Discussion: Artificial Plants Vs. Natural

[FroFro]

I'm of the opinion that natural is good, but I believe tanks can be made nicely when choosing the right artifical plants. For example, silk/soft plants with rich colors. No bright neons/colors that a fish wouldn't see in the wild etc. I remember my father keeping a lovely setup with fake plants when I was a child and his community fish really liked swimming through/around them.

Thoughts?

 

[itiwhetu]

Live plants only. The only time I use fake plants is with large Cichlids to give them something to play with so they won't touch the live plants that are in the tank.

I never like putting anything in to a tank that doesn't contribute something to the environment. Therefore: Natural Gravel, rocks, live plants, drift wood, fish. Everything has a part to play in the tank.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

Live plants all the way for me, I hate anything unnatural in my tanks personally, not because I think it looks tacky (I do) but live plants are so beneficial for the fish and they help with conditions too. And in my opinion growing plants is all part of the fun!

 

[FroFro]

I'm a fan of themed tanks and think some quirky decor can look really cute, and if combined with the right fake plants you can create an interesting or even stimulating environment for your fish.

Although I do love the look of natural tanks and how creative some people are with their aquascaping, I'd say high quality artifical plants can offer a secure feeling tank and simulate a natural environment for fish if done right.

 

[Fishmanic]

I have live plants (anubias) toward the front of the tank and a very tall silk plant in the background. My tank, a 35 gallon tall hex tank, has a single 24 in fluorescent tube so the brightness is relatively low so many plants won't grow well (I have tried). The anubias are low light plants and grow well. The tall silk plant looks natural and fills up most of the tall height of the tank.

 

[itiwhetu]

I'm a fan of themed tanks and think some quirky decor can look really cute, and if combined with the right fake plants you can create an interesting or even stimulating environment for your fish.

Although I do love the look of natural tanks and how creative some people are with their aquascaping, I'd say high quality artifical plants can offer a secure feeling tank and simulate a natural environment for fish if done right.

The main purpose of live plants apart from protection for the fish is to complete the nitrogen cycle in your tank without them that cycle is left in limbo.

 

[Fishmanic]

Here is my tank. The anubias are on malasian driftwood toward the bottom and on a tall piece manzanita driftwood at the top. You can see the silk plant on the left rear of the tank.

 

[itiwhetu]

I have live plants (anubias) toward the front of the tank and a very tall silk plant in the background. My tank, a 35 gallon tall hex tank, has a single 24 in fluorescent tube so the brightness is relatively low so many plants won't grow well (I have tried). The anubias are low light plants and grow well. The tall silk plant looks natural and fills up most of the tall height of the tank.

Have you tried Crypts in the base of this tank

 

[AbbeysDad]

For a very long time I resisted live plants. I felt that I would need to spend $ money on better lighting. Plastic plants were easy and frankly I cleaned them in the dishwasher from time to time so that they always looked really good.

But plastic plants do nothing to improve water quality. Living plants use ammonia has their nitrogen source and therefore indirectly reduce nitrates. This is especially true of fast growing floating plants, that convert pollution into plant tissue that we eventually remove in trimmings.

I can appreciate that there are hobbyists that like theme tanks with all sorts of gizmos in the water. For me though I think the very best aquarium is a window into nature. And nothing does that better than living plants.

 

[Fishmanic]

I have tried swords, watersprite, water wisteria, java fern, with no luck. The tank is too deep for proper lighting at the bottom using the hoods single fluorescent bulb.

 

[FroFro]

I have tried swords, watersprite, water wisteria, java fern, with no luck. The tank is too deep for proper lighting at the bottom using the hoods single fluorescent bulb.

You should try a flat glass hood with an led light bar. They have tons of neat ones for a decent value and they make ones with specs that provide lighting for plants. You might also need to use root tabs and a water additive to provide nutrients. I have a hard time with plants too, but my anubias do well in my medium lit tank with just the fish waste and plant suppliment I add after every water change. Well enough to survive that is!

 

[FroFro]

For a very long time I resisted live plants. I felt that I would need to spend $ money on better lighting. Plastic plants were easy and frankly I cleaned them in the dishwasher from time to time so that they always looked really good.

But plastic plants do nothing to improve water quality. Living plants use ammonia has their nitrogen source and therefore indirectly reduce nitrates. This is especially true of fast growing floating plants, that convert pollution into plant tissue that we eventually remove in trimmings.

I can appreciate that there are hobbyists that like theme tanks with all sorts of gizmos in the water. For me though I think the very best aquarium is a window into nature. And nothing does that better than living plants.

This poses an interesting question, because when I first started in the hobby I had nothing but fake decor and plants in my tank and (until I learned to stop buying livestock from petsmart) my fish seemed to do just fine with regular water changes and scheduled feeding. I wonder why that is?

 

[FroFro]

Here is my tank. The anubias are on malasian driftwood toward the bottom and on a tall piece manzanita driftwood at the top. You can see the silk plant on the left rear of the tank.

You had to point it out for me, so thats a very nice blend of artificial and real you have there! I guess one benefit of combining both is achieving the look of a heavily planted tank if you can only keep two things alive like me. I have no green thumbs, or fish tank thumbs, at all.

 

[itiwhetu]

I have tried swords, watersprite, water wisteria, java fern, with no luck. The tank is too deep for proper lighting at the bottom using the hoods single fluorescent bulb.

Why I said Crypts is that I once built a Terrarium that had a water fall going into a tank at the bottom. I didn't think about it at the time but the whole thing was about 4 feet high the light was great for the Carnivorous plants at the top, but the light was really poor in the tank, the only plants I could get to grow were Crypts.

 

[AbbeysDad]

This poses an interesting question, because when I first started in the hobby I had nothing but fake decor and plants in my tank and (until I learned to stop buying livestock from petsmart) my fish seemed to do just fine with regular water changes and scheduled feeding. I wonder why that is?

Sure, you can have an aquarium with fake plants and as long as you perform sufficient volume/frequency of partial water changes, the water quality should remain high. But with a proper substrate, live plants, and good filtration you get closer to a biotope where the biology in the balanced aquarium assists in maintaining high water quality. Where a missed water change or a power failure become less significant.