Pothos plant safe for aquariums?

LeahK

LeahK

AC Members
Jul 5, 2007
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My friend has a 5 gallon betta tank. She's also got a few jars of water in which she's rooting vines from a pothos plant or "devil's ivy" (Epipremnun aureum or Scindapsus aureus). The other day she asked me if she could root the plants in her betta tank.

I wasn't sure, so I told her I'd post here.

If you know the plants I'm talking about, they'll grow in jars of water very well. I see a person on this thread has it growing out of their filter: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194015&highlight=pothos

My friend isn't looking to use the plant to reduce the need for water changes like in the link above. She just thought the betta might like being able to swim around the roots. Any opinons on doing this?
 
here is a link to some pics of someone else who has these in their tank.

http://gtaaquaria.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7619

i know i've seen this tank here as well but i'm not sure how to look for it. i think it looks neat when done the way this lady(?) has it done.
 
Thanks for the link! I'd actually seen that thread before and was looking for it online but couldn't find it again. I forwarded it to my friend.

I think it's actually a neat idea. I might do it in my own tanks.
 
Epipremnun aureum The plant is listed as "toxic to cats, toxic to dogs" by the ASPCA, due to the presense of insoluble calcium oxalates. Care should be taken to ensure the plant is not consumed by housepets. Symptoms may include oral irritation, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing


Scindapsus aureus
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/598/
 
I've got it in one of my tanks. Okay, not completely in, just the roots. You would have to keep the leaves out of the water, of course.
 
hmmm, that bit about it being poisonous is worrying me now. Does anyone have a problem with their fish eating it? Maybe there's another similar vine that would work as well but not be poisonous.
 
I have one in one of the filters of my 75 and a couple vines hang down into the water. I had a problem with my silver dollars eating it (until they were removed from the tank) and they weren't poisoned
 
I have the roots of one dangling in my 29 without problems. I have it draped across the lid or sometimes I curl it up and let it sit on one end of the tank. None of my fish bother it although they decimate the tank planted ones.

Make sure that only the roots are in the water. It will grow fully immersed for a while but will eventually begin to rot. With roots only, I have had no problems even when I dose ferts. It seems to use up the ferts as well as the tank planted ones do.
 
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