Last Updated on September 8, 2024 by Sara Rose
In this article, we look at what plants are good for betta fish. Selecting the right plants for your betta fish tank or aquarium is a challenge many people often face. This is often because it may seem like there are no suitable options or there may simply be too many to choose from. In this article, I will help make this decision easier for you.
Table of Contents
What Are Betta Fish?
The Siamese fighting fish, commonly known as the betta fish is a South East Asian native freshwater fish. This comes from the species name Betta splendens. Watching these vibrant, energetic, and colourful fish swimming around inside a fish tank is undeniably one of the most relaxing things you could do after a long day at work. On top of that, these fish are amazingly easy to take care of. If you are looking to try your hand at rearing fish in an aquarium, testing the waters by experimenting with this low-maintenance fish may be the best way to get started. Before you can get started on this project, it is important to know what plants are good for betta fish.
Why Are Plants Important In A Betta Fish Tank?
Fish are extremely sensitive to the environment in which they live, since they cannot escape it (like land animals can move from one area to another if they don’t like it). This makes it important to make their environment ideal.
The Relationship Between Fish And Plants In An Aquarium
Most types of fish are generally extremely sensitive to poor water quality conditions in their environment. Unfavorable environmental conditions can lead to consequences such as fish deaths. This creates the need for an efficient filtration system to solve the waste problem.
Plants As A Filtration System In A Betta Tank
Plants in a betta fish tank will help to maintain good water quality by taking up nutrients such as ammonia, nitrates and nitrites. These plant nutrients are produced in the form of waste by fish as uneaten feed or feces. This is a symbiotic relationship in which the plants get food or nutrients from the waste produced by fish, while purifying the water, thereby helping to create ideal environmental conditions for the fish to live and grow in.
Plants As A Habitat For Betta In A Tank
When plants are integrated into a betta fish system, they can provide an environment for the fish to hide their fry, for breeding in their bubble nest and well as provide a place for the fish to adventure and explore, making life in the tank more exciting. For breeding, a breeding box can be placed in a corner of the tank hidden by plants, where the fish can find a safe enough environment to breed and take care of their little ones.
Plants For Aesthetics In A Betta Tank
Betta fish are already such gorgeous looking fish that come in many different colors. The addition of plants in their tanks just makes the environment more beautiful and will definitely improve your enjoyment level of your fish tank. Watching the plants floating in the water as the fish swim past them, almost following or mimicking the motion of the fish swimming is sure to make you imagine yourself just swimming and being one with your fish.
For these reasons and many others, it is important to know and understand what plants are good for betta fish, so you can decide which are best for you and your setup.
Top 5 Plants Are Good For Betta Fish
I have done a lot of research on what plants are good for betta fish so that you don’t have to, and here is a list of the top 5 plants that come highly recommended by the Betta owners. These have been used for a long time and are loved for their low maintenance and benefits that they bring;
1. Java Moss
Java moss is one of the easiest plants to grow in an aquarium. Its beautiful green color make it an ideal choice for any aquarium. It requires minimal light conditions to grow and can be rooted or floated in the tank. It provides an ideal environment for fry to hide out and may be important for betta fish breeding.
2. Java Fern
In addition to being beautiful, the java fern is an ideal plant for betta fish because just like the fish, it requires low light conditions to grow. It is a hardy plant that tolerates a wide variety of environmental conditions. This plant is extremely easy to take care and can be purchased at most stores.
3. Duckweed
Duckweed is a super fast growing plant that is ideal for betta fish. If you do not want it to take over your tank, you better keep trimming. The upside to this plant is it very easy to maintain, aesthetically pleasing and would be a great addition to for aquarium.
4. Marimo Moss Balls
These moss balls are incredibly hardy, easy to take care of and even provide a food source for fish. They are also very efficient at taking up nutrients, helping keep the maintain good water quality. These green balls of algae are very loved by betta fish and seem to bring out their playful side!
5. Water Sprite
The spread out leaves of this plant create so much room for betta fish to discover and explore. This plant is also great for taking up extra nutrients and keeping your aquarium in top condition. It can be rooted or floated in the aquarium, however care should be taken if it is floated as it can quickly take over the top section and block out light from entering.
Conclusion
From this article you can see when considering what plants are good for betta fish, that there are many plants which are good for betta fish. It does not matter the type of set up you have, you will find a plant that works for you. These plants are easy to care for and will improve the overall health of your tank and fish!
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FAQs
Do betta fish like plants in their tank?
Betta fish love having plants in their tanks as plants perform functions such as providing oxygen, filtering the water and providing a place for the fish to hideout.
Can I put pothos in my betta tank?
Pothos are excellent nitrate filters and will help maintain good water quality in your tank and keep your betta tank healthy. You should not however submerge the leaves of the plants as it may die. The leaves should be left floating at the top of the tank
Are moss balls good for betta fish?
Moss balls are an excellent filters and do a great job of keeping the water quality good for betta fish. Betta fish also seem to like to play with them like giant balls in the tank.
What plants are toxic to betta fish?
Plants such as peace lilies, philodendrons, water hyacinth, bamboo, water clover and ivy are may be toxic to betta fish and should be avoided in betta tanks.
An aquaculture specialist and freelance writer. Passionate about anything sustainable living, such as growing your own food, and if you can do it in conjunction with fish farming, even better! I currently work as an aquaculture researcher where I can expand and share my knowledge and skills on aquaculture, crop farming and adding value to wastewater by using it to grow food products. I enjoy reading and learning as much as possible, and writing is another avenue for me to share the knowledge I gain with others. I want my writing to inspire people to try their hand at gardening, whether indoors or outdoors. You can even start by keeping a few houseplants indoors to help you gain a bit of confidence if you need to.