All fish prefer live plants over fake ones. This is because:
-Some fish can eat them as food.
-Any fish can use them as hiding places. If fish have nowhere to retreat out of view, they can get stressed.
-They look much more prettier than fake ones. My real ones actually sway in the current of the water filter, this is beautiful.
-Live plants break down waste materials in the tank and overall helps with the maintenance of them. Fake plants obviously can't.
-Live plants naturally breathe in carbon dioxide produced by the fish and releases oxygen, which will help your fish breathe better in your tank and be happier. Fake plants obviously can't.
They have their downsides, however:
-They require lighting from fluorescent bulbs 14 hours a day for efficient growth.
-If dead plants or leaves are left inside the tank, they will rot and turn your tank into an ammonia dump, as well as attract worms like Planaria, parasites, algae, or fungus.
-Most of the time, they often come with snail eggs or parasites laid on them which you'll need to take care of, as they will quickly overpopulate a tank and eat up all your live plants.
All plants need lighting, however, from experience I find that Anubias are the easiest to grow. Here's some information on them:
Fake plants are a cheaper alternative and don't require nearly as much maintanance as real ones, but with that comes a lot of disadvantages I mentioned above. Personally, I use a combination of both real and fake plants to give the natural look to my aquarium.
As a response to one of the other answerers, I find hornworts a pain in the rear...no matter what i do some of the leaves eventually start dying and my gravel gets covered with dead hornwort leaves, home to planaria and nematodes, and they're also very fragile and if I move them just a bit a few leaves almost always fall off or even a whole section breaks apart...from research it seems like most say they are easy to grow, so am I the only person who can't grow them?
@ Chaos!: Well if that's the way it propagates then that's extremely annoying =(
I would think so. Live plants will benefit any aquarium as long as they're healthy. They help to keep nitrate levels down, and use up extra phosphates and the CO2 your fish produce. They normally make an aquarium a more balanced eco-system.
There are no plants except fake that require no light, but you can get yourself low light plants which most are pretty easy to keep. Aquarium plants just like earth plants need light to let them photosynthesize. Without this the plants won't survive.
Live plants are good for any fish. The help to keep your water cleaner and provide shelter for your fish, plus they just look nice.
Here's a list of plants I've personally found to be hardy and undemanding:
Anubias
Anacharis
Hornwort
Java fern
Java moss
Willow moss
Rotala indica
Water sprite
(Hornwort naturally breaks apart easily; that's how it propogates. However, I haven't had any problems with it, and I move it around the tank all the time.)
Betta's love plants. I know mine does. The easiest plant I know is Hornwort. It will grow with just natural light, but will grow very quickly in moderate tank light.
Being that bettas certainly come from small water areas, (whether or not that be from asia or fishery's) perhaps it's of their Instinct to opt for small areas. I have had bettas in a 5 gallon tank that have been pleased. I could under no circumstances wish to place one in the ones terrible small betta bowls they promote on the retailer. Mine now could be in a one million one million/two gal tank with a heater at seventy four and was once afraid of the clear out (any others i have had have been happy with it), so i took it out. He as been bubble nesting and swims round alot. I havent heard tha one million gallon tanks are unhealthy. I could surprise why. I believe bettas can are living in lots of stipulations. But its as much as us to maintain the water blank. I believe we will be able to pass judgement on our betta's persona like you will have, and that may aid investigate what residing situation makes him pleased.
YES, actually real live plants are good becuz they provide even better oxygen than air pumps, plus they will help your betta live very long and make them grow bigger.
It is a great pet community where everyone shares pictures, advice, and everything like that. There are some real experts on there so you can ask them your pet questions there.
yea they like real plants that can flot to the top so they can go under them and lighting i dont think they need to much but they might need atleast some.. hope this helps
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
All fish prefer live plants over fake ones. This is because:
-Some fish can eat them as food.
-Any fish can use them as hiding places. If fish have nowhere to retreat out of view, they can get stressed.
