live plants
- Thread starter ryan.king
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Loopyness
Fish Fanatic
no. im lazy..... 
nightlife20
Gettin back into it all after 4 yrs off
no u dont have to have live plants in the tank... its what ever u want in ur tank... u could ahve a scaled down statue of liberty if u wanted... or a not so big ben.....
iv had live plants.... now iv only got them in one tank.. i dont see any benifits from it... plastic/ silk plants can look nice if u dont get the cheep tacky stuff...
i get mine from flower shops.. the do some lovley silk/plastic grass an ivy an it looks nice when u do it right
id never get them from the lfs.. over priced an tacky lookin...
how a tank can look with plastic.
<<<<<have a look at this...
iv had live plants.... now iv only got them in one tank.. i dont see any benifits from it... plastic/ silk plants can look nice if u dont get the cheep tacky stuff...
i get mine from flower shops.. the do some lovley silk/plastic grass an ivy an it looks nice when u do it right
id never get them from the lfs.. over priced an tacky lookin...
how a tank can look with plastic.
<<<<<have a look at this...
babyfish
Fishaholic
I wouldn't say yes you have to have them but, how can you not want a beautiful growing underwater garden with all it's different shades of green and reds and browns. due to growth and propogation your tank could be an everchanging paradise for your fish and a delight to soothe the eyes. And then there are all the benefits that live plants bring,soaking up nitrates, heavy metals like copper and phosphates which cause algae. Some plants activly pump anti algae chemicals into the water.
Lots of fish like to nibble on green plants, with a well planted tank and well maintained fish you don't have to worry about going away for a week leaving your much loved fish to starve 'cos they can always find something to eat (unless they are piranha fish). 
Plants don't have to cost the earth either, buy them online in bulk and you can get about 90 plants for about £6-£7.
Do what I do, buy economy collections and keep the plants that thrive, chuck out the one's that don't. If a plant likes your water, substrate and lighting conditions it will grow like wildfire, usually producing more plants for you at the same time 
thecichlidaddict
Fish Herder
Well... what baby fish said.
The fact is that live plants are great for both aquariums and fish. Just recently I placed several guppy fry in a well 'fake' planted tank, and several in a well 'real' planted tank. Care of the tanks and fish were otherwise the same. The fish undeniably grew faster and show better color in the 'real' planted tank.
The down side is that algae can be more of a problem in planted tanks because the lighting and nutrients that make real plants thrive also make algae thrive. More careful thought has to be put into the equipment so that lighting, substrate, filration etc. is good for the plants. Fast growing and easy to keep plants can become a nuiscence as they always need to be trimmed and pruned. Leaves die and end up decaying, so they need to be cleaned up regularly as well. In general I find planted tanks more work, but if you really enjoy aquaria the payoff is worth it.
The fact is that live plants are great for both aquariums and fish. Just recently I placed several guppy fry in a well 'fake' planted tank, and several in a well 'real' planted tank. Care of the tanks and fish were otherwise the same. The fish undeniably grew faster and show better color in the 'real' planted tank.
The down side is that algae can be more of a problem in planted tanks because the lighting and nutrients that make real plants thrive also make algae thrive. More careful thought has to be put into the equipment so that lighting, substrate, filration etc. is good for the plants. Fast growing and easy to keep plants can become a nuiscence as they always need to be trimmed and pruned. Leaves die and end up decaying, so they need to be cleaned up regularly as well. In general I find planted tanks more work, but if you really enjoy aquaria the payoff is worth it.
Tempestuousfury
Fish Aficionado
The real plants add beauty and the "life-like" plastic plants aren't life-like. Real plants are a part of the hobby, and therefore should be kept unless survival rates are really poor in your tank.
Plants don't add a significant amount of O2 in the tank, and it's not wise to rely on plants to suck up excess nitrates. Surface agitation and water changes, respectively, should easily remedy those problems.
Oh yeah, swords and other broad leafed plants are good for breeding fish that lay adhesive eggs and for fish that need shade.
Plants don't add a significant amount of O2 in the tank, and it's not wise to rely on plants to suck up excess nitrates. Surface agitation and water changes, respectively, should easily remedy those problems.
Oh yeah, swords and other broad leafed plants are good for breeding fish that lay adhesive eggs and for fish that need shade.
Hi ryan.king
You don't have to have plants at all; it all depends on what you like. I've seen some very interesting tanks that only had rock arrangements in them.
Creating a beautiful garden, while making a safe and comfortable home for your fish, is sort of a double challenge that some fishkeepers enjoy while others don't.
There is no right or wrong way to do it, unless you have fish that require plants as part of their diet or if you need hidings places for fry.
You don't have to have plants at all; it all depends on what you like. I've seen some very interesting tanks that only had rock arrangements in them.
Creating a beautiful garden, while making a safe and comfortable home for your fish, is sort of a double challenge that some fishkeepers enjoy while others don't.
There is no right or wrong way to do it, unless you have fish that require plants as part of their diet or if you need hidings places for fry.
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