# Live plants are a better choice than synthetic.



## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

Today, I brought home, in addition to many things, some Java moss to add to my 28 and 10 gallon aquariums. As I took out the last of my plastic ornaments, scooped in more play sand, and arranged Shale, Slate Granite and Driftwood to look their finest, I let my java moss sit in a cup at the bottom of the 28 gallon in order for it to stay wet and fresh.

My female King Betta decided to explore this miraculous transparent cup and fuzzy plant inside it, dove right into the bottom, and pushed its way in and out of its intricate, tight, and sticky, busy nodes while I toiled at the ways I could pile my rocks just right. My many glassy Ghost Shrimp stared on from beneath rooted amazon swords plants with caution, waiting for their new caverns to be finished so that they could explore them as well.

I lifted as many of my rooted plants I felt necessary, perhaps seven or eight, to avoid them damage and let them float at the top of the water line, while the rest of my aquarium's inhabitants rested in the freshly floating foliage like they were sunbathers languidly lounging on aqua noodles in a swimming pool, who just patiently relaxed while I finished my endeavor.

It reminded me of when I would sit in my bedroom on the computer, and take a break from blasting bad guys, and stare out at my dad, toiling away at the rose garden, with my mother's cats resting coolly on piles of inert dirt, unknowing of his task, but all the same, enjoying their own spoils, their fish tank, while I looked in from my own. 

Although, the larger a tank, distinctly the better and easier to manage an intricate aquascape becomes, but just the smile that seems to radiate from them after having a new live plant to ruffle their fins through is so much more rewarding than the languid stares they used to give the silk plants I had in with them before.

I hope everyone who thinks twice about it decides to go with live plants. They are such a wonderful addition to any aquarium, and at least to me, so much more interesting than you average run of the mill day to day maintenance you get from house plants. 

i hope to have pictures of the finished tank up soon.


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## TigerLily (Sep 17, 2009)

Wonderful post! It really makes me want to go pick out some live plants for my own aquariums. I would love to see pictures of them in the tank.


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## Hadouken441 (Jan 27, 2010)

Ya lets see these pics yo!


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## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

just waiting for the dust to settle and the filter to clear out the rest.

I'll be taking pictures tonight.


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## Kittles (Feb 8, 2010)

Buhh. Don't you hate that? You spend all this time aquascaping only to have kicked up so much dust, and clouded your water to all hell, that you can't fully enjoy, let alone take a picture of, it for an eternity.


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## xxabc (Feb 1, 2010)

Tigris, do you use any type of fertilizer/substrate?


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## lartiste (Apr 11, 2010)

I was actually wondering that topic at the pet store a couple of hours ago! I have a 1,5 G. tank... and (of course), 3 littles synthetic plants. 

Are live plants THAT better (for a little tank)? I hadn't found any (at Wal-Mart and the local pet store). What are the goods for a live plant?


Btw, nice story Tigris!


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## Kittles (Feb 8, 2010)

If you're having to do frequent water changes, especially since you've got a tank of that size (1.5G), you shouldn't invest in live plants. Constant uprooting will ruin them, unfortunately.


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

Ah, hell! Java moss/fern aren't going to root in your substrate anyway! Root them into a piece of driftwood, and you can remove it or clean around it at will! ;-)


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## Hadouken441 (Jan 27, 2010)

You can go as little as possible. You wouldnt believe the tanks ive seen. Heres an example

None of these are my work and are the work of the user name Diego on APC


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## Kittles (Feb 8, 2010)

Mister Sparkle said:


> Ah, hell! Java moss/fern aren't going to root in your substrate anyway! Root them into a piece of driftwood, and you can remove it or clean around it at will! ;-)


Or this. 

Also, Hadouken. That blew my mind. So amazing. So lush. So small. :shock:


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## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

*Warning warning warning dialup beware*









I chose to jump start my cycle for this tank and put the gravel from my other tank into punctured plastic bags. That is what you see on the shale on the far left.

I still have a little work to do, once I get my short grasses it'll start to look filled out.

I took shots from all over the aquarium. THe first and last shots are from the very front of the tank. Reference data is from the front of the tank.

Far left, Shale, Slate and Granite. I got all these rocks for less than 10 dollars. Amazing LFS that is around the corner to a restaurant I've gone to for years but never knew it was there. Wonderful prices, and great selection of just what I wanted in rocks. 

