# Betta bulbs.



## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Some of you have said you have betta bulbs in your tanks. I was just wondering if they are any good and if they are easy to maintain. Do they need special care and what kind of substrate do they need?


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

I was wondering the same!!! I look at them at Petco, and it says to just drop them in the water and they will sprout? :-?


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

I've never seen or heard of betta bulbs...


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## SaylorKennedy (Aug 11, 2009)

I have some in my new 10 gallon. Put them in there just this week and they're starting to sprout!


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## TigerLily (Sep 17, 2009)

I just picked some betta bulbs up yesterday to try them out. The package said to drop them in the water, and then plant them once they have started to sprout. Hopefully they'll turn out all right.


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## 5green (Jul 31, 2009)

my friend tried them and they didnt work


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## TianTian (Apr 14, 2009)

If there were a way to grow plants in a bare-bottom tank, I'd go for it.


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Mine always fungus. It's kinda frustrating. But if they grow right they can take over half a 20 gallon tank


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I thought of trying one but don't want to end up with a mess and fungus all over everything.


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## iheartmyfishies (Sep 14, 2009)

Yeah I tried sprouting some in a spare bowl I had with tank water in it but it just made a mess of fungus and algae and I had to throw it all out. Didn't work at all for me.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Eeeuuwww! I don't think I will bother then.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Where do you find these? I don't think I've seen them at Petsmart.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I've seen them at my Petsmart.


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## iheartmyfishies (Sep 14, 2009)

That's where I got mine. They were top fin brand.


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## SaylorKennedy (Aug 11, 2009)

I got mine from petco! Maybe that's why! I don't think mine are top fin.


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## iheartmyfishies (Sep 14, 2009)

That's probably it. Mine were aponogeton.


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## TigerLily (Sep 17, 2009)

Two of my bulbs have recently started sprouting while the rest are just getting...fuzzy, so I separated them. Maybe I'll at least end up with two nice plants.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Is there any way we can prevent them from getting fungus and other nasty stuff growing on them?


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## Rohland (Aug 20, 2009)

I got aponogeton and dwarf lily bulbs from JoAnn who was giving them away. They sink, so you could probably grow them with now substrate. However they sprout roots so I think they will try to anchor itself somewhere. Mine grow fast but I am using liquid fertilizer and a light. I dont know if they are the same thing.. seeing as I have no clue what betta bulbs are.


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

i have the betta bulbs- they look like this

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/5048/scaryspot1.jpg

that pic was taken a few months ago- they've grown out a bit. I got two different plants from bulbs that looked alike. I haven't given them plant food but they still grow just fine- i suppose there must be nourishment in their bulbs. The roots are strong and go down into the gravel. They need some sunlight- the window faces north and I keep the shade up during the day so they get some, but I have to make sure to leave it up on weekends when I go out of town because the one weekend I left it down the plants almost died. The stalks and leaves turn brown and wilt once in a while- I just reach in there and trim them so they don't clog the filter.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

They'll grow ok in gravel, then? How deep does it need to be?


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

I've got about an inch and a half of gravel in mine- I know the roots are pretty strong from when I transferred Lulu from the 1 gallon to the three gallon- and from when I had to pull one up to investigate some possible fungus. I thought the plant might shock from being pulled up but it was fine. I originally grew the left side plant in the little critter keeper I had Lulu in when I got her- and it sprouted within 2 days and had leaves after about 9. They've gotten thicker but haven't taken over the tank. Lulu really likes swimming through the leaves and stalks.
The third bulb in the package I bought didn't sprout at all. It was a dud.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Are your tanks cycled? If I got any bulbs, the plants would have to come out while I clean the tank and gravel.


