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Betta Fish Plants A Guide to 12 Live Plants Best suited for Betta Fish Tanks


Betta Fish Plants Guide

List of aquatic plants for Betta fish


This is a simple guide to selecting live aquarium plants which work well together with Betta Fish. These plants below are relatively easy to care for and are known to remove harmful ammonia from the water and more importantly add oxygen. Plants are nature's way of adding beauty to the aquarium not to mentions vivid colors and textures.

Echinodorus parviforus


(Echinodorus parviforus) Rosette sword plants are very adaptable, which makes them great for many different kinds of aquariums. This stem plant grows in a rosette shape and has long, pointed, light green leaves with a hammered texture and visible veins. It takes up less space than other sword plants. This plant's bright color and rough texture make it a great focal point for the middle or front of a garden.

If the soil is rich in nutrients, these plants can grow in most types of light, but moderate to high light is best. CO2 injection isn't needed, but if it's needed, it will help the plant grow faster. In some tanks, you may need to add iron. Rosette sword plants can grow underwater or on the surface. The plants that grow on the surface make small flowers.

The side shoots that grow from these plants' leaves can be cut off and replanted in the substrate. To keep your Rosette sword plant from getting too big, you can cut off the side shoots and old leaves.

Anacharis elodea


Anacharis elodea is a very hardy plant that I should have been carrying a long time ago. I'm all about easy things, and this plant is about as easy as it gets. Elodea, also called Anacharis, is often used in both ponds and aquariums. I really like how you can just break off a piece of Anacharis Elodea and stick it in your substrate to make a whole new plant.

Any plant that can survive that has to be awesome. Anacharis is also a great plant for "filtering." It can quickly eat up any extra food in your tank. (That doesn't mean you shouldn't change your water!) Anacharis has thick, sometimes bright green (depending on how much light it gets), leaves that are good for exchanging oxygen. Here is a link to an old Elodea/Anacaris video I made for Species Sunday.

Anubias barteri


Anubias barteri is a popular plant that grows in water and is often used in aquariums of all kinds. Like other Anubias, it can grow both in and out of water in aquariums and terrariums. It has slightly longer stems than Anubias Nana, but other than that, it looks and acts the same. The leaves of this plant can grow up to 3 inches long, making it good for both the middle ground and the background.

Like other Anubias, this one is a flowering plant that grows best when the rhizome is attached to a hard surface like wood or stones. They need low to medium light and can grow better if they are fertilized regularly. CO2 is not needed, but it can help plants grow faster and have stronger leaves. Since it grows slowly, the leaves can get algae if they are in a place with a lot of light.

It's simple and easy to spread; just cut or pull apart rhizomes to make new plants. Keep the rhizomes above the soil, or the plant could start to rot.

Egeria densa


The cosmopolitan Egeria densa is a good plant for beginners. It grows quickly, which helps keep the aquarium in balance from the start. Stems grow quickly to be 40-100 cm long and 2-4 cm wide. Egeria helps keep algae from growing because it takes in a lot of food from the water.

The growth rate is mostly affected by how much light and food are available. Even though growth doesn't stop in bad conditions, the plant turns pale and the tendrils get thinner.

A group of stems or young plants that are tied together to make an anchor. Take out the anchor and split the plant into two. Remove the leaves from the bottom 5 cm (2") of stem plants. Take off any leaves that are hurt. Plant each plant a little bit away from each other in the bottom substrate. Soon, the plant will grow roots and start to grow.

Hygrophila difformis


Water wisteria is not related to real wisteria, but it grows naturally in swampy places in Asia. It's a popular plant among aquarists, especially those who want to keep low-tech aquariums that don't need a lot of light or complicated nutrient dosing schedules.

Hygrophila difformis is a tall plant that can grow up to 23" tall, which is too big for a nano aquarium. Its size and feathery leaves make it a great choice if you want to add something to the background of your tank.

