# Took a risk with a planted tank.



## serartic (Jan 4, 2015)

I actually have good news this time. 

I recently lost two bettas. it hasnt been all that long but, it pained me to see their empty tanks still running because I didnt have motivation to break it apart/ disassemble. 

After deciding not to feel sad over looking at empty tanks, I brought two new fin babies home yesterday. 
poor things had to stay in a tank with some silk plants overnight but, we're back on track now.  

I went to petco to buy some gravel. decided to go with white this time, as opposed to the ususal black gravel I go with.. While looking for silk plants.. I figured I would use this opportunity to try my hand with live plants. The associate wasnt at all helpful.. but i did recall Anubias + java fern being one of the most common two low-light / low maintenence live plants that are also good for beginners. 
I do realize that Petco isnt the best place to buy plants, but for once, all the plants seemed to be pretty healthy, put together, and green so. i figured why not. Im in the process of a fish-in cycle anyways. / starting new

+ Im hoping at some point the two plants will have grown quite a bit that I can pluck them out and put them in the other existing tanks  

Here are pictures of the two noobs + their planted tanks. 
In one of my less-happy news posts, i recalled RussellTheShihtzu mentioning how silk plants and live plants look great together. I tried it out and I have to say, I love the combination! 
If you read this, Thank you! 











^ He seems interested in the food, but isnt eating yet. 
he also has no name..  











^ Oh my god, this one hates me. 
This one isnt eating yet either. just completely ignores the pellet. 

Also no name. but his hatred towards me is overwhelming. 


Ps. anyone have any name suggestions? lol!


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## Elliriyanna (Jan 25, 2013)

WOw that first boy is gorgeous !! 

Is the second boy as metallic as he looks?


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## serartic (Jan 4, 2015)

Elliriyanna said:


> WOw that first boy is gorgeous !!
> 
> Is the second boy as metallic as he looks?


Ty! 
he was the first one I picked out! They were in bags supposed to be put out on the front today.. but i guess if you go to a petstore enough times, they let you into their inventory HAHA!

and yes! I thought he was silver.. until i brought him home and i see that he has.. a slight gold/green (or some color ) iridescence to his silver.


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## altheora (Jul 23, 2016)

Gorgeous bettas!  Blue boy reminds me of sodalite.

Just be sure not to plant your java fern's rhizome under the gravel. <3


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Second boy is a Red Dragonscale....My favorite color.  The first is a marble and may or may not change as he ages.

I'm glad you like the combination of silk and live just make sure, as mentioned above, that you don't plant the rhizome of Anubias or Java Fern. The rhizome is that little log-looking thing where the leaves sprout. Only the roots go in the substrate. You can tie the rhizome to a rock or other ornament with fishing line or weight them down with plant weights. If you use plant weights they will eventually root in the substrate.


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## serartic (Jan 4, 2015)

Oh wow, I didn't realize that the red finned one was a dragon scale. 
I dont recall seeing a log like thing on the java fern but ill check both plants in the two tanks to make sure that I only covered the roots. 

Just a quick question to anyone who reads. 

Im noticing one of my bettas has been acting lazy.. 
Despite the fact that all tanks are in the fish -in cycle process.. all other bettas are acting normal except this one. 
Ive had him for a little over a year. I notice that he doesnt look as plump as he used to, his fins (especially the tail) are lacking alot of those cute little metallic patterns he used to have (theyre just black ) and he tends to sit at the bottom most of the time, swim around a bit. He is still super enthusiastic at feeding time + acts completely normal when i try to interact with him. so I dont believe he is sick. 
I almost want to say.. he's acting old? but i feel like hes too young to be acting old?


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## serartic (Jan 4, 2015)

Im reading alot about people not being able to keep their anubias or java ferns alive with just LED light. 
I have a set of 1 anubias and 1 javafern in a aqueon mini bow (2.5g) and another set of the same pair in a normal glass tank + a separate LED lighting. 
That tank is also near the window just enough for me to raise my blinds a bit and get some sun into the tank.. 

I cant help but get the feeling that maybe i will be dealing with a dying set (the one in the aqueon..) 

Anyone have experience with this?


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## Autumncrossing (May 2, 2016)

Anubias should be fine in most lighting at least in my experience... I accidentally left one in my closet in the dark for a couple months and it was still somehow green..? I've always used just LEDs for mine and they grow great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

I've grown Anubias and Java Fern in fluorescent and LED with equal success...and failure. The biggest mistake people make, according to Ken of BamaPlants.com, Home of Aquarium, Bog, Pond, and Carnivorous Plants all Grown in the USA is too much light. Anubias truly is a low light plant.

My personal opinion is there are no universally "easy" plants. Like fish, success depends on parameters and how well they are fed. I can't grow Cabomba, Ceratopyllum demersum (common Hornwort) or Anacharis. However, I can grow Ceratophyllum submersum (Soft Hornwort) and Narrow Leaf Anacharis with no problem.

When I kill even so-called "easy" plant I cross it off my list and try something else. I now have a list of plants which grow well in my parameters.