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

nope everything stays put in my tank. I change about a third of the water every two weeks and try to keep my kid from knocking the thing over. 
to tell the truth I just got these bulbs out of curiosity about what would sprout and I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd had bettas and small tanks and large tanks with my turtles and cichlids but I had never had live plants except as food for the turtles- those guys were like weedwackers. 
But now I have a pair of very nice little plants and they look awesome- and I wonder if I should do something more for them but they really seem to be flourishing fine without a lot of interference from me. Sometimes Lulu chews on the leaves and they get torn but they heal up. Like I said sometimes I have to trim the wilted spots like you do on a houseplant. And the water is cleaner and smells better than any other aquarium I've had.
I suppose you could try growing them in cups if you want to take them out easily- the roots go down and the two times I had to pull them up there was tearing and I was afraid I'd hurt them but they were okay.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

I may try some but if they get all yucky then I'm throwing them out. lol I'll have to take them out when cleaning the tank, though. Thanks for the info.


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

ah- and now that I look closely- the bulbs HAVE gotten smaller- so they've been nourishing the plants. I'll have to get some kind of plant food for them sometime soon.


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

Hmm, im going to get some 2marrow and throw them in my tank, hope they work! they looks fantastic.


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

I do like the look of the live plants- and Lulu really likes playing in them- and it adds another level of interest since the plants grow and change and need to be looked after. I'm glad I got the betta bulbs. But the one bulb was a dud so be aware of that- the package said they'd replace duds but you have to mail them in.


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

Should i just toss them in? Or should i grow them in a cup on the window sill first. My 10 gal is on a table right at my window, so it will get plenty of light. But should i sprout them first? or toss them in... will the fugus, if it does become fungal, spread to my fish?


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## TigerLily (Sep 17, 2009)

I've got mine in cups using water from my tank, that way if they do go gross the fungus won't be in my tank. Once they get going I'll probably move them over.


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

Anyway, i just threw a few in, i think 4 or 5. One is even coming outta the gravel already, and its only little over 2 hrs! SICK! 

Ill keep ya all updated


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

oh- needed batteries for my camera- here is the tank as of 5 minutes ago- the plants have grown quite a bit but haven't totally taken over the tank. If they grow much larger I might start fresh with new bulbs and put these in my dads koi pond - or i might try trimming them- not sure yet- but the fish still seem pretty happy.
This is Lulu and her roommate Mollie

http://yfrog.com/0ofish018bj


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## CodeRed (Jun 11, 2009)

They look great! I think maybe I'll try them in my sorority when I get it up :3


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## iheartmyfishies (Sep 14, 2009)

Hmmmm... I guess it was just the bulbs I got. I prefer getting plants that have already started to grow anyways. I must be the most impatient person in the world.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

lol! I don't know whether to get any or not. I would have to take them out every time I clean my tank and I don't think that would be good for the plants.


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## TigerLily (Sep 17, 2009)

Yet another update on my plant bulbs:

The three that are doing well have been moved out of the cups and into the tank. They are growing incredibly fast now and look very healthy with more fresh, green growth every day! I've put some more bulbs in separate cups underneath our aerogarden's growing light and added fertilizer to each. 

Come on little plants: grow! Grow!


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

Hmmmm Mine have not grown at all since i put them in  its only been a week, but well see.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

i buy the ones at walmart in pet department, their called lily bulbs, they say "live aquarium bulbs" at the top of package. it contains 2 bulbs, costs about 3.78 and if they dont grow send em back and they send u more. 

mine have grown, within 3 weeks the leaves are 6" and its in sand. it attached itself into the sand. i just dropped it into the tank.
but last weekend, it grew a spout in the middle, so from friday night when i noticed the new sprout in the middle, until monday morning it grew 18" !!! thats right, 18" in about 60 hours. i snipped it off.

they will reach the surface, bloom then flower . the remaining leaves are about 8" now. not all of the plant grows to the surface, so u can keep it under control. i love the purplish red leaves. im getting more.
it grew that way and i didnt add fertilizers or anything to help it. now i fertilize my tanks because of other plants

i highly recommend.


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## Jessiefish (Oct 2, 2009)

My boyfriend put some in his tank and they got pretty mushy and gross -- shortly thereafter his Betta came down with a fungus (he's OK now). He's trying to grow some in a separate bowl now, though.