This plants' branched leaf shape comes in handy for breeding tanks and aquariums that contain dwarf shrimp or other small creatures. The leaves offer cover as well as excellent foraging grounds, as plenty of biofilm develops in the crevices. Some fish also like to lay their eggs on plants with small leaves.

Even though most aquatic plants aren't too hard to spread, Hygrophila difformis spreads like wildfire. Even a small piece of leaf that is floating in the air can grow back, as can a piece of stem that has no leaves left on it.

Vesicularia dubyana


Java moss is a type of moss that grows naturally in Southeast Asia, which is where its common name comes from. Java moss is a good choice for your planted aquarium because it can grow underwater. This moss is the most popular type of aquatic moss and probably one of the most popular aquarium plants overall.

Unlike most aquatic plants, Java moss doesn't have roots. Instead, it is made up of thin green stems with tiny leaves that are tangled together. Instead of growing roots in the soil, it uses these stems to hold itself firmly in place on surfaces like rocks. It gets its nutrients from the leaves and stems, like most plants that don't grow in soil. It doesn't feed from its roots.

So, what is so special about Java moss that almost every aquarist has grown it at some point? Probably the most important thing is how easy it is to take care of. This plant is very easy to care for and doesn't need a green thumb at all. There's no need for a high-tech aquarium set-up or a complicated dosing schedule. Low light works just fine. Adding extra nutrients in the form of liquid plant food or CO2 is nice, but it's not usually necessary.

This bright green, stringy moss is very useful and easy to take care of. It doesn't just look nice in the aquarium, but it also helps keep the tank stable and protect the smaller animals. If you put some Java moss on almost any surface, it will grow there. Even if this plant is left to grow on its own, it will do well and eventually form clumps.

Vallisneria gigantea


The Asian plant Vallisneria sp. Gigantea is easy to care for and grows quickly, making it a good choice for large aquariums. Most aquariums have leaves that are so long that they float on top (50-150 cm, 2 cm wide). So, the plant needs to be cut back so it doesn't block too much light from reaching the plants below. The leaves are tough and strong, so fish that eat plants don't usually eat them.

Vallisneria americana is easy to spread because it sends out runners, which multiply quickly if the soil is good.

Vallisneria species are great for both small tanks (about 15-20 cm or 6-8 inches tall) and tanks with a lot of space. Extra-high tanks make these plants look especially nice.

The plants are put in a group in the background, the middle, or the corner of a tank. The plant will feel more at home in the tank if it is wider and longer.

Ceratopteris thalictroides


The Water Sprite, also called the Fine Leaf Indian Fern, is a very pretty fern that grows quickly and can be kept alone in larger tanks. It is also called "Fein" Ceratopteris siliquosa and "Fein" C. thalictroides.

This fern grows both underwater and on top of the water. Ceratopteris species should not have their leaf rosette buried too deeply, according to advice. The plant's "heart," where new fronds grow, should stay above the surface of the water. But when water sprite is sent as a potted plant, it often doesn't have many roots and comes off the rockwool substrate easily during shipping. The plants' roots will grow back in the aquarium, though. They can be floated until the roots are long enough to plant, or they can be stuck in the ground right away with a plant pin. On broken leaves, new plants may grow.

Also, it might be hard to plant young Ceratopteris plants grown from tissue culture. The plantlets often get stuck together and are hard to pull apart. In this case, too, they can float until their roots get longer. You can also plant or attach groups of a few plants.

Microsorum pteropus


Java Fern is one of the most popular plants in planted aquariums all over the world. It grows slowly, has unusual leaves, and can make more of itself, all of which make it a big hit in aquariums. Java Fern can grow in a wide range of light levels and conditions, from soft, acidic water to alkaline water and even brackish tanks.

