New Betta Tank Need Advice On Plant, Stay Or Go

Hello! I am a new betta parent, set up my first tank these past few weeks... Flugal spec V, I did a lot of researching so I hope that I did a good job. The tank is not yet fully cycled, I am pretty close tho, I think.. I seeded the tank and used a bio "bottle of bugs" and have testing the water everyday. so far, it is stable.... Its a bit cloudy but I read that the cloudiness is natural and will eventually go away. I also have a little white fuzz on the driftwood, its a mopanI driftwood that I soaked and boiled for a week before setting up the tank, and also read that the white fuzz will eventually go way as well. I let the tank run a full week before adding my little guy. I was adding little pinches of food to feed the bugs. He is alone in there.. So, he was zooming around, having a great time, and I noticed today that his tail is torn... I am guessing that its the Marineland bamboo plastic plant, even tho I have read that people use it for bettas, that the bettas love cozy little spaces, and I also boiled that, and rubbed my hands all over it, it does not feel sharp to me ... its actually fairly soft for a plastic plant.

I also noticed that my guy loves to press his little body up against the skimmer intake area, and I thought that maybe his tail got sucked into that... I went to the craft store and got a little piece of plastic mesh and going to somehow attach it to the grate openings... but that plant. I am not sure what to do. Sapphire, that's the fish, he seems to really love that thing... he lounges around, swims around and in it, on it and under it. he seems to navigate it pretty well. He sleeps in it at night.. its one big giant betta hammock.

I was thinking of perhaps cutting it back? or tying it up, or if you guys think getting rid of it altogether is the best way so be it. I want Sapphire to have be happy, but safe..

ps. I put some holes in the filter tube and put a sponge over the output... so the current is very low..
moved the heater into the tank.. its a good solid 77 in there....

thank you in advance for reading.... x denise

 

Plastic plants are always a risk of ripping their fins. The way to test if they're safe is to run it through a pantyhose. If it doesn't snag, then it's safe. I would look at other silk plants as substitutes. I also just found out that Zoo Med made larger sized betta hammocks.

 

You can't be too careful even if a plastic plant seems harmless... I have all silk in my tank and I definitely recommend you to go silk or real.

Ready for Christmas <3

• HelloKittyPowa
• Dec 14, 2018

cutie got a cute little snowman

Lazy Friday For Koriand'r

• HelloKittyPowa
• Dec 14, 2018
• 1

what a baby

 

thank you!! okay. plant is coming out... I read up last night on silk. some people love them, some had troubles with leaking dyes.. so for the sake of safety I am going to get some more real plants today.. perhaps some beginner amazon sword, more annubias, float some in there.....keep is simple as the tank is not completely stable yet. water tested good again this morning.. so all seems to be okay... I have a plastic container all set up to quarantine any new plants to watch for snails.. :0

 

tank update! plastic be gone.. added one amazon sword in the back there, two floating annubias, and one floating moss ball. so far Sapphire is digging it.... and I am so less worried.. Thank you so much... !

 

Digging the look!

 

Digging the look!

thank you! I have been thinking about this tank for so long. its so fun to finally put it together... can't wait for the water to finally clear up a bit.. in time. I just have to be patient.