Floating plants and betta

[Barry Tetra]

HI everyone!

I have been adding floating plants to every tanks I have lately and been wonering if it's possible for betta to suffocate due to lots of floaters cover the tank? My betta tanks are covered in duckweed and water lettuce right now, there's no problem but I kinda worried it happens.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

It is possible for them to suffocate. As long as you leave enough room on the surface, they should be fine. (I usually like to cover half of the surface, giving them lots of room to come up for air)

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

I made a ring from some airline that floated on the surface, it was a salvinia free zone and I'd feed him there too so he always knew where to come when it was feeding time

 

[Byron]

It is not very likely that a betta would be unable to reach th surface due to floating plants like duckweed, but I would still ensure the surface is not totally covered. The following data may help to explain.

Betta splendens seems to live solitary in its natural habitat which is still and sluggish waters, including rice paddies, swamps, roadside ditches, streams and ponds. Such an environment is not conducive to fish that require oxygenated waters so one can expect few if any non-anabantid species to live in such habitats. During the dry season, most Bettas are able to bury themselves in the bottom of their dried up habitat. There, they can live in moist cavities until water once again fills the depression during a rainy period. The fish can survive even if thick, clay mud is all that is left of the water. They do not survive total drying out of the bottom (Vierke 1988).