Live aquarium plants (alive, small, light, aquariums)

[ClaraC]

So this is a small rant.

I've bought a betta, and have had several in the past. Love those fish. This one is especially dear.

I have a 3 gallon tank and wanted to put live plants in it. So I went to a big box pet store and bought a couple live plants in clear plastic tubes, situated in the aquarium section.

The plants all died.

I bought more. They died.

Turns out, these plants aren't meant for aquariums. They're designated "semi-aquatic", which means their roots can be in water, but their leaves need to be above water.

What the heck? I don't want to mention the actual stores, but I've seen this company sell these at more than one store.

I've spent more than 30 bucks on plants that aren't supposed to be submerged, although they're sold in the aquarium section of the store.

[Butterflyfish]

Originally Posted by ClaraC

So this is a small rant.

I've bought a betta, and have had several in the past. Love those fish. This one is especially dear.

I have a 3 gallon tank and wanted to put live plants in it. So I went to a big box pet store and bought a couple live plants in clear plastic tubes, situated in the aquarium section.

The plants all died.

I bought more. They died.

Turns out, these plants aren't meant for aquariums. They're designated "semi-aquatic", which means their roots can be in water, but their leaves need to be above water.

What the heck? I don't want to mention the actual stores, but I've seen this company sell these at more than one store.

I've spent more than 30 bucks on plants that aren't supposed to be submerged, although they're sold in the aquarium section of the store.

Hi Clara, I just happened upon your vent. It caught my attention because I also have a 3 gallon tank with a Betta and live plants. Since I live on a remote island, I don't have a local resource for plants so I purchased my plants online from Aquarium Co-op after watching several of his YouTube videos. The plants always arrive quickly and are in great condition.

To keep plants alive, you will need a substrate intended for planted tanks such as SeaChem, and adequate lighting. I originally purchased my little tank set-up from a big box pet store, but I have modified it over the years, as I've learned more about keeping healthy fish and plants.

The first thing I did was upgrade the lighting to a Fluval Nano lamp. It was an "investment" (expensive) but I really like it alot and I've had it for a few years now, problem free.

I still struggle with the plants to be honest. They always eventually die and I have to replace them. I've resigned myself to that. I think you really need CO2 for plants to thrive and I'm just not interested in getting that involved in the tanks and gear it requires (my little tank sits on my kitchen counter - I want to keep things as simple as possible), so I just replace the plants when they die.

As for your vent, I sympathize. Those plants sound like they'd be suitable for wasabi tanks. I don't have high expectations from big-box stores, I've always received better advice, products, and customer service from independent small businesses. I probably never would have bought my 3 gallon tank in the first place, if I had discussed it first with a small pet shop owner.

Good luck!