ETA: He used the Top Fin bulbs.


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## Grant83 (Oct 3, 2009)

Yeah, the bulbs I got one was very nasty and made my fishy sick (like jessiefish said) but he is doing better now!

I have the rest of the package in a small bowl in the window, and i poked them into the gravel. I added a pinch of plant food, hoping to see if it gets them to grow. I am betting though that if one of the bulbs was bad, the whole package will rot soon.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

So they come in a package? Because I haven't seen them at all, thoguh I would like to try them out. Are they next to live plants being sold?


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## Grant83 (Oct 3, 2009)

Here is what the package looks like. I have seen them by the live plants and on the side of the endcaps of the isles.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

The ones I've seen say Betta Bulbs on the package.


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

I got the Top fin one, just like that! but it came with like 20ish bulbs.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

you can get bulbs at walmart too, in the pet department


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## Grant83 (Oct 3, 2009)

Yeah, mine had a bunch in it as well, three have been tossed... one is still in the package and all of the tiny ones are separate trying to grow.


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

HOUSTON WE HAVE SPROUTING! 

just noticed i have some tiny tiny tiny sprouting coming from the black gravel! so excited


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Yay!!!


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Cool!!


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

once they sprout, they seem to really take off


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Thanks for the pic...I will keep a closer lookout next time I go to Petsmart.


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

i was so excited, i put 2 more bulbs in! haha, thanks christina!


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

this is weird- i thought i had two different kinds of plants because one immediately had long flowering stalks and the other (slightly older) one didn't- but now the older one suddenly has them too! and now the leaves- which had been very different when they sprouted- are now the same size and shape! plants are weird


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## SaylorKennedy (Aug 11, 2009)

I put these bulbs in just a week to two weeks ago. 
The third one wasn't sprouting after a couple of days so I just threw it out.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

They look great!


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## Jynx (Jul 25, 2009)

yeah that'll look awesome when they're all grown out- like a little forest- i love natural looking tanks


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

Oooh I think I'll get some of those for my sorority!!!!!!!!!  They look awesome.


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

wow those look so cool! cant wait for my into grow more! 2 weeks and they are that big! WOW!


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

the ones from walmart labeled lily bulbs are also called nymphae bulbs. i love the rich color of the leaves.
this is what they look like
ive even heard of them sprouting after 3 months in an aquarium


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

and ive also now got a second stalk from the center, its reached 18" in the past 3 days. its the second one to do this. ill let a few grow that way and then ill be keeping it trimmed so my girls can always get to the surface. i dont want the plant crowd the top of the water. itll be interesting to see how they flower. im looking into getting a variety of bulbs.


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

hmm ill deff try those water lilys with the red christina! when i get my 29 g


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## Grant83 (Oct 3, 2009)

Yeah, i am pretty sure that i have a bad batch and i can't find my receipt  None of them are growing and I picked two out today that had a sheen of slime around them...


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

good luck alex i love mine............i bought 6 more 3 days ago, and in 2 days 3 are sprouting


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

i cant believe how fast these things grow! i got like another half inch over night! looks like some redish leaves are coming in on my back plant... no idea what these bulbs are supposed to look like ahha.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

if ya happen to have the same ones as me...nymphae lily.......just wait till u see one grow an 18" stalk in 3 days!
whoa! very cool


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

I really like the red ones I may have to get a few and try them here at the office. I set up a new tank the other day at home and put all real plants in it and I love the way the plants look. They were already grown and in pots so I knew what I was getting. Heres a picture if anyone would like to see also some one had wanted to know about plants in a gravel less tank the taller one in the picture on the right the beside the wall is called water sprite and it will grow floating from what I have read Bettas really like it.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Very pretty tank and nice plants!


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

Thank you Drama. I had not planned on getting yet another tank but I found this one at a yard sale and could not pass it up. : ) Its 20 gallons and came with the stand and was only $20.00.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Good deal!


