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I have fake... just seein what people like better

I definantly have to go with real.
They go with the natural lokk that i love and they aid in the processes of the tank, making it a little bit easier to maintain

-Vincent

Plastic or silk plants will obviously be easier to keep, but live ones look nicer, clean water to an extent, and give a feeling of self-accomplishment if you care for them successfully. I started each of my freshwater tanks with fake plants, but eventually removed the majority of them. I think there are only a couple left now.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Tried the live thing for awhile but they all died. Since I'm no green thumb, and in my mind fish tanks should have plastic anyway, I stick with what works for me.

I like the look of real plants better, but I'm not willing to do the work for them, as of yet, so I use fake. Some fakes look better than others though. I do have a couple of live struggling plants in my tank. So for me, I guess it's a combination of both. But I do love the look of a natural planted tank.

Fakes can be good if used wisely.

Or sneaky way.... fakes at the back to puff it out, with real deal in front.

I have a green thumb on dry land but aquatic plants not my thang..... lucky I currently have cichlids that like rock cover instead.

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~~~ My fish blow kisses at me all day long ~~~

I had fake plants for the first three years of fishkeeping, but they collected a lot of gunk and seemed a lot harder to keep clean. I now have live plants, though they don't always do that well, they are cleaner (the ottos love them) and seem to keep the tank cleaner. Even with having to replace them ever so often, I just like them so much better than the fake ones and the fish are calmer too. Nothing beats the real thing.

I prefer planted tanks personally. I started my first tank with fake plants. I liked them at first. I eventually set up a second tank with live plants and within a month had tore all the fake plants out of the first tank and have been adding live plants ever since. I just think the tanks look so much more natural with live plants.

But to each his own!


Rick
See all my pictures at Google Web Albums

In my situation it depends on the tank. My big tank has cichlids who love to turn live plants into a meal My other tanks all have live plants though. Even though I'm not high-tech (low lighting, no co2) I still have some nicely planted tank.

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

i have fake for now but im looking to get real ones because they look better and give more oxygen to your tank

Real: real plants do a lot for an aquarium, both in look and in conditions. They help stop the growth of algae by using up sunlight. Plus they make oxygen for your aquarium.

Fake: Much easier to take care of, especially if u don't have that high of a wattage in your aquarium. And there is never a chance that they will die.

real plants by far. There are so many plants, and some of them are incredibly hard to kill. I see no reason to put fake plants in a tank unless you've got fish that dig or chow down on real ones.

I've always had better experience with fake plants, as they are easier to maintain, but once I got my 46g (my largest tank ) I noticed that I enjoied the real plants better. Real plants are also better for some types of fishes, such as bettas, that have longer fins, but I think if you have small short-finned fishes in smaller tanks fake plants are the easiest to maintain ^_^

Inky

i have all real in my tank. AS when i got my first tank i just thought i will take the plunge now. And have not looked back. But they do need trimming and fertz. You could try mixing easy to grow plants with plastic hard to grow plants can look realy gd.

I have Fake plants on the left and real on the right. I feel its best to give my fish the option of choosing if they would like to swim around the real thing or just a cheap imitation.

"No whammy, No whammy, No whammy, STOP!!"

1984-Michael Larsen On Press Your Luck

If you're worried about maintaining real plants, try java fern and java moss attached to drift wood. Then use silk plants to fill out the rest of the tank.

Java fern and moss are nearly indestructable and if you do manage to kill 'em you can easily take out the DW and take them off.

Anubias are good too.

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

Hi,
None of us are going to nudge you in either direction.
You are the only one who can make that decision.

What you decide should depend upon you, your schedule,
and how much time and money you want to invest in your
tank(s).

Plants are living things, as fish are. You don't just
stuff them in the gravel, sit back and watch them grow,
while forgetting them.
They require an investment to buy them, care-full planning
on where to plant them, organization in their placement,
and feeding, and care in the amount, size, and type of
lighting.

With plastic you can stuff them anywhere and replant them
as you like, scrub them with a brush when they get dirty,
and cost a bunch.

Plastic does nothing for your tank except look pretty
until they fade and get dirty.

Real plants take up metals, affect the water chemistry
(for the better), return oxygen to the tank, and add
a natural looking dimension to the tank that
plastic cannot hope to give you.

In the end, it is up to you, how much of yourself do you
want to invest in the tank? Check into the Planted
Aquaria forum on this site, and start reading. Look at
some of the "logs" that are in that forum and see how
beautiful real plants can make your tank look, and then
make a decision.

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Don't forget that in order to have healthy plants you must insure that they get the proper amount of lighting. The plants also need nutrients that can be provided by adding aquarium peat to the substrate. Many people also use CO2 or carbon dioxide bottles or bubble counters so your plants will respirate well, thus be healthy. Many planted aquariums will feature small peaceful fishes like neon tetras, so that plants are not damaged or eaten. In my tank with severums and silver dollars, there is really no way that a real plant would remain uneaten for long.

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The calming qualities of a good aquarium are irrefutable

Let's just put it this way... I started using real plants about four years ago (a bit after I really got into the hobby), and I would never consider using fake plants in any of my tanks again. They feel weird. To me it's pretty much like putting fake fish in an aquarium.

Hooben: Have you tried Java Ferns? When they have established themselves on heavy rocks and driftwood, they are fine to use with cichlids and Silver Dollars. Not only are the leaves tough, but they are also distasteful to fish. I have never heard of a fish eating or killing a Java Fern. Additonally, they are one of the easiest plants to take care of and generally do not need any special lighting.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.