# Help my thumb is black!



## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

So I've always has something of a black thumb...its just never really mattered that much before. Now that I'm addicted to Bettas, though, and have found that I really like the look of a natural looking tank with live plants this is becoming a dilemma. I've always used live plants in my male veil tail's tank and he was in a 2.5 gallon at first and then upgraded to a 5 gallon. In the five months or so that I've had him I have replaced plants pretty frequently. Like every six weeks or so. It was a manageable expense ..but now that I have two more Bettas and am moving them into a divided 10 gallon which I want to fill with live plants it isn't as much of a non issue as before. I want live plants but I don't want to be constantly replacing them so I need to learn how to better care for them. If I don't want a planted tank per se is there any way to do this? Anything I can add to the water to help them that won't hurt my fish? I currently am using API Stresscoat as a water conditioner. Any help appreciated.


----------



## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

What kind of plants did you have before?


----------



## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

Do you mean what kind of plants in the fish tanks? I don't really know the different ones ... I know Anubis and java fern for sure as well as others. You can maybe identify some in my avatar pic ...it's pretty current.


----------



## LittleBlueFishlets (Nov 10, 2012)

The only plant I've been able to grow successfully is pothos. It is not aquatic, so the roots can be submerged, but the leaves need to be above the water. (I put it through the hole in the lid.) It's easy to grow. It isn't picky about lighting and will even grow in plain water, so no extra nutrients are needed. The roots grow quickly, and the fish seem to like swimming through them.

If you want to stick with aquatic plants though, what type of lighting do you have? And how are you planting them (substrate, etc)


----------



## kyle89 (Mar 1, 2013)

Java fern is a very hardy plant an anubias is too. How did you have both in your tank? Planted? Where you using fertilizer? Why do you think the plants are dying? Where are you buying the plants


----------



## Draug Isilme (Aug 7, 2011)

Also, what kind of lighting are you using for your plants and how long are you leaving the light on? It might even be as simple as not having the right light. I've never had java fern, but my anubis thrives pretty well in my 5g. The first time I got it, I was actually giving it too long of light hours so after cutting back a couple of hours, it helped the plant to adjust and does just fine.


----------



## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

In the five gallon tank in my avatar there are only LED hood lights so I guess that is my problem. The substrate is some natural (natural looking?) decorative stones. I either let the plants float or tuck them under some stones to anchor them. I've never used any fertilizer. I've always had live plants in the tank since I got him because I had read that plastic ones damage their fins. Whenever they would start looking icky I would just replace them. It's not terribly expensive to do that but it would be great to avoid it if possible.


----------



## Lostiethatlikesherbetta (Apr 2, 2013)

i really like bamboo shoots. next to no care needed, long roots my betta, Phoenix, loves and you just need to keep the leaves out of the water.


----------



## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

Lostiethatlikesherbetta said:


> i really like bamboo shoots. next to no care needed, long roots my betta, Phoenix, loves and you just need to keep the leaves out of the water.


Brilliant! Now... Where do I get them. I've never seen them in Petco or Petsmart. Last Friday I drove 25 minutes to a fish store and all they had were dead plants. Ugh!


----------



## Lostiethatlikesherbetta (Apr 2, 2013)

hmm... i live in vancouver, canada and we have this awesome store called Noahs Pet Ark but its locally owned...not sure. petsmarts ive been to have them too but ive heard canada is WAY better than the US for fish stuff. ive also heard bamboo absorbs nitrates and turns it into oxygen. another plus (if you can find it)


----------



## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

Lostiethatlikesherbetta said:


> hmm... i live in vancouver, canada and we have this awesome store called Noahs Pet Ark but its locally owned...not sure. petsmarts ive been to have them too but ive heard canada is WAY better than the US for fish stuff. ive also heard bamboo absorbs nitrates and turns it into oxygen. another plus (if you can find it)


You very much for the information I will definitely look into that.


----------



## justmel (Apr 1, 2013)

My fiance never could grown plants in his tank. When I decided to start trying to use them for my bettas I asked at the store. I know they don't always know everything, but I asked at a couple different ones & different people at the ones I asked. I simply told them that I had never done live plants before and needed ones that were easy to care for & grow. They helped me pick some out, I got some root tabs for plant food, and have had no problem. I also only use the tank hood light for lighting. I usually end up leaving it on 8 to 12 hours.


----------



## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

@ justmel, thanks so much. Can you give me a brand name that I should look for?


----------



## Draug Isilme (Aug 7, 2011)

You should definitely figure out the right lighting set up for your plants- that sounds like it's your #1 problem. Plants like anubis and java fern are low light plants and while they don't need much care, they still need the basics. Make sure you aim for at least a 6500k bulb. Sometimes 5500k will do it, but typically it's better to aim a bit higher.. You should also make sure it has 1-2 watts per gallon- I believe about .5-1.5 is low light so anything 1.50+ is medium to high lighting. When it comes to wpg, though, distance does matter so make sure your tank isn't too deep or your light isn't too far away for it to be affective. If anything, you can always use natural sunlight to help your plants. Just make sure you keep an eye on how many hours of light you give your plants. 8hrs minimum, 12 hrs max. Too much can result in an algae bloom while too little will not be enough for your plants to thrive/survive.
It seems like bamboo plants are pretty hardy so you could probably get away with having one without a light, but personally I'd say plants still need the basics. Water and light. And bamboo does eat the nitrates, but keep in mind any aquarium (if not all plants) use nitrates as food. One way that I know how plants eat is through nitrification. (which is pretty much the "biological oxidation of ammonia with oxygen into nitrite, followed by the oxidation of these nitrites into nitrates." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrification.)
So you can stick to the plants you already like to get.. change your lighting situation and I'm sure it'll work out for you ^.^


----------



## justmel (Apr 1, 2013)

bannlow2471 said:


> @ justmel, thanks so much. Can you give me a brand name that I should look for?