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

awesome...........im already looking for my next deal! lol


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## SaylorKennedy (Aug 11, 2009)

Yeah, so I woke up yesterday and found one of my plants had a stalk all the way up to the top of the tank, kind of hard to see in the picture, but that was just overnight with no light! The befores are a page or two ago.








and here's the other one.


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## TigerLily (Sep 17, 2009)

They're looking good! I hope mine get that big.


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

plants look good! 

My mom got a great deal at a garage sale for me! 5 gallon eclipse a scratch here and there inside, but nothing big! filter and light and bridge and gravel! 3 bux! what what!


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## Grant83 (Oct 3, 2009)

one of mine FINALLY started sending out some fresh roots, so out of the package I got all but ONE (maybe 3, one still in package and another hasn't done anything yet) have been bad. I wish I had gotten a better batch because yours look REALLY good


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## 5green (Jul 31, 2009)

i cant wait til i go and get some plants


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

Hey guys so its been about 3 weeks now! so i wanted to share my betta bulbs! I have planted about 6 or 8, i dont recall, and only have 3 growing so far, 2 started after the first few days, and i just got a new sprout this week. I assume the rest will start eventually haha. Enjoy


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

They look great!!


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## CodeRed (Jun 11, 2009)

I picked up some yesterday for the 55, which I'll be getting tomorrow, and setting up over the next week :3 I can't wait. I haven't started growing them yet, because I want the tank to be started before I do anything. lol.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

its looking good alex


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

NICE! I haven't been able to find any,though. Maybe they don't sell them here.


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

Nice! It's like a surprise with each bulb. Sadly I seem to kill all plants...even cactus, so I have given up on planting my tanks  However, I'm good with animals so it's all good. I am jealous of your nice betta bulbs though


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Water sprite is a floating plant, right? Could it be put in a non cycled 2.5 gallon tank and how much light should it have?


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

Yes water sprite can be a floating plant I have it in my 20 gallon and it is nice. You can either let it float ot you can stick it in the gravel. I have a few pieces floating and a few in the gravel. It does not require much light at all. Another you could try is water wisteria I have it in all my betta tanks and it does well in them. They have a combination of desk lamps, and floresant lights and they do well in all the tanks the light are on about 8 hours a day.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Would I have to have a tank light for it or will natural light suffice? I am thinking about something real since live plants help filter the water but I only have critter keepers and no tank lights.


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

Depends on how much sun light they would get. You could always get a desk lamp and put it over one and try it. I got all mine for $3-4 at goodwill. : )


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

They would get sunlight but not direct sunlight.
OK, I just read that water sprite requires bright light.


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

I would suggest get a few and try them it maybe enough for them. Both the Water Wisteria and the Water Sprite are cheap around here you can get a good size bunch of them for about $5.00.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

dq i have water sprite in tanks that dont have lights, they only recieve natural light, i actually took apart a plant and dropped sprigs into each one, about a week ago, and their already growing roots. itll be fine


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Great! The only concern I have about getting them from Petsmart is that the water might carry diseases from the fish. I think it all flows through the same system.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

i always just rinse my plants first then put them in the tank


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

ok, thanks. I might do that.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

i think rinsing them in the tap water must help elimanting some stuff. and any snails they might carry. i usually leave the snails though, if u dont overfeed ur tanks they wont overpopulate. 

oh and these are unfiltered too......i dont think youll have any issues.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Oh, I forgot about snails! I don't like snails! lol I may have to rethink this plant idea. lol


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

its pretty rare to find one, at least on all the plants i have, over 30, ive only found 3


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Ugh! I don't like those little snails. When I used to keep dwarf gouramies they overtook my tank.

But i learned my lesson. You always rinse your plants under tap watter first. Wash each frond by hand so you can feel for snails and their egg cases. They feel kind of like jelly, and they're clear so it's tricky to see. That's why you gotta look for them by hand. Anyway, they detach if you wash them, but you may have to scrape gently with your fingernails too.


