Artifial plants or no?

[Briggan]

So I bought some fake flowers you’d find in a craft store from the dollar store, I would like to put them in my female bettas tank. Anyone know if these are safe to use? There are no wires or metal parts.
Thanks!

 

[howard_hopkinson]

Unless they are specifically for use in aquariums, I'd seriously think twice before putting them in your fishtank.

 

[fish48]

most plastics are safe these days or at least the types of plastic plants iv'e used I have some plastic plants in my tanks from a cheap shop 4 years ago,
even used branches from plastic Christmas tree

 

[Back in the fold]

If you are dead sure you want to use them inspect and feel closely for sharp edges.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I would just say, no. People often think that fake plants are easier, and cheaper, but in the long run you will find more joy out of getting live plants. I recommend to start out with something easy like Anacharis. This hardy plant can be grown either buried in the substrate, or groan floating. (I find both very appealing.)

If you have your mind set on fake plants, definitely get silk plants. If you get the super cheap plastic ones, they could very well cut your bettas delicate fins. A big bushy silk plant, would provide shelter and comfort for your fish.

Good luck!

 

[Briggan]

Thanks, I’m not really to the live plants yet but maybe I’ll try it soon.
I already have silk plants in her tank, it’s the same material as the fake flowers (from what I can tell), so I mostly worried about chemicals/dyes.

 

[Metalhead88]

I wouldn't bother to risk anything that wasn't specifically made for aquariums.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I concur. I just wouldn’t risk it.

 

[Briggan]

Welp, I guess I’ll be needing some new decorations lol.
If your interested, here was the plan:
I wanted to have the flower part above the waters surface and have the stems in the gravel, so it would kinda look like the fish was swimming under the flowers instead of in them.
I suppose I can do this with aquarium plants and have it be safe. Thanks for all your help!

 

[Jan Cavalieri]

I would seriously think about trying live plants - there is nothing to it - plant them, and make sure you have decent full-spectrum lighting and forget about them. They rarely even need to be fertilized - and while some can be messy they provide a HUGE payback by helping you control ammonia and other substances in the tank - very beneficial to the fish and water and very easy and way cheaper than high quality silk plants - plus they grow and divide and next thing you know your have is a fully planted tank - or if you have multiple tanks - you can share the plants among them as they grow..

Plastic is TOO sharp. So if you won't go with live plants, purchase silk - they'll cost about 10 times more but won't tear the skin of your fish with sharp edges like plastic. I'm so turned off by aquariums with plastic plants they just look so fake plus they never grow or multiply so the cost become excessive over time. Fish REQUIRE a place to hide - and you'll never have enough caves - and many fish aren't comfortable at the bottom of the tank - they want the top so they love the floating plants and just hide in them until feeding time - it keeps their stress down if there are bigger fish in the tank that can be intimidating. Where are your fish going to hide when they are stressed out?

The one downside is that they often come with snails or snail eggs too small to see but a certain amount of snails can be beneficial as well - they eat a lot of left over food - just don't let it get out of hand. I clean my tank out of about 100 snails a week - I ignore the plants and they just keep growing and growing no matter what. Occasionally I cut off a ugly leaf or pull out some dead stuff and keep floating plants as far away from your filter as possible or they will keep clogging the intake tube - but that's pretty easy. Don't be afraid to throw some away if the growth gets out of hand. The fish need some open water areas too - so you don't want your tank to be covered in floating plants - just pull out the yellowed ones and throw them away. Much easier then weeding an outdoor garden! Takes just a few seconds a week.

I have no green thumb, I kill all terrestrial plants but my aquatic plants grow amazingly for me.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I have no green thumb, I kill all terrestrial plants but my aquatic plants grow amazingly for me.

Same. I can literally kill a cactus in a week, but my Anacharis is off the charts healthy.

 

[Back in the fold]

Actually, there might be something to be said for artificial plants. When you look around in pet shops these days there are some very realistic looking artificial plants. They really do look pretty good. Someone just starting out may want to devote themselves to keeping the fish alive and the aquarium looking good and not having water quality issues. After this is all taken care of they can try live plants. Also, the lighting required for live plants can be expensive. Sometimes it isn't in the budget right away. Those who do have live plants think it's a snap now but think back to your first ones. My first ones were a mass of dead leaves swirling around in the water and subsequent attempts were no better. It took a while. Anyway, I was thinking about this and I see that there is a place for tasteful artificial plants. Also, many people use silk plants and they are fine.

 

[FishGuest5123]

I use a mixture of real and silk. My goldfish eat any plant but anubias so silk goes in theirs along with anubias. In my shrimp rank it looks like it is crazy wild with live plants but fake ones are mixed in. No one even knows.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I have always thought that fake plants just look tacky. Live plants really aren't as hard to grow/keep alive as many aquarists say they are. (IMO )