# What's your Bettas favourite live plant?



## LittleRed (Jul 27, 2015)

Not sure if this has been discussed before, but I was just curious at how each Betta interacts with their live plats, and thought it would make for interesting reading. 

Fredrick the red veil tail seems to love his hygrophila siamensis. The reaction from him when I first put it in his tank was priceless. He swam through it to investigate straight away, and then hid in it. I could see him sat between all the stems with his eyes looking around.
Then he suddenly darted out from his new plant and gave a fantastic display of flaring, all fins and gills! He really seemed to have taken to the plant and claimed it as his patch.

He originally had an Anubias (petite I think), which he would hide, under and beside. But seemingly because it was his only option. The downside of a small tank, limited to décor! With his new plant in, I decided to move the Anubias to Glades tank, as he had more room.

Glade the turquoise crown tail has three plants, an echinudorus, which he hides behind at the back of the tank. The big broad leaves seem to be a good cover for him.
He also has a hygrophila siamensis, which is shooting out the top of his tank. He swims through it and brushes against the stems from time to time, but he has never had the same reaction to it like Fredrick. He doesn't seem to hide in it either. Mind he has stalked around it, as if looking for food., which is entertaining. He seems to get excited about the roots. I guess they look like worms to him lol I haven't planted it properly as I am not sure where it should sit in his tank. (3g seems to small for three plants. Which is why I am looking into a bigger tank!)

And lastly, he has Fredricks old Anubias. I left it floating in his tank, hoping it will eventually anchor to the driftwood.
As it floats with the leaves just below the surface, he seems to use it as a bed. Every night just as it's getting dark you can find him resting in the centre of the anubias, with all fins relaxed. If you make a noise he will pop his head out to have a nosey before sinking back into his leafy hammock  


So how to your Bettas interact with their live plants? Which plant would you say is the best for Bettas to hide in, sleep on or just swim about?

With my limited experience so far, it's thumbs up for the petite anubias floating and hygrophila siamensis  (both are hardy plants too, bonus for the novice like me)


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## HTageant (May 27, 2015)

I've noticed that my plakat male Wraith really likes his anubias nana as well. He'll swim through it on occasion, but if I get up early enough in the morning, I'll find him resting on it's leaves. He doesn't seem to like his anubias frazeri as much, because perhaps it's shorter than the other.  He could care less for his water wisteria, amazon swords, and java fern...
Betta fish are so weird...


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

All my bettas have different plants so can't compare between them. 
Aristocoles: Tank is all anubias (+salvinia minima)mostly large bunches of petites, he likes to sleep/rest on top of them or swim down under them to hide and stalk me.
Xerxes: Various java fern species, dwarf lily plant and salvinia minima, his favorite would have to be the lily as I leave cut leaves in for sevearl days and he'll bubble nest under them.
Shreduski (formerly Dijon): After destroyer his fins he's been in a plant-less tank (aq salt treatments). I stuffed hydro japan in recently to give it a tank with light and nitrates he seems to like them.

Chimoye: Tank had forgbit, salvinia minima, riccia, duckweed, penny wort and corckscrew vals. She seems to like to swim trough and wedge herself in between the pennywort leaves

Alastor: Tank is all fissidens (+salvinia minima), I see him rest/sleep on the fissidens sometimes. I watch him looking for his few cherry shrimp in the fissedens.
Magnus: Tank is pygmy chain sword and micro sword, + floaters, I'd say he likes the pygmy as he will just rest/hover on it and stare at me, he also likes to wiggle down deep into the plant leaves. He has a permanent "beer belly" from nibbling his floaters.
Saphiron: Crypt tank + salvinia minima, doesn't seem too interested in the plants, more so in what happens outside the tank.


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## HTageant (May 27, 2015)

Man, I wish my parents would let me have as amny bettas as you Aqua Aurora! Their rule is that I can have one at a time, unless I divide my ten gallon.

That's what I was going to do, but Wraith just looked so happy having all that space


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## LittleRed (Jul 27, 2015)

Sounds like Anubias make good Betta beds!

HTageant, I agree with the weird comment... especially as I just watched Glade try to wedge himself under some gravel :shock: he is always lurking and stalking, on the look out for his next meal. I think he saw a gap in the gravel and decided to see if dinner was lurking in there!

Aqua Aurora, I feel I might end up with just as many Bettas... It is great to read what plants you have and how each Betta seems to have a preference to certain plants available to them. IT really does show their individualism also.
Hope Shreduski recovers well!

