Live Plants

[Knave]

so i'm planning on getting a male betta as my first fish once i finish cycling my tank. I've read that they love live plants, but i don't know the first thing about caring for 'em.

is it alright if i just put in a bunch of fake ones orrrr.....

 

[MacDracor]

If you start with low maintenance, low light plants it can be very easy. Anubias is pretty bulletproof, as is hornwort and related plants. I've also had no problem with cryptocoryne and melon swords. Petco offers "betta bulbs" and I've played around with a few of them. So far so good, and I don't do anything special as far as the plants are concerned.
I have not used fake plants in over ten years because of how much I enjoy, and the fish seem to enjoy, live plants. So I don't know much about how fish react to them.
Just avoid "bamboo" and the plants in the clear plastic tubes. They're sold as aquatic but they aren't.

 

[Rivercats]

Actually some of the tube plants are fully aquatic, you just need to know which ones. I've seen Swords, Crypts, Bacopia, Java Fern and Java Fern Wendilov, along with Rotala and Ludwigia all in tubes. If it doesn't say any of those then they most likely are not fully aquatic.

You would be able to do Swords, Crypts, and Java Ferns along with Anubia's for easy low light tolerant plants. One thing tho is I'm assuming you have either sand or gravel for your substrate which means your plants, especially your sword which is a heavy root feeder, will benefit from root tab fertilizers.

 

[MacDracor]

Ok, sure. They do occasionally put aquatic plants in those. But in the years I've gone to petco, I've seen that maybe twice so I generally just warn people off the product in general.
I know people recommend root tabs, but I've never used them personally.

 

[Rivercats]

Even tho my 220g is dirted and capped with Eco-complete I still use root tabs. I find they give plants like Swords and Crypts a real boost. But I also use Iron root tabs around all my non-green plants and I feel that also helps improve color. Another thing is that plants in higher light tanks grow faster and need more nutrients to keep up with their growing needs. Then if you add liquid carbon or CO2 the need for ferts are even further increased. All tanks are different and each have their own needs so if something works for an individuals tank then thats the way they should keep doing things.