Plants in a 2.5 gallon are they beneficial?

[edgekrusher]

I am wondering if putting live plants in my girlfriends 2.5 gallon would benefit the environment, or just cause more trouble than it's worth. She has this big fake pink plant, ewww, in there right now and I think it's one of the reasons her nitrates are so high.

Thanks

 

[Guest]

Plants are good nitrate reducers, I'd go for it. Betta tank, right? some hornwort or anacharis would be good I believe. they suck up nitrates pretty quickly.

What kind of light does the tank have?

 

[edgekrusher]

It just has the standard bulb that came with the tank. It's a minibow 2.5 gallon, is there another type of light I could use?

 

[Guest]

"The Mini Bow 2.5™, 2 1/2-Gallon Acrylic Little LAGOON™ Starter Aquarium Kit Includes:

A crystal seamless acrylic bow-front tank.
UL Listed, full incandescent hood with 15 watt bulb included. " --from the All-Glass Aquarium website. I assume this is what she has?

If so, she should have no problem growing one or a few small plants. I'd try the Anacharis first, very cheap at the lfs, grows very well, and gets al of it's nutrients from the water (as opposed to a root feeding plant). That will help greatly in reucing nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia.
Also, it's a stem plant, if/when it gets too big, just trim off the ends and replant the best looking part of the plant.

 

[edgekrusher]

Thanks, just the info I needed. I appreciate it.