Necessary Plants

[FuelPimp]

Is it necessary to have plants in a tank? I have a plastic cave in my tank and a couple of rocks in there providing shelter. Its a 2ft, I think its 20 gallons. I need to do the measurements when I can find my tape measure

 

[Ferris]

Plants are not neccessary although they are part of the natural habitat for most fish and provide hiding places and security. Whether you get plants or not depends on the fish you want to keep and even then they are not essential, just advisable. Whether you go for real or fake plants depends purely on personal taste.

 

[Zathura]

It isn't necessary but it does add a nice touch and a more natural habitat. It can also aid in the quality of your water. Personally, half of the reason I have a tank is for the plants within it. It a different kind of garden, and can be very lovely.
However it really depends on your budget. Plants can be very expensive, and some are a lot harder to care for than others, so make sure you do your research before purchasing anything. Also if you plan to have snails to aid in any algae problems, they might eat your plants. So you'll have to make sure you get plants that either snails or fish don't particularly want to eat, like a broad leave kind, or get fish and snails not known for munching on your greenery. If you do get plants, make sure you take out dead leaves or sickly parts ASAP as it will become a burden on your filter as it decomposes and can throw your chemical levels offs. Java Ferns are very hardy a great for beginners.

 

[gadazobe]

Plants also help oxygenate the water and they also use the nitrate produced as well as providing inbetween meal snacks for your fish.