Once you decide to make your tank greenish you think of plants. There are so many options and if you look at the market you will get lost in the variety it offers. But somehow Pothos plant attracts your attention and now you want to know more about it. We will tell you the most important information you need to know about the Pothos plant.
Epipremnum aureum or more common Pothos plant is a hardy, tropical, vining plant that can grow in both soil and water as long as it has the right nutrients. The leaves are mainly in the shape of a heart, mostly green, sometimes with yellow splashes. In most cases, you will find it as a houseplant, outdoor plant but it is found in many tanks too. You will find it climbing any place in and around the house you just need to direct it. There are a variety of Photos plants and they are very easy to grow. Very little or almost no maintenance is needed. It can live under low light and in rare cases, you can kill it. Pothos plant is extremely beneficial if you have it in your home, it purifies the air and for aquariums because it removes nitrates and increases water quality.
In this article:
Pothos Plant In Your Betta Tank: Advantages & Disadvantages
Now you would like to know what are the benefits and the downsides of having a Pothos plant in your betta tank. In this section, we will tell you all about it.
There are many benefits from growing the Pothos plant in your tank but number one is most surely removing nitrates. Nitrates are normal in every tank and you can remove them from aquarium performing water changes but also using plants such as Pothos. What do Pothos do? It feeds by absorbing all the nitrates and other nutrients from the tank through the root and leaves. If you have troubles with nitrates in your tank Pothos could be an easy and great solution to it.
The other benefit of the Pothos plant is it helps fight algae. Algae show up if the light is too strong and nitrate levels are high. Pothos doesn’t require light and reduces nitrates so it doesn’t allow algae to develop.
Another good thing about Pothos is that it provides cover. One when the roots are set the leaves that are very thick and strong will start growing really fast. In a short time, it will form a curtain as a cover for some fish to hide, others to rest or drop fry.
Apart from all specific benefits listed we should, by all means, mention that your tank looks more natural and certainly more beautiful with Pothos around it.
If your fish produces a lot of waste the level of nitrates will rise and here Pothos does the job. Also, some fish eat aquatic plants but hardly any will bother with strong roots and leaves.
There are no serious downsides connected to Pathos plants. Maybe their fast growth is something that can annoy you but if you control the conditions and feeding of the plant you will control the growth too. You can also perform trimming and decide where to direct the leaves.
The other thing which can be taken as a disadvantage is that Pothos isn’t completely an aquatic plant. The root can be kept in the tank but the leaves have to stay above.
Pothos absorb all the nutrients from the tank so if you have other plants in the tank they may die because of a lack of nutrients. Be careful with other plants.
How to Grow Pothos in a Betta Tank: Emerged or Submerged?
Pothos plant is very easy to grow and hardly you can ever kill it by mistake. It grows in various conditions and tolerates very little light but adores strong sunlight. If it is exposed to a lot of sunlight, it will grow rapidly. The temperature range that Pothos prefer is between 60 and 86 F. It can grow in humidity as well as in a dry environment. As long as there is enough moisture around the roots it will grow. Pothos grow well in the water but not that well underwater. If you put the whole plant under water along with leaves the roots will grow but the leaves will slow down the growth or stop it entirely and eventually die.
If you decide to grow it in your tank here is what you should do.
Firstly, take several cuttings of Pothos and dip them in a de-chlorinated container that will be exposed to light. If you go with sunlight do not expose it directly. It will take some time until it develops roots. You need to wait until the roots reach several inches. 5 inches is a good time to move the plant into a tank. The next thing after moving a plant in the tank is to use a hook or an anchor to set the roots and only a part of the stem under water, so stick it at the back side of the tank and set the leaves above. Do not let the leaves underwater. You can expect the plant to establish the roots in 2 to 4 weeks and the leaves will begin to grow. If the light is appropriate and there are nutrients to feed in the tank your Pothos will grow at great speed. The only thing you need to do once it starts growing is direct it and arrange the surroundings.
Is Pothos Toxic to Betta Fish?
It is important for you to know that Pothos is toxic. This plant consists of calcium oxalates and this can cause irritation around the mucous membrane. Your pets mustn’t chew the leaves and stems. In most cases they don’t but if you trim the plant be careful to throw all the leaves away.
Even though it is toxic it is safe for your tank. Now you can be confused a bit but let us explain. When you cut the plant, you do not introduce new cuttings in the tank. After the plant has healed in a separate container it cannot release toxic matter and poison fish in your tank.
Final Thoughts
We hope that many things mentioned above will be useful for you if you consider introducing a plant such as Pothos. We can with certainty say that your Betta can live in a tank where you grow Pothos. There are many benefits from Pothos and let us remind you once again.
- Pothos’ crucial benefit is to remove nitrates from the tank.
- It will make your tank cleaner and safer
- It is very easy to grow, with almost no maintenance
- It reduces algae in the tank
- Makes your tank look awesome