Aquatic Plants for a 5.5g Betta Tank

pittipuppylove

Hi everybody!

In the last few months, I've set up a betta tank that now houses a male HMDTPK. It's planted with a small silk plant, and a couple of plantlets harvested from my 10g (Water Sprite (rooted), Dwarf Baby Tears (floating), and Windelov Java Fern). They've grown in nicely, but I'd like to add/rearrange the plants to be both more aesthetically pleasing for me and more interesting for my betta, who doesn't seem impressed with the current set-up.
Here're the stats for the tank:
-Size: standard 5.5g, 16"Lx8"Wx10"H
-Light: 25W daylight bulb from Menards, on 12 hours (can be adjusted)
-Hardness: Hard, API Master Test Kit says 8.2. When I got the kH and gH tested a while ago, the guys at the LFS called it "liquid rock." They told me a number, but being the dum-dum I am, I forgot to write it down. I'm getting it retested soon, so I'll add specifics soon.
-Dosed with Seachem Flourish 0.25mL once or twice weekly.

You guys have any suggestions? So far I've been using pretty basic plants, but I'm willing to try ones that are a bit more challenging or need more maintenence.

Thanks for any help!
Leah

redchigh

What kind of lighting? Is placing it near a sunny window an option?

Try hygrophila difformis, proserpinaca palistrus, crypt wendtii or echinodorus var 'klienar prinz', and a nice aponogeton.

pittipuppylove

Thanks for the reply! It's a 25W incandescent Daylight bulb. I was told it emits the same/similar wavelengths as natural sunlight. I should also add that I've been trying to keep the water at 82*F, but my heater is having issues (that will soon be resolved - I'm getting tired of messing with trying to fix it).

I live in a dorm with crappy windows - they freeze and frost up in the winter. Both windows also face west and therefore get full sun in the evening. I'd be really worried that the temperature would fluctuate too much :-/
Posted via Mobile Device

Stormfish

I have a green Cabomba and a now huge Hornwort in my own female Betta's 5 gallon tank. I just have a regular incandescent bulb for that tank and the plants are doing beautifully. She also seems to really like the Hornwort in particular and enjoys hiding in it.

redchigh

Compact flpurescent bulbs are much better than the blue incandescent ones... To clarify, what does you're bulb look like?
Posted via Mobile Device

pittipuppylove

Hm, good to know!

This is the exact light I'm using in my tanks: Westinghouse 03710 25T10/CD Clear Tubular Picture Light Bulb at eLightBulbs.com

Chesherca

I second Storm - Cabomba works great in my smaller tanks with this type of lighting. I also have had great success with other easy stem plants, like Anacharis.

redchigh

You won't regret upgrading. Here's one walmart keeps in stock.
Walmart Mobile

The package varies, but it'll be in the fish dept.
Posted via Mobile Device

pittipuppylove

Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

The 15g kit I just picked up has a flourescent tube light for the lighting, and so far I really like it. I just wish I could figure out the wattage they used :-/

Next trip to Walmart, I'll have to pick up a couple of those bulbs to switch the betta tank to!