# High light easy plant for betta tank



## FRIENDLYFISHIES (Aug 7, 2012)

Im looking into java ferns and anubias nana for my betta tank, something super easy to care for...i dont really want runners so I just want single plants that you can control a little better...however, the java ferns and anubias claim to grow better in low light and shouldnt be in high light..the bettas tank is very bright and the light is very close to the tank so im afraid these plants wont work for me? Any experience with them, would they be alright in this tank? or should I look for an easy to care for high light plant? If so I have no clue what to look for...ive also decided to order from the internet as petcos plants arent looking to good...any reputable stores that you recommend?

edit* Oh and my light is a 15 watt flourecent bulb and the tank is 9" high...if that helps...would that be considered high light?


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## P.senegalus (Aug 18, 2011)

I have no experience with the two plants you listed, but anacharis is easy to grow and does well in high light.


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## FRIENDLYFISHIES (Aug 7, 2012)

yay the petco site has a chat box when you need help, got my answer, my light is a 15 watt moderate  now I know what kinds of plants to look for! thanks for your reply senegalus I will check it out!


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

I wouldn't trust petco on anything... Java fern has been easy for me to grow in the past.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

java ferns, and Anubias should do fine in your tank. One thing I've noticed though is that your substrate is very thin. With plants your going to need more substrate because what you have, won't hold them down. Get a bag of whatever you use. Personally a more natural look really look better with plants. Brings them out more. As well with the fish. Brown rocks or sand. I hate the colorful rocks or sand...

BUt they are relatively easy plants to care for.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

You'll want more substrate.


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Nope, its not high light. From the looks of it you have an aqeon 8000k t8 bulb in it. It should say the exact specifications on the bulb. If its a compact florescent bulb than maybe medium light at the most. This will be perfect for anubias and Java fern. From the looks of it their isnt much gravel in the tank. This make anubias and Java fern even better candidates since they do not need to be buried. Most people attach them to decorations using cotton string and when they have fully rooted themselves the string will rot away leaving just the plant. Just make sure you get a timer for that light. 8 to 10 hrs at the max. Good luck and I hope to see another beautiful planted tank.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

That's the 5.5 gallon?

Trust me you don't have high light. You have about medium light now.

I have a 96w on a 10g that's high light, and it's in fact to much light :/ but my plants grow fine.


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

This is the chart that is used for the most part by the planted community, including myself. Basically, the 'watts per gallon' rule is no longer used. This chart is based off of Parr values. Essentially the bulb efficiency and reflectors on the fixture. 

Courtesy of Hoppy on the Plantedtank.net 









This is an older version of the chart. Rather than measuring the tank height, go by the substrate height. For example my 56 gallon is 24" tall. I have my light mounted 12" above the aquarium, giving me a total height of 36". According to this chart my tank my tank has low light. However I have and average of 4" of substrate in the aquarium. If I subtract the 4" from the total tank height that gives me 20" total tank height. With a dual bulb T5" fixture mounted 12" above the tank that makes it medium light. Not to much and not to little. 

@Friendlyfishes 
I realize this is a tad overwhelming but this a great guide to understand your lighting system in comparison to what you perceive as high,medium, and low light. If you ever decided to go full planted this chart will be page one of your handbook.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

I have java fern directly under the surface and a few centimeters away from a 15w lamp so I think you should be fine, mine is growing really well there. I would also recommend anubias and java fern. Another great plant to put in there is java moss (I think I have some, but I'm not sure. Might be som e other moss)


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Grogan- I copied your post- edited out your comment to FriendlyFishies and posted it under a sticky in the planted tank section. Just thought you would want to know


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Thanks bud. I cant take credit for the research but it is solid information and should put to rest the the "how much light?" threads. Its simple, and easy to understand.


