Betta tank suggestions on plants

Alright so I think I have finally decided how to set up my 29-gallon (upon "approval" from you guys of course.) I want to get four female bettas and six (or more) cories. A few questions. First off, is this going to work? If so, I remember hearing about hanging caves on some thread. What are these and should I get them? I already have one cave in the middle of my tank (sits on the bottom) but does each betta need her own cave? I'm also pretty heavily (fake) planted. But any suggestions on some real plants that bettas like that are easy to take care of? Also, I have light colored gravel (white and grey mostly)... any suggestions on some cories that would look good over this? And anything special that I should do for them? Finally, any other suggestions for fish that would go well with these guys would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

I think that bronze corys would look stunning on the light gravel I love the corys

I don't know about your fmale bettas though - best wait for someone with more knowledge

 

Your idea should work.  Note that you should add the Bettas last of all the fish, and you have to get them all at once.  If you try to add the Bettas 2 at a time you will have a war.  For the Bettas, you should have some floating plants and make sure at least part of the tank is relatively still.  Make sure you have several food options for the Bettas.  Also there should be lots of hiding places.  The Cories need smooth gravel, or even better, sand.  I would recommend using real plants--Java Moss, Java Fern, Crypts, Anubias, Guppy Grass, and Hornwort are low-light and like zero maitenence.  JM, GG, and Hornwort can be left floating.  JF, JM, and Anubias are/can be attached--you can use cheap fake wood.  Crypts, GG, and Hornwort are/can be planted in substrate.  

Some other fish that could work in there are Otos, very peaceful tetras (Black Neons, Glowlights, Cardinals, etc), Platys, or Danios--I've heard they'd work that is, but they are very active, so I don't know.

 

I love the idea of a small group of Female Bettas and Corys. It should work just fine. The female Bettas do indeed need to be introduced as a group. They will not need to be from the same place and there will be a bit of a sorting process and perhaps a little arguing for a time until a pecking order is established. There needs to be a primary female established. You should expect this and provide cover for protection and help for the ones who are not the dominant ones. Soon the order will be established and peace will reign. Now do not get me wrong, this is not a battle to the death like it would be with the males. Just a conflict. Soon you will notice they will give deference to one more than the others.

Caves can be shared once this is over as long as they are big enough, but until then there may be a problem with everyone sharing. Also the corys will need some cover as they are a little shy as I understand it.

I am very undecided on the issue of floating plants and Bettas. They need absolute access to the surface of the water and I have a problem with not being able to see the surface quality to make sure they have cleanliness to be sure they can breathe through their Labyrinth organ. (located on the top of their head) It just seems better to me not to have anything floating on the surface. The other thing about plants and that is mainly an irritation preventer, I wouldn't use Java Moss around Bettas. They love to swim through it and drag it all over your tank. It is fun for them and a real mess for you. It took me a long time to get the last shred out of my tanks LOL. Jave Fern, they love and if you have a fair amount of light I know my bettas LOVE the Madagascar Lace Plants. They grow up and have to be thinned but they grow tall and Noel loves to "float" on top of it and he gets so mad at me when I thin it and it is shorter again for a while. It grows from a bulb and is very easy and grows fast.

I am going to see if I can find the picture of him sitting on the plants. LOL

Hope some of this helps. Congratulations on the great sounding tank!

Rose

 

What if you just had one or two floating plants for some cover, but the rest was open?

 

yeah... I posted this before I got satin. he's doin good (finally... see my other post.) Do you think I could have cories and ottos with him in the 29 gallon?

 

Cories and Otos would be fine. Just be cautious adding other fish to "his" territory...

 

I'm gonna move him to my ten gallon for a couple days and then rearrange all the stuff in the tank. Then I'll add the cories (I think I'm goin with them) and possibly some other fish that will swim more in the mid and upper ranges to the 29. Then I'll add Satin back in and hopefully it will be a new tank in his mind. Any suggestions on mid to upper level swimming fish? First priority is that they won't attack Satin (alright so I'm playin favorites, sue me). Second priority Satin won't attack them. He definitely seems like his bark is louder then his bite though. He was flarin up a storm for a few days but you open the hood and he goes hidin in his cave. How does a fish with fins that long swim so fast??

 

Oh yeah... and Rose,

With so much surface area in the 29-gallon would you still recommend against the java moss?

