Fake decor - what to trust?

Hi all!

TL;DR:

I don't trust fake decor really. All we've really got around is Top Fin which I have actively seen fall apart in my hands at the store, things online which I don't know what to trust, some of my better LFS sell the odd cave but I don't think they stand by them or anything, they just sell the same as anywhere.

Is there a particular brand or item or something that is recommended? I kind of like the natural simple cave look. Somewhere for a betta to swim/hide/rest and no sharp edges of course.

Backstory:

I've always had aquascaped tanks from the beginning. I have the most ratchet rescue betta fish. I've done my detective work for now, and at this point - I think he's wearing or tearing them on the driftwood in his tank even if I did get the smoothest mopani and gravel I could find anywhere. It is still driftwood, after all.

His water is pristine, he is in a 10gal with a filter and heater, I test every day, he has some almond leaves, lots of live plants, the works, no sign of fin rot or active scabbing etc they're just...worse than they were. Behaviour is excellent. No reason to expect fin biting and his dorsal fin has taken the brunt so.. he is very feisty. I don't know but detective work is always one thing at a time!

 

Sounds just like the problem i had with my betta a while back. I went through the exact same steps you’re going through now is your tank cycled?

i thought it was my decor at first too… this caused me to fall down the rabbit hole of a planted tank.

My betta ended up being a fin nipper, even though he was always relaxed and calm when I was watching. I wouldn’t rule it out. Does he have a lot of coverage/decor in the tank now?

I have a checklist of reasons for fin biting now, we can figure this out !

 

TopFin stuff definitely falls apart and some of their decor has sharp edges. I always feel them over first before purchasing. There is a floating betta log by ZooMed that I use for my betta. The rest of his tank is all plants and he likes to tuck himself under the Dwarf Sag. leaves I have at the bottom of the tank. His favorite is the floating log though. He puts bubble nests all over it and sleeps in it at night. There's no sharp edges on it either, but as a floating log, if you've got a top current it will drift until it finds a spot it can settle.

You can always DIY something for your betta and I've seen a number of people use small terracotta pots too. I would just make sure the hole in the bottom of said pots are made larger to keep your betta from getting stuck in it.

 

The only fake decoration I have in any of my tanks is this "balinese lantern" thing that Topfin made. Looks like one of those japanese stone lanterns. I've had it for 5 years now, and it hasn't broken up at all. In fact, even its color hasn't faded yet. When I kept bettas, they loved to curl up inside of it to sleep.

 

TopFin stuff definitely falls apart and some of their decor has sharp edges. I always feel them over first before purchasing. There is a floating betta log by ZooMed that I use for my betta. The rest of his tank is all plants and he likes to tuck himself under the Dwarf Sag. leaves I have at the bottom of the tank. His favorite is the floating log though. He puts bubble nests all over it and sleeps in it at night. There's no sharp edges on it either, but as a floating log, if you've got a top current it will drift until it finds a spot it can settle.

You can always DIY something for your betta and I've seen a number of people use small terracotta pots too. I would just make sure the hole in the bottom of said pots are made larger to keep your betta from getting stuck in it.

Thanks!
I found a floating log of real wood at the LFS that was recommended but I have to cut it down to fit my tank. Currently doing some boiling it's got maaaaad tannins. I don't mind tannins but the first few rounds can go! Haha. They also sold terracotta tubes, I got one for my BN pleco in a different tank. I also bought more plants because I always buy more plants.

The only fake decoration I have in any of my tanks is this "balinese lantern" thing that Topfin made. Looks like one of those japanese stone lanterns. I've had it for 5 years now, and it hasn't broken up at all. In fact, even its color hasn't faded yet. When I kept bettas, they loved to curl up inside of it to sleep.

That's so interesting! It seems so hit or miss with decor. I'm watching Charybdis play a little too close for comfort with a couple rocks so I still think I'll be doing some redecorating haha. I also realized I have a couple anubias petite in there that aren't necessarily thriving as I think they fall in a "shaded" area and I think I'll tie them to the wood on the sharp bits! Like an airbag of plants lol

 

I have the zoomed floating betta log too, and I was surprised how much my betta likes it. I took a really large Indian almond leaf, and when it was water logged, just leaned it against a plant, like a lean-to. His majesty spends a lot of time there, hiding. Go figure....

When I was new to everything, I spent a lot of money on fake stuff from Wal-Mart and Petco, and now it's all in some container in a drawer some where. Live, learn, and spend money needlessly....

Very small terracotta pots for plants can be nice, too, and act like a cave.