing on about a quarter of my 20 long as well as two patches in my 5g Mini Bow. It's not superbly thick as I just did a trim but it covers pretty well. Myrio will also cover the top and works as a floating plant that can get so thick the fish can barely swim (I learned this the hard way, my poor sorority ha.) I had to trim it out just so that my other plants could get some light.

Since you're going all out on dosing and Co2 and lights, Alternanthera reineckii is a gorgeous red plant that my guys love to wedge themselves into. It grows under less, but I bet you'd get some spectacular reds out of it.
You can see the tip of a Myrio leaf in the background of my avatar. It's pretty to look at, very nice green color.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

I have aternanthera, it's having trouble which is why I am going to go higher lighting. Oh just looked up myrio, looks nice.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

Got my boy tonight. Can't think of a name. Better pics to come.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

These are a bit better. Going to name him Samson.


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## Tress (Jun 6, 2014)

Interesting colours


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

That's why I got him. It was a tough call. Made a video, not the best but for an intro it'll do I suppose. http://youtu.be/Ai4pkyVms8o


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

SunnyCydUp said:


> DWF, or any other floaters, can definitely become invasive with the offshoots. However, you can easily remove them if/when it becomes too much.
> 
> Strategically selecting/placing your plants in the tank will ensure enough light filters to all. Example: Java fern and crypt don't require as much light as anacharis or ludwigia.
> 
> The biggest plus to all of the plants, of course, it makes it a happy tank for the occupant/s. ;-)


I'll second this. The Dwarf Wattter Lettuce will eventually try to take over, but as it is a surface plant, it is soooooo easay to take a handful or two out. I bought 15 of them three weeks ago... It is now 2/3rds of my 100l and I have removed some for two of the other tanks. Once I have some in every tank, I will be selling the excess off.  But as its cheap and easy, its probably okay to just chuck it XD (careful where, thats how caboma became a "weed of national significance" ) 



clopez1 said:


> I can't imagine going back to an unplanted tank. I went from SpongeBob decor to plants and I love it. It's hard work but worth it.


This made me laugh so hard. Especially as my 100l had a SB pineapple in it for the first few months... XD Gotta love the live plants


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

I am really considering getting a floater. I got a pad from my lily and I'm loving how it looks on the surface.


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

Floaters are great IMHO.  I wouldn't go back now I have them  Lovely boy btw.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

Thanks, I can't wait for my lights to come on to take some pics of him. Watching him swim in the dark. He has a sister (mickey mouse platy) and he's very curious about her. Not aggressive at all which is great.


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

clopez1 said:


> Thanks, I can't wait for my lights to come on to take some pics of him. Watching him swim in the dark. He has a sister (mickey mouse platy) and he's very curious about her. Not aggressive at all which is great.


Thats good.  I like to keep companionable ones in communities.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

It's been a while since I had a betta but now I remember why they are so cool. They have such personality.


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## BettaMummy87 (Jul 26, 2014)

They are certainly great.  and all so different from one fish to the next. XD


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

Very true.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

Bit of an update. Added some rotala indica got a bit of a surprise, a stem of anacharis made its way into my bag so I cut it and hopefully that will grow.


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## evan47 (Sep 23, 2014)

water wisteria is a great idea for the right hand corner of your tank. not only will it fill the corner out nicely it will reach the surface and self propagate itself with small floating plantlets.
you will be able to take plenty of cuttings too as it is a fast grower. 
if you added some water lettuce too you will end up with a nice shady area with long roots for your betta to explore.
both of these plants will take nutrients from the water column stablising your water parameters quite nicely.


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## clopez1 (May 23, 2012)

I was going to get some wisteria but my LFS had one small plant and looked to have hair algae. Maybe my next time there if there is room. Hopefully the anacharis will grow like the weed it is.


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