 

LOL the java moss problem isn't the surface area. they get it caught in those L-O-N-G fins and drag it all over the place as it is not tied down to itself and it is like trailing little strings of it all over the place. You will have it in and out of everything. AND they love to keep going back to it to lay down on it so it just keeps spreading. It would be funny if it weren't so much work to clean up!!! I am not saying "do not do it", I am just saying you will probably be sorry if you do as the little stinker will have a mess for you to clean up. There are just so many more plants you can use that would be easier to deal with. : If you want something softish for him to rest on try a tall plant like wisteria or the Aponogenton (sp?) bulbs (Madagascar Lace Plant) that I mentioned. There is a really neat website for plant type reference:



Off-ice who sells plants on the swap and trade portion of this forum is a great one to ask about plants also, I have gotten plants from him and they are first quality. He is the moderator of the Plantgeeks Forum. (and its Administrator I believe) Gunnie and Butterfly are also great people to ask about plants as I know they both have a lot of plants as does Isabella.
If you want to look at some examples of what you may be looking for try looking at some of the planted tanks in the Fish and Tank Photos Section of the forum and some of the people posting can probably tell you what plants are in their pictures.

Also, the Cories and Otos do sound great. Anytime the little Otos can find a good home I'm all for it. The little guys have almost as hard a start as the Bettas only in a different way. If you would like to find out more about the little fellows or gals they have their own website with some very interesting information about how they come to us. It is otocinclus. They do have quite some story.

Oh, and yes Omorrokh, it is fine to have some floating plants as long as the major part of the surface of the water is open to the air and kept very clean. It still need to be moved slightly with a small airstone turned low or the movement of the filtration unit to keep the water surface stirred, so the plants have to be located so they will not separate and float all over the surface. Poe had duckweed partially covering the surface of his tank, and since duckweed is fairly woven together and stays put it could be used to cover part of the surface, but only part. If you use something like Hornwort just make sure the stems are not just allowed to float all over the top.

ebbandflow, I hope you enjoy Satin, he does indeed sound like he will be one with a personality. He flares at himself and gets all bad and runs for a cave when you open the hood. LOL Yes his bark is worse than his bite, but he likes you or he really wouldn't back down. (and it is perfectly okay to have favorites) And as far as swimming so fast wait til you try to corral him to move him from one tank to another. (which is something I don't recommend any more often than absolutely necessary - so do try to only move him to the 10 gallon once and then back to the 29 if you are going to - every time they are stressed it opens them up to finrot and ich and all kinds of nasties)

Let us know the results.

Rose

 

That's good you're moving him to the 10 before adding other fish. The Cories sound great. I've always wanted some of those.*pout* If you want other fish in there, I think your safest bet would be Black Neon Tetras. They are extremely peaceful and should be too small to make the betta feel threatened. I've heard that tetras tend to swim toward the bottom third of the tank, but the Betta should stick toward the top anyway. Other fish you could try: Cardinal Tetras are also very peaceful; Glowlights ditto but they would be riskier because they seem more "assertive" or something; I've heard Platys get along with Bettas--just avoid any long-finned ones--they swim all over; Danios are supposed to be compatible but I don't know, they are so active and stuff; and of course just about any catfish small enough for the tank would work.

Rose, do you think floating Java Moss would be ok with female Bettas? The ones at the store don't have much in the way of finnage, with the exception of crowntails I once saw, but their fins were still short. I wouldn't be too worried about water circulation even with a bunch of floating plants...my power filter practically makes a tidal wave...if anything I will have to slow it down!

 

The only problem with Java Moss is that it doesn't float quite but hangs mid- way if just dropped in. I use it in my fry tanks for just that reason(and the tanks are bare with nothing to snag it )
I have Frogbit, floating Wisteria and Riccia as floaters in various tanks.
Carol

 

ohhhhhh...
Are there any other low-light plants that actually float at the surface? I'm not sure the Black Neons would appreciate somehting hanging down in their swimming space...

 

Heres a good place to start

Carol

 

I should know to just go there and look before asking and getting a link there by now. : I couldn't really find any floating plants that looked like they would suit my tnk...I'll look again...

 

What about Guppy Grass?  I'm thinking that might have the same prablem as Java Moss if left floating--?
oops, I'm hijacking ebbandflow's post...I'll take this question to the post about plants I already have in Plants...

 

Haha, don't worry bout it 0morrokh. Just cuz someone starts a post doesn't make it there's... at least I don't care. You ask good questions (usually ones that I should be asking myself) so please keep it up.

 

Oh good someone appreciates my constant questions... ;D