# Are Moss Balls Safe for Bettas? [ also, plants in petstore cups? ]



## inkrealm (May 15, 2011)

okay, so the main question first; 
my betta had this SOFT plastic blue plant he was REALLY fond of ( maybe because he was blue >.<; )
a few days after I brought him home he ripped his tail on an also soft, but much larger, pink plant, so I took it out, but for awhile he did great with the blue one, and he LOVED it and it was really tiny so he could only get behind it not in it, and it seemed to do fine. the other day I noticed he'd managed to rip the old rip back open again; I think it was the current but just to be safe I took the blue plant out anyway. while I was grabbing some plants for him today I saw the moss balls and thought he might like one since he liked to get behind his old blue plant of similar size, so I grabbed it. I just wanna make sure they're fine though. and if they are, are there any aquatic plants that aren't? or are they all fine? I wouldn't think it'd be an issue but >< thanks <3 <3 

okay, second question- I noticed in the pet store there were a few bettas left, and that someone who worked there had put plants in their cups. I'm guessing this was to remove ammonia some between water changes-- ofcourse the cups are so tiny that now they REALLY have no space, but I guess they weren't too active anyway with the cups and all... so... plants good or bad idea for when their in cups? I just thought it was kinda interesting ><
I know the owner and he seems like a really good guy, he tries to keep each species as a pet first to make sure he knows how to properly take care of them, and I doubt he'd ever purposefully do anything harmful or neglectful to them.


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## pens (May 17, 2011)

Moss balls and aquatic plants are fine. Be sure to bleach new plants though, I was bleaching some Amazon Swordtails, and to my suprise and horror a nematode squirmed out of the root bundle of the plant, spasming and thrashing about in agony. My plant almost died because I was so transfixed on the worm that I forgot to take it out of bleach (and tbh I didn't want to).

Keeping a plant with a lonely betta in its cup is fine, but I don't see why you'd want to do this unless you're selling bettas... You aren't seriously considering keeping a betta in a cup for extended periods of time, right? And if you're talking about moving bettas around, donn't try to make him comfortable by sticking stuff inside his carrying container; your betta's fins can tear just by netting him, imagine what bundles of cellulose sloshing around in a small cup can do...


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## hmboyz (Jun 1, 2011)

hmm... seems like your betta bites his tail.. my betta used to do that whenever I go to bed. watch you'll catch him doing it whenever your not looking especially at night. and so, I put a Indian almond leaf in his tank and he stop biting off his fin after that.


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## inkrealm (May 15, 2011)

Pens- what's the bleaching process? is there something else I could use? mustard powder maybe? ( as an irritant, you can use it in gardens to get worms out of the ground for food, not for the fish mind you >.<; ) 
that's so creepy DX 
they're in QT in a vase right now anyway because they're new and I'm also using AQ salt in the tank for a ripped fin, but yikes D: 
they come from a store I trust and they were in the tank itself with fish so surely they'd be safe? 
glad you found it but I'd be so creeped out and nervous about using plants again DX 

nononononoooooo, haha, I said at the end I was just curious, I thought it was an interesting idea. re-read it again haha ^-^;;; they were in the shop on the shelf XD 
and I saw them and I thought it was interesting. I knew it was probably to make water changes last longer and stay safer, but I was playing over whether it would be beneficial or just too cramped. not because I'd ever actually need it or do anything with it, just for wondering's sake, >.< I know better than that XC




hmboyz- 
na, not Spock's character; I think it was the current to be honest, 
I got him from a pet store and his fins were really fragile and clamped and mess, with some miner beginnings of fin rot, and so it didn't take much the first time to rip them :/ 
I fixed it the very next day and it healed up in no time, but it hadn't had time to really thicken back up yet and there was still a 'scar' from the tear where it was week as well as the very edge that hadn't finished closing together yet. once the tank was cycled the water changes weren't as frequent, and too much evaporated, not a large amount but just enough to raise the current pretty bad, and I think it tore it again. it doesn't look like tail biting, it's a really clean tear. 

that's a great tip though, it might be useful once my mom decides if we're moving or not and I start caring for more Bettas... did the Almond Leaf really work? I've heard so many people say they can't find anything to stop them, I never heard that though... that's amazing ^_^


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## hmboyz (Jun 1, 2011)

one of my favorite transhipper/wholesaler for bettas told me that tip and also put 1 teaspoon per gallon of aquarium salt. it does work for some cases. I did a research as well.


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## Wyvern (May 19, 2011)

You can QT your plants with half a potato. Uncooked one! It kills off loads of the monsters lurking in the plants. Leave it inthere for at least 2 days and the mossball for a week. Dont add the potato to you tank tho cos it will make the water murky.


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## inkrealm (May 15, 2011)

hmboyz- thanks 
Wyvern- thanks I'll try that  potatoes go bad fast so should I change it out or just let it sit?


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## Wyvern (May 19, 2011)

Ink - I leave it in for a week. Its worked so far. The one time I havent done it, I now see snails  So yar do it. It doesnt hurt the plants at all. Its the potassium or some such that the potato's release that kills all unwanted critters.

(I left 2 of the snails alive since they look like nerite snails - im hoping that is what they are)


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## inkrealm (May 15, 2011)

Wyvern- haha, well as long as they're not harmful least bettas love them  I wouldn't mind having a tank mate for him x3 but not a harmful one DX I'll definitely do that, thanks for the tip  peel it or just cut it in half? and doesn't it matter if it's done horizontally verses vertically?  I think that covers the questions, sorry x3; thanks 
and I know they usually feed of the nutrients from the fish's waste and ammonia and all... so will they be okay in plain dechlorinated water for a week? I was gonna take it from his tank every day, but then I remembered it had salt in it and I didn't wanna risk killing them ><

edit: actually, mymom just told me it'd absorb the salt, so I guess that solves both problems


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

Wyvern said:


> (I left 2 of the snails alive since they look like nerite snails - im hoping that is what they are)


Lucky. And thanks, I didn't know about the potato


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## Wyvern (May 19, 2011)

Its a trick my LFS taught me. They have a few local ways to treat various things which is ossim since I cant get hold of IAL and some meds that you guys use.


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## fishman12 (Sep 1, 2010)

That's cool!


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