Contest Must be dead

As I previously said I would happily help with this.

but...

or an even greater crime: plastic plants

Click to expand...

Whats wrong with plastic plants, I have them in my 50G and they look plenty good enough and I dont have to maintain them or worry about plant excess clogging up my filter.

Does it really look that bad?

Ben

On camera, you can keep taking photos until you get pics that make plastic plants look less fake. In person, plastic plants look really lame. Where as real plants, taken care of well, look stunning in person. Tropical fresh water fish and plants have lives that cannot be separated from one another. I just don't see a tank as very meaningful without caring for plants and fish together.

No offense, but a tank with plastic plants simply can't compete with a well planted aquascape; let alone a well laid out one. I personally don't think brackish water or african cichlid tanks can compete in beauty either. Then again I'm an A.P. Art Student, and so the aesthetic aspect of this hobby just is more important to me.

even though tear-scar's comment may be rude in some sense to people with non-planted tanks, I have to agree. But who decides what TOTM should mean? Best pile of rocks? Best plastic plants? Best live plants and aquascape? I've seen it in many threads and say it again, xOTM isn't always most natural or prettiest, it's mostly best photograph quality. Not saying there's anything wrong with that though. B)

Not that a lot of people have the cash for a great camera AFTER putting a tank together.

Someone could be a lot more rude than, "No offense, but a tank with plastic plants simply can't compete . . . yadda yadda." Anyway,

Even if you don't want to use live plants, a tank with well laid out rocks and bogwood can be very nice. Live plants would just detract from a tank like that.

Well you are wrong and being rude.

I think "nice quality" fake plants look great. It's hard to maintain an aquarium full of live plants. Although I would love a tank full of live plants I just couldn't keep up maintaining them.

My plastic plants are natural and realistic looking and they cost quite a bit too. My tank is a combination of plants. I have live plants, plastic plants and silk plants. I think it's a nice mixture.

I guess if your really educated on how to take care of all the different types of live plants it would be easy to have only live plants in your tank. Personally though I am not at that point yet lol