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same as u and it looks nicer than fake plants.

Last edited by bettachris at 09-Mar-2005 19:43

Ditto. I'm right behind you with this one Cory_Addict. I've only once tried an artificial plant in any of my aquaria (admittedly that was back in the 70s) and live plants were always superior in all respects. I've had Vallis, Hygrophyla polysperma, Water Wisteria, Amazon Swords, Java Moss, Java Ferns, Ludwigia, Bacopa, all of which fared well. Only ones that didn't fare well were fine-leaved Cabomba and Myriophyllum. For some reason they don't like my Panda Fun Palace™.

As for Hornwort, well, I'm removing the excess at the rate of 2 feet a week


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I use both. If they are fake they have to be silk. The silk is fake and you can tell but you have to get pretty close to them to see the rough silk edges.

All my tanks have some real plants in them in one way or the other. All the ones with fake plants at least have hornwort and java in them.

I like real plants better. But I couldn't imagine paying for and running the lighting for 8 bout to be 9 or 10 tanks. Geez I'd go broke.

Currently I have 2 very well planted tanks, the 40 and the 75.

Do I really need to say what I voted for?

Having healthy live plants brings fish keeping to a completely new level. The challenge is greater and the benefits too many to mention.

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Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

Well now,this depends on the fish. My Plecosotomus will eat plants and my eels will uproot them every day...therefore the only plants I use are in my 10 gallon with invertebrates and guppies.

At this time I have cichlid tanks set up with rock structure, etc. However, I'm currently planning several tanks of varying sizes that I will be planting with live plants in an attempt to imitate some of the great looking planted aquaria I have seen on this site and others.

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

Of all my tanks, three are planted and one has a mix of fake and live. The betta boys all have fake plants, as they get 100% water changes.

I'm working on growing out some of my baby java ferns so that they can be added to the betta tanks. I used to have hornwort in there, but after a while, it wasn't looking so hot, so I pitched it. It either grew like a weed or wilted and made a mess.

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Do you use live plants or fake plants in your tank? Why?

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

I'm torn between neither and live, as several of my tanks are totally devoid of plantage. Otherwise, live, just because fake plants feel, well, fake.

I noticed that most people answering this thread are those who like live plants. lol I thought thats what I would see when I came in. I also very much prefer live, but have used a lot of plastic plants (which I liked as a beginner and still do) but needed to go to live for other reasons. Not to cause a stir, but I thought my little 10 gal looked pretty good with all those plastic plants and decorations, The fish all seemed to like it. But I think they like the real ones better and thats ok with me.

p.s. gonna plant more live plants in my 29 when I get around to it

I only have fake so far, I am just going into the world of real.
Hope to have lots soon.

Angel Eel

The only "fake" plants that are in the tank are the ones attached to a couple of ornaments, but the ornaments are then surrounded by real plants...though lately i'm ready to give up trying any other plants other than anarcharis, as i keep killing everything else Hey, and if the fish begin to feel hungry between meals they always have a snack on hand:%) Heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Mixed.

My 10 gallon tank is all real plants, ( although I must say it is my first high light tank with CO2, proper plant substrate, ferts, you name it, and I'm realizing that It's a whole new ballgame from here. The tank looks great so far but does it ever need a lot of maintenance. There are constant challenges, like Bensaf said, and I find I am constantly checking some parameter or another to make sure everything is in check.

The only time I'm home with my tanks is on weekends so I spend far too much time maintaining them, and not nearly enough of it enjoying them. I have 2 days to trim the plants, dose ferts, check my DIY CO2 mix, check water parameters, correct water parameters, scrub the green pearling algae that has returned to the front glass again since last week, wish my lfs would get those otocinclus in taht I've been asking for, wish I had more money, prepare all of my foods in pill bottles for the next week, do water changes on all of my tanks, siphon gravel, clean filters, run a head-check for anyone looking sickly or under-the-weather, prepare any medications, chemicals, additives, fertilizers, whatever that need to be dosed for the next week in dropper bottles if there are any. I'm like the paranoid mommy that leaves a typed note with the babysitter every time she goes out for the evening! I actually do print notes, especially when any of my babies need a bit of extra TLC for some reason. :%)

The mutt betta tanks all have fake plants but the bowls get some sun and have at least some java moss and hornwort in them to keep ammonia down. I have to be sure they are set up when I leave on Sunday because there won't be anyone there to perform water changes if needed. I suppose I could theoretically plant them, but in this case it is a matter of convenience!

The 29 gallon tank is a mix of fake plants and real, mostly just because I don't have the money to fill it with real plants right away and I don't have the patience to sit around waiting for the plants I already have to fill it up. I don't really like looking at a half-planted tank, and since I have literally boxes of aquarium junk that I don't use, I stuffed some plastic in it. It doesn't look amazing IMO but oddly enough a lot of non-fish type people who see it think it's the nicest looking tank they've ever seen. Those poor poor souls.

Both

My 25g has both live and fake plants.

My 115g (african cichlid tank) has lots of rocks with only a little bit of java fern. I'm planning to get more soon.

Live only. It's part of the ecoystem, helps the fish, and is more natural.