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## serartic (Jan 4, 2015)

(my last post wasnt posted because i apparently forgot i had this window up for hours) 
@Autumncrossing Omg poor plant, but, its still amazing how it thrived for that long with little to no lighting. 
I didnt think id have much of a problem but then on forums, youtube videos, etc there are people who say how their plants died in LED lit tanks and I started to wonder whether or not mine would end up dying the same since.. im pretty positive that the aqueon hood lighting was mainly made just so people can see the fish and not to raise plants. 
The other one.. I just got off of amazon.. seems like the same kind of lighting. Made so you can see your fish at night and during the day (this one has white and blue LEDs (but i cover up the blue ones since the light will reflect too much blue) 

Ps. Not sure if your betta is named after Sasuke in Naruto or not.. but either way.. he is so beautiful! 
@RussellTheShihTzu I totally raised the blinds a bit thinking I was doing the one set of plants some good but... if that's true.. I better put the blinds down haha. Last thing I need is to kill off a poor plant with good intentions. 
Im not sure if Petco plants are overpriced or not.. but I kind of think they are? it was like 4.99 or such for one plant. 
Im definitely going to start looking into other low light plants and try purchasing them off of the people you mentioned in your previous post(s). I already feel like the two newbies with the plants in their tank like them as I see them cuddling up to plants at night (so cute) I want all my fin babies to have plants!


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## Dalloway (Apr 13, 2014)

serartic said:


> I didnt think id have much of a problem but then on forums, youtube videos, etc there are people who say how their plants died in LED lit tanks and I started to wonder whether or not mine would end up dying the same since.. im pretty positive that the aqueon hood lighting was mainly made just so people can see the fish and not to raise plants.
> The other one.. I just got off of amazon.. seems like the same kind of lighting. Made so you can see your fish at night and during the day (this one has white and blue LEDs (but i cover up the blue ones since the light will reflect too much blue)
> 
> Ps. Not sure if your betta is named after Sasuke in Naruto or not.. but either way.. he is so beautiful!


It does depend on the LED a lot. Some LEDs are not useful in aiding in photosynthesis at all. 



serartic said:


> I totally raised the blinds a bit thinking I was doing the one set of plants some good but... if that's true.. I better put the blinds down haha. Last thing I need is to kill off a poor plant with good intentions.
> Im not sure if Petco plants are overpriced or not.. but I kind of think they are? it was like 4.99 or such for one plant.
> Im definitely going to start looking into other low light plants and try purchasing them off of the people you mentioned in your previous post(s). I already feel like the two newbies with the plants in their tank like them as I see them cuddling up to plants at night (so cute) I want all my fin babies to have plants!


They definitely are overpriced there but anubias tend to be on the more expensive side in general ^^;. Unless the tanks are located in a window that gets midday sun, you should be fine with raising the curtain I think. That's basically my own method of lighting for my quarantine tanks and tanks I'm too lazy to set up properly all at once (It took me 5 months once to finish setting up a tank and getting a fixture). If on the aqueon mini bow you're using the stock lighting, it's very weak. I'm not sure it has any use for plants. What's the other LED fixture you mentioned?

and I can't +1 enough on the no universally easy plants comment!! I mean, I grow Cryptocoryne species really well. And I have my moments where I have to do a large water change because I neglected a tank too long which cause them to melt but they never die on me whereas there are people that just can't ever get them to grow. On the other hand java moss is known as like supposedly the hardest plant to kill?? I've never been able to keep it alive lol.


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## serartic (Jan 4, 2015)

Dalloway said:


> It does depend on the LED a lot. Some LEDs are not useful in aiding in photosynthesis at all.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


aw.. I hope that these plants will be okay. Id feel like.. taking candy or a toy from a baby if the plants my fish seem to like so much died  
also, one tank is near the tank. not "directly" under the window but somewhat. I normally never have the window open or the blinds opened (especially during the summer) so i thought it was an okay spot.. that and my room barely has any outlets  

one video i saw.. the guy had a update video that showed that the java moss was flourishing. but I think java moss looks a little creepy and creepy things tend to be harder to kill. #logic.


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## Dalloway (Apr 13, 2014)

XD I wish your logic could knock some sense into the moss that never survives coming into my tanks! I need some moss in my tank to help provide ground cover so I can try letting my breeding rummynose's eggs hatch without having to do anything about it but they always wither away within a week :crying:.. 

I think the plants in the mini bow stock lighting will be just fine by the window. The one with the LED fixture will depend heavily on what fixture you purchased. Not sure how far you can push the lighting level on anubias and you might begin growing algae, but they do at least grow much more slowly in higher lighting in my experience. The ones I have that are shaded always produce more leaves than the rest.


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## serartic (Jan 4, 2015)

Dalloway said:


> XD I wish your logic could knock some sense into the moss that never survives coming into my tanks! I need some moss in my tank to help provide ground cover so I can try letting my breeding rummynose's eggs hatch without having to do anything about it but they always wither away within a week :crying:..
> 
> I think the plants in the mini bow stock lighting will be just fine by the window. The one with the LED fixture will depend heavily on what fixture you purchased. Not sure how far you can push the lighting level on anubias and you might begin growing algae, but they do at least grow much more slowly in higher lighting in my experience. The ones I have that are shaded always produce more leaves than the rest.


The aqueon one is on my desk, meanwhile the one with the separate LED lighting is near the window. I believe the brand was called lemon best? the lighting in comparison to the aqueon ones seem to be much brighter. While the aqueon has 2 little bulbs.. the LED ones have multiple. .. like rows of it haha. 


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Plus.. This doesnt have to do with plants persay.. i just dont want to constantly write a new post everytime i get paranoid that something is wrong with my fish. 
One of the newbies.. im noticing something weird on just his fins. 
It looks like ich. Its just on his fins.. his body is clear from what I can see. He doesnt show the standard "ich behavior" 
I have water changes planned for all the fish today. I feel like I might be dosing this little guy's tank with some paraguard + aquarium salt and raise the heat a bit just in case.. 

pictures: 

















(look at that side glance )


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