Moving Right, Vallis plants. Nice background plants. Also from the LFS, each of the two plants had 4 babies on them, so for 2 dollars I got virtually 10 background plants. Amazon Swords and Ludwigia also in the back. 

Cardinal Plants in the mid ground, just behind the Mopani driftwood. These Cardinal Plants were actually a non aquatic plant, but were recently tested in ponds, and it turns out they have a completely aquatic mode to them that looks like a completely different plant. Wonderful purples to them. 

I have Myrphillium Red on the right front. Beautiful fluffy plant, among scattered ludwigia.

On the Mopani driftwood is tied java moss and java ferns on each of the extremeties. 

I'm going to have to go back throuhg the java moss and make it thinner. This is the first time i've planted java moss, and it turns out you have to put very small amounts at first, otherwise it won't take.


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## Kittles (Feb 8, 2010)

Are you kidding me? That entire tank is impressive, but what hit me the most were the terracotta steps. Like, for real? That's insane. 

Can't wait to see that fill out. As it is, there's really no height to the tank. Regardless, it's amazing. I want layers in my tank, now. Different levels and such. /me is self-conscious.


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## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

Sorry for the HUGE photos guys. I had to take them with my webcam, and I don't have photoshop on this computer.


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## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

Thank you so much for your warm compliments, Kittles. I was very blessed in this endeavor, and the entire setup, including the aquarium and stand cost me less than $100. 



Kittles said:


> As it is, there's really no height to the tank.


RIGHT YOU ARE!

I am sorting out a couple floating plant options to put right above the shale. This will block out the heater and the filter intake from sight, and the plants on the right will still get plenty of light.Currently I am considering Riccia. 

As I mentioned my King Betta diving into the cup to play in the java moss, and the others playing among the plants while they floated up top, I realized a beautiful, bountiful, bubbly ball of GREEENS was what I needed, right above the shale, so that it would not block out any light.

For anyone who thinks that an aquarium is a "cheaper", or "cornier" and aless rewarding alternative to 4 legged pet options, really has not been witness to the warming sensation in actually seeing a betta's mood change WILDLY at just its owner's presence in the room.

These fish are remarkable, and they deserve every bit of attention that we as owners on this forum provide them by inquiring about additional information regarding them.


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

what a lovely tank,i think you've done a fantastic job.:-D


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## Tinman23 (Apr 3, 2010)

That is so cool!


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## anmgemini (Apr 17, 2010)

I have a house ivy on the top of my beta jar. I think he loves it because he hides in the roots and plays hide and seek with me. My question is about the plant cleaning the water. I still plan on cleaning the water frequently but i heard that if you have a plant( such as this) it filters the water for you. I was told that I would have to change the water less frequently. Is this correct?


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## Mister Sparkle (Apr 13, 2010)

You still want to change the water in that jar very frequently. Also, the reason I don't like that setup is that the roots from your plant could very well prevent your betta from reaching the surface of the water. Bettas need to be able to breathe at the surface once in a while.


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## Tinthalas Tigris (Jan 28, 2010)

The beginner's forum here on bettafish.com has a couple threads "Stickied" to the top of the forum. 

They detail the misconceptions about the ever popular "betta bowl" of the early 2000s and late 90s; one of which is that a happy betta is a betta in a bowl with a plant on top of it, because the betta eats the roots, and the plant filters the water and uses the poop as fertilizer.

This is not the case by far. 

You can have plants above your betta, in fact, they love lillypad type plants, because they are naturally the type of plant they will make their bubble nests under. Their natural predators in the wild, some being birds, have a harder time noticing them if they are hidden under these lilypad type plants (normally frogbit, water lettuce, and the like).

You still need to change your bettas water. ANy unfiltered tank needs to have its water changed by at least 50% every other day. YOu can go longer, but it is really unkind to the betta. 

Better yet, get your betta a nice filtered aquarium setup, put those floating plants in front of the filter (they lessen the disturbance that the filter causes, also known as the current) and you only need to change the water (After it is cycled) about once a week in much smaller amounts.

Best of luck to your setup.


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## caleb (Apr 2, 2010)

go with live plants all the way. Fish love them. Betta's like to swim through the plants and feel them brush up against them but fake plants are hard and they can rip their fins.
For your betta's health and well being I advise against fake plants.


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