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

I got all my Hornwort and looked at the tank the next day and there were three little itty bitty snails in my tank! They are so cute, and I don't have the heart to kill them.  I hope Angel hasn't eaten them. LOL


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

The snails are helpful in bigger tanks, I have found only a few in my tanks but only in the ones with plants from petsmart. I don't mind them and I agree they are cute.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

ya i love mine, i have apple, mystery and malaysian trumpet snails. i actually had one disappear last week, hes the almost the size of a tennis ball. hes in my community tank. i found him last night. i put him in a cup of tank water and he was fine!!! i was so excited and relieved, i love the lil boogers. i still cant figure out how he got out though, but, im sure he had an interesting week lol


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

LOL maybe you should name him Houdini. I have a few bladder snails that hitch hiked in on some plants in one tank. Then I have 4 Mystery Snails, a black, a blue, a purple, and an ivory.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

There are some really pretty ones out there.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

ohhhhhhhh purple one huh, NICE, i cant find those around here


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

If they have them when I find your orange betta I could stick one in there if you like.


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

sweet! i saw one yesterday at petco that looks almost identical to the one in my avatar, was tempting


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

what do snails eat? anything? poo? 

christina your snail was in your house!!? lol


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

ya he was loose got under his stand beside my couch lol

hes a resilient lil thing though hes back to himself all over the tank

they eat algae, detritus and fish food from the bottom, mine do at least


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## Calmwaters (Sep 2, 2009)

Mine eat that and alge wafers. Christina I would love to have one like your avitar he is awsome. LOL


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

ya i remember u mentioned that before, i could always get him for you lol


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## Kim (Apr 30, 2008)

He's alive! Wow that's amazing!


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

ya i didnt expect him to be alive, after disappearing for 5 days ,but, hes a survivor!!!

go snail....go snail....


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## Elaina (Oct 30, 2009)

I dropped three of these into my tank on like monday, and only one of them has sprouted so far...How long are these things supposed to take?


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

can take weeks, so have patience


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## TigerLily (Sep 17, 2009)

Here are some new pictures of plants grown using the betta bulbs. I originally had them in my five gallon, but because they have gotten so big, I moved these two over to my twenty-nine gallon. I just went to the local pet store this afternoon and got another package to grow more. By the way, can anyone tell me what these two in particular are called?


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Very nice!!


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

They look awesome!!!!!


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

i cant remeber the name of the first one but the second looks like an onion plant to me


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## iheartmyfishies (Sep 14, 2009)

The first one look like aponogeton.


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

ya i think the 2nd is an onion! 

I think ill pic some more up soon too. They are so fun to watch grow!


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## TigerLily (Sep 17, 2009)

Onions? As in the food?


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## iheartmyfishies (Sep 14, 2009)

I've decided to give the bulbs another chance. I'm planting more tonight. Let's hope they work this time. *crosses fingers*


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

Updates for you all! its been prob over 2 months now! I got about 5 plants i think , i just had one sprout up like 2 months in! i couldn't believe it! Also i got this one that got all the way to the surface in a few days and make these lily type looking leaves! I love them! 










This one is the one that goes all the way to the surface! 









This is on the surface:









2 of these leaves are shooting to the surface also









these 2 are at the surface floating lilly style, and a 3rd and forth are on there way.


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## dramaqueen (Jul 7, 2008)

Nice plants!


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## CodeRed (Jun 11, 2009)

You know, Alex, I think you have the most gorgeous tank I've ever seen  Those girls are so lucky to have such a beautiful home!


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

it looks fantastic alexxx, your a natural


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## AlexXx (Aug 23, 2009)

Ty guys, its nice to get some encouragement, i have so many fix fish atm + 3 dead these last few weeks


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## ChristinaRoss (Sep 4, 2009)

hang in there alex, we know your doing all you can with them..........unfortunately it goes with the hobby


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## xXbettagirl121Xx (Nov 30, 2009)

I tried them, they didnt work.


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