[LongTimeAquarist]

:|When I started out on aquariums and till now, I've been buying plastic plants, mainly because I don't green thumb when it comes to ones on land and I didn't want to buy something that would be more trouble then it's worth, or an unintentional salad for some fish. Right now I have a 20gal tank with a Male Betta, and I'm planning on buying some new fish. One of my main concerns is that the local water is heavy with chlorine and even though I have the stuff to neutralize it, I'm curious if the chlorine would be harmful for the plants or would the plants absorb the chlorine, which in turn making the water fish friendly? The other is making sure to know what plants won't be eaten when I buy the new fish, so I'm asking which plants would be the safest in the tank, or should I stick with the artificial one?

 

[Boredomb]

If the dechlorinator that you are using is good enough that the fish hasn't died then its working and the plants would be fine also. What new fish are you looking at adding to the tank? Some safe plants that most fish never touch are Anubias and Java ferns. They are also really easy beginner plants and don't require much in the way of effort.

 

[LongTimeAquarist]

Neon, Cardinal or Scissortail Tetras, Zebra Danios or Platys/moons, a Clown Pleco, Paleatus Corydora Catfish, some ghost shrimp and a few assassin snails. Depends on what the people I'm buying them off of since I'm ordering them online.

 

[beaslbob]

I would take a read of the link in my signature.

Just what works for me with aquariums fish and plants.


my .02

 

[brownmane]

The one good thing about planting an aquarium is you don't have to remember to water it:lol:

Hornwort would be a good beginner plant. It floats and the betta will like floating under it.

Always use a dechlorinator. Chlorine will eventually kill the plants as well. Live plants do help in keeping your water in better condition. They add oxygen to the water for your fish.

 

[LongTimeAquarist]

Yeah but would a hornwort become food for the pleco? My main concern is making sure I don't start a salad bar for it, or if I should just buy a bunch of ono.

 

[Flear]

what is ono ?

 

[Flear]

i've got a bunch of plants that i don't like only because the fish don't & never will consider them a salad

-what almost nothing will ever eat (could also look at plants safe for goldfish for a larger list)
java fern - any kind - bitter
anubias - any kind - tough
Crinum - any kind i think - toxic to eat

-others i have aren't eaten just due to fish preferences
Moss Balls - many report cladophora algae breakouts after they get these (clado. is a different type of plant from this)
Bacopa
Hygrophila difformis
riccia - i've got a lot of learning to do about lichens - or at least those vaguely related to them (non vascular aquatic plants)

-what flagfish are expected to eat (but mine are not)
Rotala
java moss

-what the flagfish did eat
green algaes (various - hair, clado.)
Limnophila - this disappeared fast

 

[LongTimeAquarist]

small catfish that are usually used as algae eaters.

 

[LongTimeAquarist]

What I'm looking for are plants that a pleco won't eat.

 

[Flear]

i've got a small pleco (haven't identified him specifically) as for the plants, he's harmless to everything.

i think you've really gotta search for a pleco that likes to chew on plants, otherwise they just do that sucker thing to get what they want.

 

[brownmane]

I don't know anything about plecos, but hornwort is generally not a yummy plant, as well as it's a great oxygenator and does grow well in the aquarium.

 

[sandybottom]

depends on what kind of pleco.some are more interested in protein.make sure you have driftwood or cholla wood for them.anubias,java fern and some crypts will do well. they will sometimes rough up swords while cleaning them.