Which Is Best In The Long Run Plastic Or Real Plants?

[Talz]

why do you like fake is it better?

i thought getting real plants was ok...until they came with snails!!
Cant get rid of them.....impossible,,,cant be done..going to drain the tank at whit.

Will never ever get a real plant again

morane

Thats what scres me! why not get some loaches?

 

[GuppiesRGr8]

I know they come with snails I ask my dealer that if I could find any snails I could have them they make a great live food if you have a small aquarium that only has snails in when its time for the live food (this sounds a bit inhumane) but you de shell them and cut them up if they r big and all fish will adore them its so cheap as snails lay there eggs so fast if the temp i higher!!!!

I know they come with snails I ask my dealer that if I could find any snails I could have them they make a great live food if you have a small aquarium that only has snails in when its time for the live food (this sounds a bit inhumane) but you de shell them and cut them up if they r big and all fish will adore them its so cheap as snails lay there eggs so fast if the temp i higher!!!!

 

[waterwatereverywhere]

Yes, go for loaches if the tank's big enough - I bought two polka dot loaches when I had a snail problem, they dont' grow too big and they finished off the snails in two days.

 

[mantis147]

Real plants are best!! I like to watch them grow gives me a sense of achievement!!

 

[Teelie]

A mix of both. Some real plants are always better than their fake counterparts and some fakes always outshine the real ones, especially if you have too many problems getting the water chemistry right, the nutrients, lighting, etc. Real plants are worth the time, if you have it.

 

[andywg]

All depends on what you want.

If you want an ornamental piece with small fish and lots of greenery then go for real plants.

If you want an aquarium for larger fish then the requirements to grow plants will be at cross purposes to those of keeping the fish and fake ones would be better.

 

[GuppiesRGr8]

Thanks guys and galls which loaches stay very small?
What are they quickes growing plants and which are the rock clinngers?

 

[morane]

why do you like fake is it better?

i thought getting real plants was ok...until they came with snails!!
Cant get rid of them.....impossible,,,cant be done..going to drain the tank at whit.

Will never ever get a real plant again

morane

Thats what scres me! why not get some loaches?

Tank not big enough for loaches. Only 14gall-63 ltr

have not drained the tank....snails seem to have gone...but think they are bound to come back

found one in filter last weekend....still hoping!!!

 

[geezer]

I used to use fake plants and they were ok!

Getting real plants can be expensive, but look beautiful in the long run.

me and the misses didn't read up about plants before hand so it was a shock when we were doing it all wrong.

WPG
CO2
Fertilizer
Pruning
Phosphate/gh/kh checks

I still don't understand half of it and lost most of my hair trying to figure it out

 

[GuppiesRGr8]

thnx

 

[BigIan]

I used to use fake plants and they were ok!

Getting real plants can be expensive, but look beautiful in the long run.

me and the misses didn't read up about plants before hand so it was a shock when we were doing it all wrong.

WPG
CO2
Fertilizer
Pruning
Phosphate/gh/kh checks

I still don't understand half of it and lost most of my hair trying to figure it out

you dont need to go all hi tec for just a normal looking aquarium, just go with the trial and error method of planting,
but 5 keep the ones that live bin the ones that die.

buy another 5 keep the ones that live bin the ones that die,

and so on it worked for me,

its only when you want to start growing carpets of rica or glosso tha you start needing high co2 and ferts and high wpg,

 

[dwarfgourami]

you dont need to go all hi tec for just a normal looking aquarium, just go with the trial and error method of planting,
but 5 keep the ones that live bin the ones that die.

buy another 5 keep the ones that live bin the ones that die,

So I'm not the only one using this unscientific method A year later, I think I am beginning to get it sussed; I have a fair idea what plants are going to make it in my tanks, and which ones I may as well give up on. I would still like to know what happened to my vallisneria though. I strongly suspect that they became shrimp food.

 

[BigIan]

he he he nopw i do the crash and burn method too

 

[Qays]

As before the day of the water change i like to move my plants out to get rid of the waste food, and the next day i will give it a vac and put the plants back, i leave the ornaments in for the fish to hide in.

Actually, when you have a tank full of plants, you vaccum around them, Many planted tank aquarists dont vaccum at all because there is no need.

Also, a planted tank will help give a natural feel to the tank, it will help remove nitrates, and it makes fish feel at home, which is the main aim of an aquarium.

Fake plants look tacky, they get dirty, they dont have that natural effect, the fish dont appriciate them so much.

You could get some low maintenance plants like Java fern, anubias, crypts, java moss, etc...

 

[Chri$]

I found that with fake plants i always had to carry out loads of maintainence (with them getting dirty and algae growing on them etc) and i was never happy with how they looked, so i switched to real. Never looked back, my tank looks so much better and the fish seem a lot happier. However if you go for fake i would advise silk plants because they look a lot better than the plastic ones.