# floating plants



## LurkerMom (Sep 9, 2013)

I finally got Alduin's Ich under control, but when I did the treatment, I realized he absolutely LOVED big floating plants (the amazon sword wasn't in anything so it was floating)

Is there anything that could create some sort of ''maze'' so he can swim in? right now hes swimming around the stems and roots of the sword and rests on it.


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## Kaynbred (Feb 16, 2014)

Maybe get those types of plants that have bendable stems!


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## LurkerMom (Sep 9, 2013)

? you mean the javamoss with the metal in it? o.0


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## Kaynbred (Feb 16, 2014)

LurkerMom said:


> ? you mean the javamoss with the metal in it? o.0


Lol, I'm sorry I wasn't very clear. You know, those plant with adjustable wire in the stems so you can bend them different ways.


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## Rollo (Jan 6, 2014)

It's kinda messy, drops a lot of leafs but I really like hornwort. It grows almost like a weed.


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## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

Are you looking for live plants or silk...I'm confused, lol!

If you want live, which it sounds like, water wisteria is perfect for this, narrow leaf anachris (elodea) is another one that can float, water sprite is delicate and floats beautifully, baby tears can float, pennywort can float...that's all I can come up with off the top of my head, but it's a good start for you.  Any time I purchase new plants and have some molting leftovers (stems that get pulled out, extra leaves, sections that break off) I just collect them up into a big handful and dump them into the tank for my guys to float with. So far just about everything has grown pretty well that way in terms of stem plants. Crypts really need to have their roots in substrate because they feed that way, but most stem plants get the majority of their nutrients from the water column, and can either be in substrate or left to float.  Just clump them up together and dump them in, lol!!

In terms of silk plants, you can either hang them upside down in your tank, or I've actually taken them, cut off the weights, attached a piece of white silk ribbon in the middle and then clothespinned them hanging off the ribbon to the sides of my tanks. It works great as a nice surface area for them to swim around and sleep in.

Hope that helps!


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## Rollo (Jan 6, 2014)

The Hornwort is the massive green thing on the left side not in a pot. When I put it in two weeks prior it was about a 1/4 that size. Blondie (the Betta) really seems to like it. It does drop alot of leafs though.


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## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

LOL, okay, that is something I've never seen before. A bare-bottomed planted tank...love it!


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## givemethatfish (Feb 10, 2014)

If you want something with large broad leaves in the spirit of an amazon sword, there are a lot of anubias plants that have nice sturdy broad leaves, and they can be left floating. Super easy to care for as well.


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## frankiefire (Feb 26, 2013)

My betta used to love floating wisteria when I had it.


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## Rollo (Jan 6, 2014)

Thanks Blue Fish!!


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## lilswimmer (Mar 30, 2014)

I got my betta Lilly pads, he loved them


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## Kaynbred (Feb 16, 2014)

lilswimmer said:


> I got my betta Lilly pads, he loved them


My first betta I ever owned had a lily pad, it looked cute and he adored it as well :-D


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I personally like watersprite. Every single place I've purchased it from, grows it planted into substrate and it looks quite different to when it is allowed to float. 

My watersprite doesn't shed like hornwort can, doesn't demand a lot of light (in two of my tanks it is thriving without any artificial lighting at all) and the trailing roots not only look nice, but provide cover for fish. 

This is watersprite in one of my tanks being allowed to grow emersed.


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## carlos puron (Jun 9, 2013)

I had a lily that grew almost to the top of the tank and my betta used to rest on the highest leaf


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## lilswimmer (Mar 30, 2014)

My betta used to be always at the bottom of the bowl but now he's always in the lily pads.


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## LurkerMom (Sep 9, 2013)

Dont those get huge though?


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## JDragon (Jan 28, 2014)

From what I've read, they can. I really like my frogbit, but it doubled in my 55 gallon tank in only a month. >.<


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## chlorp101 (Dec 18, 2013)

LittleBettaFish said:


> I personally like watersprite. Every single place I've purchased it from, grows it planted into substrate and it looks quite different to when it is allowed to float.
> 
> My watersprite doesn't shed like hornwort can, doesn't demand a lot of light (in two of my tanks it is thriving without any artificial lighting at all) and the trailing roots not only look nice, but provide cover for fish.
> 
> This is watersprite in one of my tanks being allowed to grow emersed.


That's really pretty. It looks very natural.


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

Have you ever heard of Dwarf Lily plant? It has thick leaves for the betta can rest on and it can shoot up to the surface making the stems look like a jungle gym for them. =) 

here is where I got mine: 

LINK:


and here is what it looks like in my tank. =)


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