real or plastic?

[ballsmcgee1234]

What kind of plants do you prefer, real or plastic? I prefer real, my favorites are contortion grass and madagascar lace:naughty:

[DeLgAdO]

i like plastic

live requires to much maintanence for my kind of tank, plus my silver dollars and tinfoil barb would have a field day :naughty:

[softturtle]

I like real plants, but that all depends on what else is in the tank. I could never put real plants in with my softshells. They would get dug up every night. So, I use fake floating plants with them. If you have smaller fish though, I'd use real plants. Thay can also aid in filtration.

[thefishofdoom]

i perfer real plants i keep them in all my tanks even with my silver dollars and pacu.

[gomezladdams]

Depends on the fish.Live wherever possible but my oscar enjoys dragging plastic plants around hate to see what hed do to live plants

[I3u11he4d]

REAL. no plastics.If I am not able to keep plants with a fish than it just wont have any at all,I would use something else for decor.

[DarthLungFish]

I would like to do real plants someday, but Plastic is easy for me to keep up with.:woot:

[HarleyK]

Howdy,

That's a funny question to ask in a "Planted Tank and Aquascaping" subforum ...

Planted. 'nuff said.

HarleyK

[ballsmcgee1234]

I could have posted it elsewhere, but I thought it was most appropriate under plants...

[joeytoe]

I used to use plastic plants, but stopped an decided no plants as my fish got bigger an kept up rooting them.

[Propz]

A few months ago I would have said plastic, however, since I've taken the plunge into real plant keeping, I'm hooked, despite the algae(and I hate algae!!!). I'm even considering trying my hand at real plants with african cichlids in my new 80g. From what I've read and been told, I'll need alot of luck.

[Miles]

I'm even considering trying my hand at real plants with african cichlids in my new 80g. From what I've read and been told, I'll need alot of luck.

If you do it right, it is possible! There is an article about it on Aquahobby.com.. BTW, Good Luck!


Live plants have their pros and cons, and they are very beneficial. Plastic plants may not look as nice or have as many benefits, but they are low maintenance!


Check out the planted African pic! Crazy!

[ballsmcgee1234]

A few months ago I would have said plastic, however, since I've taken the plunge into real plant keeping, I'm hooked, despite the algae(and I hate algae!!!). I'm even considering trying my hand at real plants with african cichlids in my new 80g. From what I've read and been told, I'll need alot of luck.
We have amazon swords with young african cichlids, no probs yet.

[FlammingWoodChuck]

i like plastic

live requires to much maintanence for my kind of tank, plus my silver dollars and tinfoil barb would have a field day :naughty:

:iagree:
Real plants take to much care. I have 1 that has actually lived. I like aged fake plants better, after they have been in a tank for awhile they start to look real. But i do like the look of real plants better if it is done right.

[Zorro]

i got real plants in my 55gal. I got a geo and labs and blue rams but there small so they dont uproot yet

[ballsmcgee1234]

i got real plants in my 55gal. I got a geo and labs and blue rams but there small so they dont uproot yet
pics?

[redwingbum19]

It all depends if you want to be a slave to your tank, anyone can keep live plants, there are sour plants that fish will not eat, there are low light plants so you dont have to go out and buy the expensive lighting for your tank, and there are low maintance plants so you never have to do anything to them. If you like scrubbing algae and doing constant water changes then go ahead and do fake plants but keep in mind algae is a plant and when you have established plants in your tank they compete with algae for CO2 that the fish produce and also suck up the nitrates in your water which cuts down on the water changes you have to perform. There are only 2 ways to get rid of Nitrates,water changes or live plants. Plants are algae's competition and will cut down on the scrubbing of algae and the amount of water changes. If there is a will then there is a way. Hope this changes some minds and clears up some myths.
~Zack~

[gein]

Real plants. Fake plants look so... fake. Heheh. I'm using native Minnesota aquatic plants to go with my native fish to make a biotope of a Minnesota lake. I'm eventually going to make my 210 gallon tank into a Minnesota planted tank, but fish I need to sell my live rock and sand - I decided saltwater wasn't worth the effort. I think bass are way more beautiful than any saltwater fish anyways.

[lizardfishman]

i prefer real but fake is easier and survies better with big fish.

[Ghost_Bichir]

Funny.. I was going to ask the same question. Myself, I still have plastic but want to start a REAL tank however I am trying to do my homework first. The problem I keep running into is not the plants being eaten it is that all the helper animals for keeping a planted tank are best described as "Lunch" for my other fish.

[mcblack]

really looks much nicer put also needs proper care as we give to our fishes, and algae are pests

[MarlboroMan]

You can keep plants with monster fish or even a few cichlids. I keep my plants where the gravel sits the highest point. BUT you need a high layer of gravel or sand, good lights, and alot of plants. :thumbsup:

[Recycling Works]

If you do it right, it is possible! There is an article about it on Aquahobby.com.. BTW, Good Luck!


Live plants have their pros and cons, and they are very beneficial. Plastic plants may not look as nice or have as many benefits, but they are low maintenance!


Check out the planted African pic! Crazy!


wow, how cool is that! im still voting plastic though, piranha rip through real ones like nothin

[DeLgAdO]

:iagree:
Real plants take to much care. I have 1 that has actually lived. I like aged fake plants better, after they have been in a tank for awhile they start to look real. But i do like the look of real plants better if it is done right.

its not that they take too much care

its that all my fish would anialate them the second they hit the water

[pinnky]

If you can do real, I would go with real plants, I am trying them out in my 5 gallon hex tank. I got to amazon swords in it now, wish me luck lol.

[mainy999]

Plants (like certain other things) should be real and not made of plastic :headbang2 :headbang2 :headbang2

[Hakon]

I like real. It's nice to see the result of their growth, and it's a lot of easy plants too. Actually I would either choose a tank with no plants than plastic plants... But that's my opinion;)

[loach43]

Depends on the context or theme of the tank and the fish in question.

With fakes, I always try to pick out realistic looking ones. Favorite scheme in my book is a heavily planted "real plant" tank with schools of same species fish plus bottom dweller/s.

Like breasts, I prefer real over fake.

[falkenhaug]

real

[ja__]

real no doubt im with hakon on this one

[DC_Cichlid]

Real.

I did have fake plants, but wouldn't go back.

[AbrasiveMoon]

Real plants are the way to go if you can have them in your tank. Nothing looks cooler than plants swaying with the current, photosynthesizing under the artificial glow of UV light while the fish swim amongst them.

[Calgone]

I prefer the real thing when it comes to bulbs :woot: ... and plants of course.

[rchaves]

Real plants