Live or Plastic?

[susangc]

I started out with fake, but now I have live plants. They're not the prettiest things going, but they do seem to matter to the water chemistry.

Edit: Why is rotting plant matter a problem? I snip off them off before they turn nasty.

Susan

 

[noelberg]

Live is what fish have in the wild.

my $0.02

Ah! There's the rub! Most fish sold in stores are commercialy bred. Would they know what a real plant looks like if they never saw one?

QUOTE (modernhamlet @ Mar 2 2004, 02:31 PM)

Live is what fish have in the wild.

my $0.02


Ah! There's the rub! Most fish sold in stores are commercialy bred. Would they know what a real plant looks like if they never saw one?

For some aquarists, the goal is to try to make the tank look as natural as possible. While this is the constant paradox in this hobby- since we put commercially bred fish in controlled, unnatural environments - it also creates an enjoyable challenge. I enjoy the natural feel of live plants, so it's worth the hassle and challenge. Though I'm not sure that many fish care one way or the other!

 

[PereguineFalcon]

Hey!! Live plants are totally the way to go! Its just so much more rewarding to look at a live planted tank and to be able to gaze at your workmanship! Nothing comes without a price...and with live plants you gotta put at least a little more effort into it depending on the species. But it is very rewarding to be able to say 'Yes, they are live!'! I think its almost embarassing to have fake plants...they are so simple and lazy i think. I mean, whats the whole point of keeping tropical fish if you don't have to put a little effort into keeping them? Thats the fun of it! The challenge and struggles of it all. I'm not a plant guru, my plants still die, but I'm learning and its been a very rewarding and captivating journey for me! The only way you are gonna get better at in really is through experience and research! Get your ears wet so to say! Dive in! Have fun!

 

[rsz]

I used to have plastic, but I switched to live. I have a few plants that sort of go nasty (not many, though), but I either prune them of chuck 'em and buy some more. Where I get them from, it's fairly cheap and my tank always looks nice. I don't put anything at all into my tank for my plants, although I was going to put in some kind of aquarium plant fertiliser, and my plants are growing lots and reproducing and being healthy.

Plastic plants look much more real in amongst some live ones. Lots of plants are easy to care for too

Also, even though many fish are commercially bred, it doesn't mean they won't appreciate places to hide in or swim through. If you want to be like that, then you could have a bare tank because 'the fish won't know it's not ike that in nature'...

 

[chumley71]

I love real plants, but I have both, and some silk plants. I mix them up to add more color to my tank.
This was a great poll with lots of info. The best advice was to do research. I had a lfs sell me house plants, and the whole time they were getting them out they were telling me how easy they were to care for and how well they do in there uuuugh!!! they just rot!!
I almost gave up on real plants and then started research and learned which were best for me

 

[darksheep]

i like plastic, cause the never die on me , the fish dont eat them in a day and when the get old u can throw them out and get new ones

 

[lilhurleybunny]

Well I just got finished taking out all of my live plants. I think what happened was that I kept my airstone on because it worried me that my fish werent getting enough air and all and I didnt know how to tell if they were getting enough air so i just let the plants die .

So I am going to go out and buy some nice fake plants and have one big plastic jungle!

Later on I will get some nice live ones but for now..when life is busy and i dont really know what im doing..plastic will do jussssttt fine!

Your right chumley!! This poll filled me with great info and i know both sides of the plant argument now!!! Thanks everyone!!

 

[Annastasia]

I have had fake plants in all my aquariums. I just got live ones for my new tank and I LOVE the look. My 2 gouramis like them a lot better too!