-They look much more prettier than fake ones. My real ones actually sway in the current of the water filter, this is beautiful.
-Live plants break down waste materials in the tank and overall helps with the maintenance of them. Fake plants obviously can't.
-Live plants naturally breathe in carbon dioxide produced by the fish and releases oxygen, which will help your fish breathe better in your tank and be happier. Fake plants obviously can't.
They have their downsides, however:
-They require lighting from fluorescent bulbs 14 hours a day for efficient growth.
-If dead plants or leaves are left inside the tank, they will rot and turn your tank into an ammonia dump, as well as attract worms like Planaria, parasites, algae, or fungus.
-Most of the time, they often come with snail eggs or parasites laid on them which you'll need to take care of, as they will quickly overpopulate a tank and eat up all your live plants.
All plants need lighting, however, from experience I find that Anubias are the easiest to grow. Here's some information on them:
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/plants/anubias.php
Fake plants are a cheaper alternative and don't require nearly as much maintanance as real ones, but with that comes a lot of disadvantages I mentioned above. Personally, I use a combination of both real and fake plants to give the natural look to my aquarium.
As a response to one of the other answerers, I find hornworts a pain in the rear...no matter what i do some of the leaves eventually start dying and my gravel gets covered with dead hornwort leaves, home to planaria and nematodes, and they're also very fragile and if I move them just a bit a few leaves almost always fall off or even a whole section breaks apart...from research it seems like most say they are easy to grow, so am I the only person who can't grow them?
@ Chaos!: Well if that's the way it propagates then that's extremely annoying =(
I would think so. Live plants will benefit any aquarium as long as they're healthy. They help to keep nitrate levels down, and use up extra phosphates and the CO2 your fish produce. They normally make an aquarium a more balanced eco-system.
There are no plants except fake that require no light, but you can get yourself low light plants which most are pretty easy to keep. Aquarium plants just like earth plants need light to let them photosynthesize. Without this the plants won't survive.
Live plants are good for any fish. The help to keep your water cleaner and provide shelter for your fish, plus they just look nice.
Here's a list of plants I've personally found to be hardy and undemanding:
Anubias
Anacharis
Hornwort
Java fern
Java moss
Willow moss
Rotala indica
Water sprite
(Hornwort naturally breaks apart easily; that's how it propogates. However, I haven't had any problems with it, and I move it around the tank all the time.)
Betta's love plants. I know mine does. The easiest plant I know is Hornwort. It will grow with just natural light, but will grow very quickly in moderate tank light.
Being that bettas certainly come from small water areas, (whether or not that be from asia or fishery's) perhaps it's of their Instinct to opt for small areas. I have had bettas in a 5 gallon tank that have been pleased. I could under no circumstances wish to place one in the ones terrible small betta bowls they promote on the retailer. Mine now could be in a one million one million/two gal tank with a heater at seventy four and was once afraid of the clear out (any others i have had have been happy with it), so i took it out. He as been bubble nesting and swims round alot. I havent heard tha one million gallon tanks are unhealthy. I could surprise why. I believe bettas can are living in lots of stipulations. But its as much as us to maintain the water blank. I believe we will be able to pass judgement on our betta's persona like you will have, and that may aid investigate what residing situation makes him pleased.
YES, actually real live plants are good becuz they provide even better oxygen than air pumps, plus they will help your betta live very long and make them grow bigger.
Betta's generally inhabit small places in the wild similar to vases, so if you have a big tank then plants would be good to let them hide.
Show us your pet here!
http://partners.pantheranetwork.com/z/6925/CD917/
It is a great pet community where everyone shares pictures, advice, and everything like that. There are some real experts on there so you can ask them your pet questions there.
i have mine on the coffee table. the only light he gets is from the sun but he seems pretty happy with the live plants.
yea they like real plants that can flot to the top so they can go under them and lighting i dont think they need to much but they might need atleast some.. hope this helps
any fish likes live plants..it makes for a healthier and more interesting invironment for them...but make sure not poisonous...