planting recommendations Suggestions for planting a 5.5 gallon

[Just a Pygmy Corydora]

I am going to go to Aquarium Co-op, which is a 30 minutes drive, and I was going to pick up some pygmy corydoras, and I want to plant it more heavily. What plants do you recommend in a 5.5 gallon tank with a betta and 6 pygmy corydoras? Currently, I have a dwarf chain sword, anubias nana, crypt tropica, and a LOT of water lettuce. Thanks!

[Brandy]

Depending on your light, baby tears would look really nice--not DWARF babytears. If you don't have much light pick a moss instead.

 

[Kalita]

I'm doing a 5 gal shrimp tank so I'm picking up some Java Moss today (and Spikey but think that will mostly go in my other tank). I'm also picking up Lilaeopsis brasiliensis (carpeting plant) and Staurogyne repens. I have also have Anubias nano and petite in there - I think a betta would like those! Oh, and Salvina for floating plants (but water lettuce works too!)

If you could find Echinodorus 'Reni' I would get that!

I didn't want anything TOO fast growing or tall that would take over the tank in no time. Depends on what kind of look and how much maintenance you want to do 🙂

Edited May 8, 2021 by Kalita

[FrozenFins]

I have two plants in my betta tank that hugo just seems to really LOVE! He loves to rest under both my hygrophillia compact and my amazon sword. The Hygrophillia seems has probably tripled in size since I added in root tabs, so its VERY easy to grow. 

Some Dwarf Sagiteria will form a nice "jungle" look in the tank and will really fill in the gaps.

Also Hornwort is also very easy to grow, and Aurora would probably like it knowing that you could float it. 

[FlyingFishKeeper]

I personally love Pogostemon stellatus, it grows really quickly and fits a 5.5 gallon really well (it grows to the surface while still remaining fairly "bushy"). I second the idea of hornwort too, personally I think they compliment each other really well, although I have had issues with it randomly floating out form the substrate. (I'm not sure where but I think somewhere I remember reading that since hornwort is naturally grown floating. Then when planted into the substrate it doesn't produce roots and the bottom might rot) I also like planting Pogostemon stellatus, Ammania gracillis, & water sprite together since for me they look really good in a sort of "salad"/mix

[eatyourpeas]

The Pygmy corydoras may not dig as much as their Albino counterparts, but I have mostly epiphytes in their tank so I do not worry about them finding any root tabs. Fun ones are Anubias, Java ferns, Bolbitis, Bucephalandra, Hornwort, mosses and floating plants.

It makes the tank easy to redecorate without worrying about disturbing the substrate, and they love wood and rocks to explore. 🙂