Easy plants for a betta tank (?)

[clownbaby]

My mom bought a 5.5 gallon tank for herself because she wants to get into the hobby and would like a betta! She definitely wants a planted tank. We looked at plants together and she picked out her favorites. I want the plants to be pretty easy so I was hoping I could get some advice on if any of these plants are higher maintenance. 

Plants:            * = I know the plant is easy, likely from my own experience

• cryptocoryne petchii
• cryptocoryne lutea
• cryptocoryne wendtii*
• hygrophila corymbosa (compact)
• java moss
• java fern (narrow-leaf)*
• dwarf sagittaria 

These two I am unsure about, I feel like they need CO2, but she really likes them:

• micranthemum umbrosum
• hydrocotyle tripartita

Thanks for the advice! Very excited to help my mom out and share the hobby with her ❤️

Other potentially important info:

• It will be a dirted tank. Dirt mix is made up of our native soil (which is almost pure clay), sand, leaf compost, worm castings, and forest products (forest products is made up of decaying/rotted/processed leaves, mosses, and woods). I have used this in my 30 gallon and worked great.

• The cap will be sand on some areas of the scape and pea gravel on other areas. 

• I will probably add in anubias since I have a lot in my 30 gallon that could be seperated 

• My water parameters from my tap is 6.8 pH gH 3-4 kH 8. Temperature will be 78 f. 

Edited September 4 by clownbaby
additional info

[Tony s]

wendtii and dwarf sag are easy. wendtii will get big, maybe too big. It was one of the tallest in my 75g. Sag will make a loose carpet on the bottom. up to 6" tall but can be trimmed lower.

Jave fern is also easy, don't bury the center. Java moss always dies for me.

[MattyM]

Anubias - my 9g betta tank is mostly anubias and dwarf sag. They seemed to be the plants that worked best w/ my water and no injected CO2.

 

[MWilk]

Definitely anubias. Bettas like to rest on plants, Anubias barteri has good broad leaves for them. You can stick them on a rock or stick up higher in the water column without affecting the substrate. 
 

Dwarf sag is nice but will take over in a small tank like that. 
 

Crypts make a good floor cover. Baby Tears is a carpeting plant that needs special care to look good and really doesn’t benefit a betta. 
 

what substrate will the tank have?

[EricksonAquatics]

Hydrocotyle is actually pretty easy to grow (especially in small, shallower tanks). It did well closer to the light in my tank. Pearlweed is another good one if you’re ok with a lot of trimming and replanting!

[clownbaby]

On 9/4/2024 at 11:13 AM, MWilk said:

Definitely anubias. Bettas like to rest on plants, Anubias barteri has good broad leaves for them. You can stick them on a rock or stick up higher in the water column without affecting the substrate. 
 

Dwarf sag is nice but will take over in a small tank like that. 
 

Crypts make a good floor cover. Baby Tears is a carpeting plant that needs special care to look good and really doesn’t benefit a betta. 
 

what substrate will the tank have?

It will be a dirted tank. Dirt mix is made up of our native soil (which is almost pure clay), sand, leaf compost, worm castings, and forest products (forest products is made up of decaying/rotted/processed leaves, mosses, and woods). I have used this in my 30 gallon and worked great.

The cap will be sand on some areas of the scape and pea gravel on others. 

I was planning on adding anubias; I have a few varieties in my 30gal and they could use separating. I just did add it to the list above because I already have some and have experience with it 🙂

[MWilk]

On 9/4/2024 at 4:14 PM, clownbaby said:

It will be a dirted tank. Dirt mix is made up of our native soil (which is almost pure clay), sand, leaf compost, worm castings, and forest products (forest products is made up of decaying/rotted/processed leaves, mosses, and woods). I have used this in my 30 gallon and worked great.

The cap will be sand on some areas of the scape and pea gravel on others. 

I was planning on adding anubias; I have a few varieties in my 30gal and they could use separating. I just did add it to the list above because I already have some and have experience with it 🙂

That sounds like some wonderful soil. I'd go for the hygro corymbosa compact. I love hygros.