Good plant for 2.5 gallon betta tank

rolf35

I was hoping to find a good plant for a small betta tank. It would be my first time using live plants so I have no idea as to what a good species or what kind of lighting/fertilizers I would need. Any suggestions?

aunt kymmie

What type of lighting do you currently have? What type of substrate?

rolf35

Its a fine gravel substrate with a 15W incandescent bulb

LisaC144

Your gravel will work fine but your lighting will fry your plants. I keep 7w over my 5g betta tank and my plants thrive. 15w over a 2.5g I think will be too much light. As for plants in a 2.5 gallon, I like the Anubias Nana (which needs to be tied to something, not buried in the substrate) and Java Fern would look nice too.

rolf35

Well that wattage is all I've seen around, would covering the light with some sort of translucent material help protect the plants?

Byron

Incandescent lights also produce a lot of heat which over a small tank will work to heat the water. This is one of those situations where a light suspended above the tank would be better, say a lamp like a gooseneck desk lamp. Or as I frequently suggest to others, a good window spot will provide ample light for small tanks.

Crypts are ideal plants for your setup; low light, small, easy to care for. Or a bunch of Wisteria (Hygrophila difformis), with a bit more light; the window would still be ample for this. And the floating Water Sprite, Ceratopteris.

Byron.

teddyzaper

you might be able to do baby tears with the light you have currently