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## FRIENDLYFISHIES (Aug 7, 2012)

Thanks everyone! I got my first anubias from the mail, ive been waiting for it to get here to test out my skills..it looked nice and healthy, didnt see any snails or eggs, rinsed it off well (it wasnt in a fish tank) and the leaves were really bright green and intact...the betta doesnt care about it either way lol but its a start...Thats a great chart! It is over whelming but it helpful  ... This anubias i have is an anubias africa so i imagine it will get quite large but once it gets big enough i can just transplant it to a larger tank...im looking for some nanas but they seem to be sold out EVERYWHERE!


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Anubias nana petit is a pretty wanted plant. I got one through luck in my local pet store but managed to kill it. They are hardy plants, but it just didn't want to survive in my betta tank.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

anubias nana petite is a very wanted plant. I got it through luck in my local pet store. I managed to kill it within one week while everything else is thriving


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

well, thank you fishforums . . .


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## Murloc (Jul 26, 2012)

BettaGuy said:


> Anubias nana petit is a pretty wanted plant. I got one through luck in my local pet store but managed to kill it. They are hardy plants, but it just didn't want to survive in my betta tank.



That is a bummer, they are hardy plants, but not invincible. 

Riddle me this gorgan... I once had a 20 tall planted tank, I changed lighting in it, to a dual t5 set up. I then took the 24" lamp I had, and I put it on my 12" nano cube. The lamp holds 2 power compacts. One is a 65w day light, the other, a 65w actinic. That lamp stood maybe 4in off the water. That would be considered "too much light". I had anubias in there, in the direct light ( maybe 16" away from the light that thrived, multiplied, and they are still alive today. Not one plant ever got burned in that tank, including the low light loving plants. So, can you really have, too much light?

I know even light loving plants have a threshold where you can have X amount of light, but they will still only consume and grow at Y speed, not matter how much more light you provide. But can you have, too much light? I have always provided my plants with a luminous flux ( or lumens ) count much higher then they need, just for the sake of overkill. But I have never had a plant die from too much light.

Does that chart maybe refer to " too much light " as passing a threshold beyond that a plant would ever photosynthesize?


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

Oh goodness I brought a mess load of the bananna plant and killed like 10 of them within a couple weeks. I had the correct amount of light and everything else lived but that plant


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## Murloc (Jul 26, 2012)

Cory1990 said:


> Oh goodness I brought a mess load of the bananna plant and killed like 10 of them within a couple weeks. I had the correct amount of light and everything else lived but that plant


Banana plant, thriving under intense light, for about 8 months.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

I have two banana plants in my 5g and last time I checked one was starting to grow leaves. Plants are just weird some times, why would the banana plant grow, but the anubias died. I guess our knowledge about plants only reaches so far.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Banana plant? Like the plant that you get bananas off of?


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## Murloc (Jul 26, 2012)

Betta man said:


> Banana plant? Like the plant that you get bananas off of?


Yes. Can you tell me why I had my Nymphoides aquatica for so long and it never gave me fruit?!?!


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Once this plant roots itself and is established...DAMN it has one of the best leaf structures in the hobby. I love the high gloss that it develops. Pictures do not due it justice.


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## BettaGuy (May 6, 2012)

Betta man said:


> Banana plant? Like the plant that you get bananas off of?


lol, they are called banana plants because they have this structure (not sure what its called) that looks like bananas on the bottom of the plant. I remeber that I placed mine upside down the first month wondering why it wouldn't grow until I checked it out online :chair:


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## Murloc (Jul 26, 2012)

grogan said:


> Once this plant roots itself and is established...DAMN it has one of the best leaf structures in the hobby. I love the high gloss that it develops. Pictures do not due it justice.


Yeah they do! Mine always got GIANT leaves on them, never very tall, but very large... And once that happens, and the plant is grown, sometimes I swear that the leaves can looks plastic haha. I am going to put a few in my tank, the only problem is all the ones I find are just not as healthy as I would like. 

The Banana shaped roots are exactly just that. Large roots, used to store nutrients. If you go to pick them out, it is best to have them with "fat roots", then you know they are decently healthy.


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