It's easy to grow Java Fern-just throw it into water. Really, it will grow even if you just throw it in. Java Fern will do well even if it floats, or its roots may be able to grab onto something with the help of the current. You can also choose where it goes by burying the roots in gravel or tying it to a piece of wood, a rock, or some other decoration. Using super glue gel is my favorite way to plant a Java Fern. Just put a simple bead of glue on the piece of decor you want the fern to stick to. Hold it against the glue for 30 seconds, and then let it dry on its own for another 3 minutes. Put it in the tank and watch it grow! The only thing you need to be careful about is not burying the rhizome (the twig like portion of the plant). From this rhizome, all of the roots and leaves grow. If you bury it in sand or gravel, it will rot. The fact that this plant doesn't need soil is a big plus, so bare bottom tanks are a good place for it.

Assuming you've planted it and given it light, your Java Fern will soon start to grow more of itself. At the edge of the leaves, tiny Java Ferns grow. Once they are old enough, they fall off and stick to wherever they land. You can also break off leaves and let them float in the aquarium. The plant even has a back-up plan in case it starts to die: if it does, it makes new plants right away, sometimes up to 20 per leaf. This is a great way to get ready to set up a new tank or to make more of it so you can give it to another fish.

Myriophyllum pinnatum


The Cutleaf Watermilfoil is native to lakes and swamps in the east of North America. It has been a standard aquarium plant for many years. It is called "Myriophyllum scabratum" and "M. hippuroides." It has long, reddish stems with a few branches and a lot of medium-green leaves that are very closely spaced.

Myriophyllum pinnatum isn't very picky, but it does need at least medium light and temperatures as low as 25°C. Since it comes from temperate to subtropical areas, it works well for cold water tanks as well.

This stem plant has leaves that are small and close together. It looks good in groups in the middle to back of taller aquariums. It is also a good idea for biotope tanks with a North American theme.

Ceratophyllum demersum


The name for this plant is also "hornwort." Coontail is a perennial herb that grows in water. Florida is home to two species. Coontail floats because it doesn't have any roots. It grows all over the state in slow-moving water and sometimes blooms all year. Coontail could be mistaken for fanwort, which is called Cabomba caroliniana.

This plant looks like a raccoon's tail because its feathery leaves grow in whorls around the stem. The best place to see the feathery, fan-shaped leaves of coontail is in the water. Each leaf is made up of many narrow parts that make it look like feathers. The midribs of the leaves also have a number of small teeth. When the plant is pulled through the hand, these tiny teeth make it feel rough.

The flowers of coontail are very small and grow at the leaf's base. Even though the flowers are rarely seen, they bloom every year. Coontail has no roots and floats on its own. It has leaves that look like feathered fans and are arranged in whorls around the stem. It has tiny flowers that grow at the base of each leaf. The texture of coontail is rough.

Vesicularia montagnei


A type of moss that grows in Brazil and is only 1-3 cm tall is called "Christmas tree moss" because its side branches look like fir tree branches and set it apart from other Vesicularia A type of moss that grows in Brazil and is only 1-3 cm tall is called "Christmas tree moss" because its side branches look like fir tree branches and set it apart from other Vesicularia dubyana.

It needs more care than regular Java moss and grows slower. It sticks easily to rocks and roots, and as it grows in the water, it needs to be cut back to keep its shape. It grows slowly and doesn't need a lot of CO2 or fertilizer. Ideal growth happens when CO2 is added to cooler water and the light is just right. In brighter light, you can see the unique triangular leaves or fronds that look like Christmas trees. Moss will grow on the fronds to make a "fluffy" blanket. Less light makes growth denser and more compact. Use glue to stick things to rocks or driftwood. Cut off any extra growth and reattach to a new surface to spread. About the size of a loose tennis ball.

References


Echinodorus parviforus
Anacharis elodea
Anubias barteri
Egeria densa
Hygrophila difformis
Vesicularia dubyana
Vallisneria gigantea
Ceratopteris thalictroides
Microsorum pteropus
Myriophyllum pinnatum 
Ceratophyllum demersum Vesicularia montagnei