> > Jeff, the sad truth is that these are often advertised as no-care-needed
> > self-contained systems. The people selling these are misinformed and
> > trained to tell you the fish poops and the plant gets nourishment, which
> > stimulates root growth and the Betta nibbles on the roots for its own
> > nourishment.
> >
> Jay
>
> Most of the folks there seem to know well enough to feed the fish. There
> was one in a back office of the lab that the fish either died or was
> removed but at the front desk that one is doing great and up on 4
> Surgical there is a little guy who has been going strong for a year or
> more now!
>
> I'm not into Betta but I would recommend these setups over Betta Bowls
> anyday. The roots do make a big difference in the water quality and the
> quality of life for the fish.
>
> When stationed at Andrews in the early 90s I had a 30 gallon with
> Philodendron rooted in the water and Ray Wolff uses Pothos vines in
> similar fashion. Fishes really love roots. Many of our best collecting
> sites involved coming up under mats of willow roots with a dipnet!
>
> This I've carried over to my greenhouse pond with a 6 foot Fraxinus
> carolina (Carolina Ash) that sits bare root in the small pond helping to
> keep the water clean and providing shelter for fish while serving as a
> perch for airplants and small orchids above the water.
>
> Jeff
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