I am looking forward to setting up a third larger tank over winter, I plan to plant it with as many Betta friendly plants as possible. Not sure whether Fredrick or Glade will get to live in it once ready.... or if I will loose my will power and take on a third Betta :roll:


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## HTageant (May 27, 2015)

lol, self control is hard when it comes to bettas


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## savagebeautymnl (Apr 16, 2015)

Great question! That's such a cute anecdote about Fredrick. ;3 I'm glad he has a soft sanctuary in in the hygro. 

Same as Aqua Aurora, can't really say for sure since my bettas have different plants. Each of my tanks has a combination of 5 of the following: Crypts, Vals, Water Sprite, Tiger Lotus, Malayan Aquatic Fern, Ludwigia Repens, Cabomba, Amazon Sword, Java Moss and Cuphea Anagalloidea.

My HM and DTHM boys seem to love lounging on their Malayan Aquatic Ferns, since it affords them a stable spot to rest their fabulous fins near the surface. Laszlo especially, he would lie down in really funny poses on the wide leaves. The girls in my sorority enjoy rooting around in the clumps of Java Moss sometimes, and darting through the water sprite.

EVERYONE loves the shade of Tiger Lotus, and their vinelike stems make great perches. They really look like birds balancing on them, teehee! The boys love to make bubble nests under the leaves that reach the water line. The wide leaves keep their nests intact for longer, so I don't need to worry about ruining their hard work while doing water changes. Any leaves a few inches shy of breaking the surface will automatically be employed as a hammock - prime real estate in the sorority!

Also! The following aren't live plants, but plant matter nonetheless. Yesenia adores rolling around in the mulm... strange girl. And Indian Almond Leaves somehow entice some of my bettas to "sunbathe". I've witnessed Dr. Frankenfurter, Ryoko and Giliw do this. Even a few fries have beached themselves on top of the leaves! I mean AT the surface, with their bodies exposed to the air. I panicked and was going to take a closer look, but the tiny thing jumped right back into the water & turned to face me with this expression like, "Is there nowhere I can get some peace and quiet here??"


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## savagebeautymnl (Apr 16, 2015)

Gaaaah I was just searching the real name of Malayan Aquatic Fern, and learned Trichomanes Javanicum is not a true aquatic! I take back my recommendation of this plant. :s 

This whole time I thought I just hadn't found the right conditions for it, but it's actually been dying ever so slowly... They've been in my tanks 4 months with only minimal shrivelling at the tips. What.

Just so no one makes the same mistake, here's a photo.


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## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

HTageant said:


> Man, I wish my parents would let me have as amny bettas as you Aqua Aurora! Their rule is that I can have one at a time, unless I divide my ten gallon.
> 
> That's what I was going to do, but Wraith just looked so happy having all that space


One of the perks of being an adult and not living with parents (and having an enabling spouse). Be patient once you get out on your own your only limit will be $.. try not to go crazy and starve getting fish instead of food.



LittleRed said:


> Sounds like Anubias make good Betta beds!
> 
> Aqua Aurora, I feel I might end up with just as many Bettas... It is great to read what plants you have and how each Betta seems to have a preference to certain plants available to them. IT really does show their individualism also.
> Hope Shreduski recovers well!


I didn't list a betta who has passed, Arist'oto' who have a 20g with some misc. stems and a lot of anubias, he loved exploring the anubias all day long, he got mean when the rhizome rot (contagious anubias disease) destroyed the tank. If you get anubias from different sources or over time keep new anubias separate (different tank/or bowl of dechlorianted water even) from old anubias/anubias from different seller for at least 4 weeks-the disease shows itself pretty well within this time.
Thank you, Shedukski is doing well, I don't think he'll ever let his fins grow back fully but they're better and he's not had an infection. 
current state of fins:




HTageant said:


> lol, self control is hard when it comes to bettas


So true!


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## LittleRed (Jul 27, 2015)

Your fish sound great, savagebeautymnl.
I have not seen Glade sunbath yet, but he will be resting on his Anubias at the surface and occasionally raise his head up out of the water. Which is novel to watch.
Fredrick doesn't have the opportunity. He clearly needs a bigger tank with lots of live plants!

I looked up the Malayan aquatic fern (as it looks lovely), by the sounds of it they are commonly found growing beside water. But can be kept in water. The care sounds similar to the anubias, with it having rhizome.
Low PH and minimal lighting....

