I'm thinking for my betta tank.

[FastFly67]

I know I'd like Java moss. I like the idea of the 1/2 coconut but I also saw a picture posted and mention of a soap dish? The betta looked like he was all curled up in bed in the java mass. too cute. I'd also like some small plants. I saw a plant i liked at the LFS that looked kind of like what's mentioned in this thread but the leaf was more oval, not so pointy but the same basic single leaf per 'stalk'
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/what-these-plants-105017.html

any idea as to what i'm thinking of. or possible suggestions?

 

[Peyton]

What size tank and what kind of lighting will you be using?

 

[FastFly67]

that's yet to be determined. i've got a 3.5 gallon now that he /might go in but more than likely it'll be a 10 gallon. i want something that's low light, low maintenance. it'll be my first time with plants.

 

[Peyton]

If you use the ten gallon you could always use a couple of spiral CF bulbs provided your lights take screw in type bulbs. I have a 10g setup that way and its been doing good for a couple of years now. It's about as low maintenance as it gets for a planted tank. I prune maybe once a month and perform water changes every two weeks.

As far as plants go you can have a nice looking tank using java moss, java fern, and anubias nana (which may have been what you saw at the pet store) which are all lowlight plants. None of them require any special substrate either.

 

[FastFly67]

If you use the ten gallon you could always use a couple of spiral CF bulbs provided your lights take screw in type bulbs. I have a 10g setup that way and its been doing good for a couple of years now. It's about as low maintenance as it gets for a planted tank. I prune maybe once a month and perform water changes every two weeks.

As far as plants go you can have a nice looking tank using java moss, java fern, and anubias nana (which may have been what you saw at the pet store) which are all lowlight plants. None of them require any special substrate either.

I think the anubias nana is exactly what i'm looking for although i think the petite version would be better for my 10 gallon.

 

[An t-iasg]

That's my betta in the plastic soap dish! I did just post a pic of him recently. All my bettas seem to love their moss beds in the soap dish. Bettas like a resting spot near the water's surface.

My bettas are in 10 gallon, low-light (27 watt CF) tanks. I have anubias nana and anubias petite, although the anubias petites have gotten to be about 2 inches tall. The newer growth is smaller; I snip them off and replant them.

 

[FastFly67]

That's my betta in the plastic soap dish! I did just post a pic of him recently. All my bettas seem to love their moss beds in the soap dish. Bettas like a resting spot near the water's surface.

My bettas are in 10 gallon, low-light (27 watt CF) tanks. I have anubias nana and anubias petite, although the anubias petites have gotten to be about 2 inches tall. The newer growth is smaller; I snip them off and replant them.

is the moss anchored anyway in the soap dish? or do you just ball it up and put it in there. i have no idea how moss grows. i love the idea though and those pictures are adorable

 

[An t-iasg]

I use one strand of nylon fishing line to anchor the moss. I put the moss in the dish and weave the fishing line up and down through the moss and through the holes in the dish. There are four holes across the dish so I just weave up, down, up, down, and then tie the line on the bottom of the dish.

The moss I'm using now is Taiwan moss. It's greener and grows a little faster than java moss. I am using CO2 also.

 

[FastFly67]

I use one strand of nylon fishing line to anchor the moss. I put the moss in the dish and weave the fishing line up and down through the moss and through the holes in the dish. There are four holes across the dish so I just weave up, down, up, down, and then tie the line on the bottom of the dish.

The moss I'm using now is Taiwan moss. It's greener and grows a little faster than java moss. I am using CO2 also.

Do you have to replace it after XX amount of time?