Thanks, all, for your wisdom. OK, rather than increase my lighting, I think I am just going to yank out this Amazon sword plant because its looking rather bedraggled anyway, and its probably too large for my little 3 gallon. I don't want to increase my lighting because 1) I cannot spend more money, and, more importantly, 2) if I were my little betta fish, I would hate having a light bulb 3 inches away from me for ten hours a day. I feel bad enough with my little weak light on him, but I know that, ultimately, having live plants in his tank are better than fake ones, so its a compromise. Anyway, I would like to add a few small low-light plants. I have two marimo balls in there with him, that seem to be doing well, and a banana plant that seems to be holding its own, but not flourishing. I also have some kind of red lily thing that I got as a bulb from Walmart, which, shockingly, sprouted (the only one out of seven that did). It seems to be doing very well in a dark corner of the tank. It is not planted in the substrate.

Can anyone suggest a few small low-light plants to add to Opie's tank? And do plant tabs only fertilize plants whose roots are buried in the substrate? I am wondering if they would provide nutrients to my marimo balls, banana plant, and un-planted red lily.

Thanks!!