This is what I used http://www.petco.com/product/112621...um-Plant-Fertilizer.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

You should know though that I am a total novice at aquarium plants. Had them maybe 2 months now. Only 1 has died and I had to trim several back, but I am in no way a plant expert. The advice of others here might be better for you to follow, but the root tabs & hood light has worked for me.


----------



## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

Thanks very much, I appreciate it! I guess this is a stupid question, but I assume this stuff is safe for Bettas. That's always been my fear ... that I would try to salvage the plants and harm the fish. My tanks are small - two five gallons and a 2.5, so if I have to replace them periodically I guess it's not a huge deal.


----------



## Draug Isilme (Aug 7, 2011)

Root tabs are nice, plants really seem to love them. The only slight downfall to them is they last to about 3 months. If you want a flourish of aquarium plants, it's good to get plant substrate because it will last a year. Otherwise, sticking tabs will do you just fine, especially for heavy root feeders. And I think my last advice about nitrification was leaning more towards the nitrogen cycle, which I believe doesn't quite hapen with planted tanks because the nutrients to make it is already sucked up into the plants... So I apologize if it's not 100% accurate to this situation ^.^; I'll probably look it up more to reafirm the point I was aiming at with plants when I have more time...


----------



## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

Draug Isilme said:


> Root tabs are nice, plants really seem to love them. The only slight downfall to them is they last to about 3 months. If you want a flourish of aquarium plants, it's good to get plant substrate because it will last a year. Otherwise, sticking tabs will do you just fine, especially for heavy root feeders. And I think my last advice about nitrification was leaning more towards the nitrogen cycle, which I believe doesn't quite hapen with planted tanks because the nutrients to make it is already sucked up into the plants... So I apologize if it's not 100% accurate to this situation ^.^; I'll probably look it up more to reafirm the point I was aiming at with plants when I have more time...


Thanks for the help. I'll try root tabs. I do have some natural aquarium stones in there but no sand or anything like that.


----------



## justmel (Apr 1, 2013)

@ Draug Isilme - I enjoyed reading the information about nitrification and am very sure I will be able to use it.

bannlow - I have regular aquarium gravel in my tank. It's about 2 - 2 1/2 inches deep so the plants had enough, but it doesn't give me trouble. Eventually I will be changing to all NPTs, but as I'm moving in a couple months that will have to wait till after the move. I'm not sure plant substrate would work for a 2.5 gallon tank well, but you might be able to d something with your 5 gallon tanks if you wanted.


----------



## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

@justmel, thank you so much. I have a lot to learn and am just feeling my way and soaking up all the knowledge here. Lots of thanks to all who have responded!


----------



## justmel (Apr 1, 2013)

I know exactly how you feel bannlow. I joined the site after you, but have been on it reading almost constantly since then. I've only just recently started feeling like I can help a few people in return for all the help I've found. If you ever feel the need feel free to PM me with questions too.


----------



## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

justmel said:


> I know exactly how you feel bannlow. I joined the site after you, but have been on it reading almost constantly since then. I've only just recently started feeling like I can help a few people in return for all the help I've found. If you ever feel the need feel free to PM me with questions too.


Thanks, I will!


----------



## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

The lucky bamboo plant (Dracaena sanderiana) pet stores sell is not aquatic plant, so if you're using it, make sure you don't fully submerge it. Most of the plant should be out of the water. Otherwise, it's going to eventually die, rot, and mess up your water.


----------



## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

Fenghuang said:


> The lucky bamboo plant (Dracaena sanderiana) pet stores sell is not aquatic plant, so if you're using it, make sure you don't fully submerge it. Most of the plant should be out of the water. Otherwise, it's going to eventually die, rot, and mess up your water.




Thanks for the tip! I will remember that!


----------



## Fenghuang (Dec 28, 2012)

Also, in your avatar, the spiky grass-like plant in the left corner? It looks like it could be mondo grass, which is not truly aquatic either. A lot of pet stores sell terrestrial plants as water plants. They'll last a while, but eventually, they'll deteriorate. If you gotten any, that could be why they are dying. That could also be part of the problem. Make sure to be careful when you by plants, especially from chain stores. 

Some nonaquatic and semi-aquatic plants commonly sold as aquatic plants:

Aluminum plant 
Arrowhead
Aqua fern
Bichetii grass
Borneo sword
Cherry hedge
Brazilian sword
Fountain plant 
Lucky bamboo 
Malayan swordplant
Mondo grass
Neanthebella palm
Nerve plant
Peacock fern
Pineapple plant 
Purple waffle
Ribbon plant 
Scarlet hygro
Sweetflag
Umbrella plant


----------

