To Plant, or not to Plant?

[CruDev]

My local tropical fish store suggested live plants to be a very bad idea and that plastic was much better. This kinda goes against everything I've been told in the past - any views on this please? I can't find anything on the net to tell me one way or the other. Thanks

 

[yhbae]

Live plants are good idea if you can keep up with it. If you haven't done any live plants before, I suggest you stick to low-light plants such as java fern or java moss.

They help reduce CO2, produce O2, reduce other chemicals such as ammonia and nitrate. In the case of java moss, they can even provide some microscopic food for small fish fries.

Personally, I don't see any negatives of having these "easy" plants.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Hmmm I am so intrigued now...

did they give a reason for them being a bad idea? If not you should go back an ask them to satisfy my curiosity

My plants keep my nitrates right down and my fish love dashing in and out of them, I can't possibly think of any downside to them.

I think your lfs is trying to trick you into spending loads on plastic plants!

 

[Ricoch3T]

used to do the plastic plants when i was younger... Never really liked them b/c algae kept growing on them and then they would look like crap. Course that and they always looked fake. I hadn't setup a planted tank yet but hope to do so in the near future.

 

[pacuman]

I used to have plasic plants and i swiched over to real ones they look alot nicer and the fish love plating in them

 

[pacuman]

O opps sorry bout double post but live plants can make a mess in your thanks sometimes.

 

[yhbae]

Another advantage - they multiply! You get more of them for free...
See my tank pictures. I started with only a handful of java ferns...

 

[pacuman]

true

 

[J_acon]

LIVE LIVE LIVE

All the benefits mentioned above.

 

[3lfangor]

Live plants are better but I prefer to rub/soak them in dechlorinated water 1st before putting them in. The only dangers they might have is: contamination:alga, bad bacteria and if u already have plants; diesease. Take precaution when selecting the plants. But go for live plants.

 

[jrd77]

I had live plants and their decomposition seriously messed up the enire tank and decreased the water quality which ultimately stresssed my fish out allowing bacteria and parasites to become an issue. 3 of them died. If you do live plants, make sure you maintain them and do not let them decompose in your tank.

-Jessie

 

[karrihug]

i have live plants in all my tanks, even the little betta tanks. the fish love them. i have never had a nitrate reading over 10, and they look much better than the plastic things. your lfs probably doesn't sell them and wants to make money off the plastic ones. just make sure you take off any dead/dying leaves when you do your weekly maintenance and stick with the hardier lower light types.

 

[K-Holed]

And be prepared for a snail attack at least once!

 

[Helium_Junkie]

And be prepared for a snail attack at least once!

What if you don't have any snails in your tank, how could this happen?

 

[tstenback]

The most popular way of snails getting into a tank is through the eggs being laid on the leaves of plants we buy and put in our tanks.