So despite it not being a true aquatic plant, it seems you can still have it as one with the right care. Your two lads will no doubt want you to keep it, seeing as though they love resting on it :-D


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## HTageant (May 27, 2015)

Aqua Aurora said:


> One of the perks of being an adult and not living with parents (and having an enabling spouse). Be patient once you get out on your own your only limit will be $.. try not to go crazy and starve getting fish instead of food.
> 
> 
> I didn't list a betta who has passed, Arist'oto' who have a 20g with some misc. stems and a lot of anubias, he loved exploring the anubias all day long, he got mean when the rhizome rot (contagious anubias disease) destroyed the tank. If you get anubias from different sources or over time keep new anubias separate (different tank/or bowl of dechlorianted water even) from old anubias/anubias from different seller for at least 4 weeks-the disease shows itself pretty well within this time.
> ...


Yeah, I guess that is one of the perks of being an adult... Although I'm not sure what my parents are complaining about, since I payed for the entire setup. Of course, they are the ones paying the electric bill and such.


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## savagebeautymnl (Apr 16, 2015)

Unfortunately they were sold to me without rhizomes... @[email protected] But for the price I really can't complain. Aquatic plants here in my area are cheap, but limited and sometimes misidentified.

You're right, they'd probably throw tantrums if I took them out. But I'm not sure if my water changes + the other living plants will be enough to counteract the effects of having a zombie plant in the tank. Will just check my parameters more often, if the ammonia gets bad from the decay that's when I'll pull them out.

Glad to know it's not just my fish with the funny habits. ;p I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing fish emerse themselves!


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## LittleRed (Jul 27, 2015)

Aqua Aurora said:


> One of the perks of being an adult and not living with parents (and having an enabling spouse). Be patient once you get out on your own your only limit will be $.. try not to go crazy and starve getting fish instead of food.
> * I agree... being an adult means you get more freedom, but you have to show some restraint so you don't become a poor and hungry person, with a house full of the best kept Bettas lol *
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you for the advice on the Anubias! I am a novice, so it's greatly appreciated. I made the classic mistake of buying the Bettas and live plants before the research was done. Easy fish.. easy plants... :shock:

Third set up will be all research before purchase though! And hopefully it will end up being one fantastic set up for a lucky little Betta.
Right now, it's all about knowing what plants Bettas find the most, useful/interesting. 

Shedukski seems to have done a nice job with his self pruning! Bless. Glad to hear he is doing well.


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## LittleRed (Jul 27, 2015)

savagebeautymnl said:


> Unfortunately they were sold to me without rhizomes... @[email protected] But for the price I really can't complain. Aquatic plants here in my area are cheap, but limited and sometimes misidentified.
> 
> You're right, they'd probably throw tantrums if I took them out. But I'm not sure if my water changes + the other living plants will be enough to counteract the effects of having a zombie plant in the tank. Will just check my parameters more often, if the ammonia gets bad from the decay that's when I'll pull them out.
> 
> Glad to know it's not just my fish with the funny habits. ;p I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing fish emerse themselves!


Ahh yes, the dreaded zombie plant.... :shock:. .. I wonder where their rhizomes went :shock: 

Maybe searching for a plant with similar fern type foliage will would make a good replacement, so your fishes don't realise you swapped it! Mind, I was looking at Glade looking at me this morning, these Bettas seem to have that 'knowing look'. So I don't think you would be able to fool them that easy ...


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## savagebeautymnl (Apr 16, 2015)

True, they're mich smarter than most people give them credit for. ;p

If I switched the plant out they'd likely throw a tantrum, haha!


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## Tree (Sep 29, 2013)

savagebeautymnl said:


> Gaaaah I was just searching the real name of Malayan Aquatic Fern, and learned Trichomanes Javanicum is not a true aquatic! I take back my recommendation of this plant. :s
> 
> This whole time I thought I just hadn't found the right conditions for it, but it's actually been dying ever so slowly... They've been in my tanks 4 months with only minimal shrivelling at the tips. What.
> 
> Just so no one makes the same mistake, here's a photo.


I did the same thing a long time ago. it happens. I even tried to lay it on top of my tank once and yet it wilted and died on me. though that was before I started my Riparium. lol


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## savagebeautymnl (Apr 16, 2015)

Thanks, Tree. That makes me feel at least like a less lonely fool. ;p Sure am learning lots of new things in this hobby!


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