Anyone Here Use Artificial Plants?

[Athena]

I'm feeling utterly gobsmacked this morning. Totally over the moon!

I ordered a set of 9 synthetic green plants to use as filler-ins in my cichlid tank (I gave up using live plants in there as every week the rotters would uproot and shred them and it was costing me a fortune replacing them constantly). So, I switched to using a mix of silk and plastic plants.

Anyway, when I ordered this set I really was expecting just tiny little plants for filling in gaps - I mean at 9 plants for £3.49 - you don't expect to get much for £3.49 these days! My LFS sells small plastic plants for £4-£6 EACH.

BUT - received them today in a large box and inside were 5 white padded jiffy bags containing two plants in each. WOW - they are fabulous! Each one is different - they are all around 5inches tall (dimensions are roughly W10xD10xH13cm as stated on the product description online, which I didn't notice at time of ordering) with a clear resin base that contains gravel. On this base are about 5 stems - so these are quite substantial, bushy plants.

It works out at under 40p per plant!!!

Yes, I know many aquarists poo-poo the idea of fake plants, but sometimes it's that or nothing when you have convicts or other plant-wreckers!

Just thought I'd mention it. Not sure if I'm allowed to mention the website I ordered from but if anyone wants to know you can PM me.

Regards - Athena

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

I always used to use artificial plants; you can get some really nice ones. Glad you've found yours so good.

I've only recently switched to live plants; I thought I'd give it a go and see how I did . I've no issue switching back if need be as some do look really good

 

[Athena]

Hi - no,I don't mind whether they're live or fake either, so long as they look nice. I still have some live plants in two other tanks (one of which I recently packed out with live plants), but the two tanks with the cichlids in I'm no longer going to waste my money on them LOL. Sometimes I'll add just the odd small live plant in there, just to give them something to nibble at, but nothing expensive.

I'm well pleased right now!

 

[Curiosity101]

I'm tempted to get one in the future for fish to breed on. My boyfriend got me some harlequins so I've decided to try and breed them. At the mo they've got live anubias and java fern to spawn under. But just to be sure I'm going to get some fake swords or other broadleafs. Seeing as I have to move the tanks twice a year I've stuck to easy to move plants like mosses, anubias and java fern. Definitely couldn't be bothered with stem plants and the like as they take hours to replant. lol.

Any chance you could send me a link to the seller?

 

[Twinklecaz]

and me please!

 

[anon02]

I'm feeling utterly gobsmacked this morning. Totally over the moon!

I ordered a set of 9 synthetic green plants to use as filler-ins in my cichlid tank (I gave up using live plants in there as every week the rotters would uproot and shred them and it was costing me a fortune replacing them constantly). So, I switched to using a mix of silk and plastic plants.

Anyway, when I ordered this set I really was expecting just tiny little plants for filling in gaps - I mean at 9 plants for £3.49 - you don't expect to get much for £3.49 these days! My LFS sells small plastic plants for £4-£6 EACH.

BUT - received them today in a large box and inside were 5 white padded jiffy bags containing two plants in each. WOW - they are fabulous! Each one is different - they are all around 5inches tall (dimensions are roughly W10xD10xH13cm as stated on the product description online, which I didn't notice at time of ordering) with a clear resin base that contains gravel. On this base are about 5 stems - so these are quite substantial, bushy plants.

It works out at under 40p per plant!!!

Yes, I know many aquarists poo-poo the idea of fake plants, but sometimes it's that or nothing when you have convicts or other plant-wreckers!

Just thought I'd mention it. Not sure if I'm allowed to mention the website I ordered from but if anyone wants to know you can PM me.

Regards - Athena

Hi Athena,
I posted a request on one of these forums asking for advice on artificials, since then I have received some silks that I ordered for a fraction of the cost at lfs and they are fine

One word of warning there is a guy advertising silk artificials on a large internet auction site which are actually plastic, but at £1.79 each for an 8 inch plant I should have known

Just thought I`d put that out there

Cheers

 

[elisew]

It`s great to have a bonus!!

I love using live plants but sometimes you just can`t get the look you want with real ones. I personally don`t like the plastic ones but do have a couple of silk plants trailing down the back of the tank, it gives the Amano shrimps and my Apisto female somewhere to hide and if they`re happy then I`m happy

Glad you got a good result with your purchase

 

[Athena]

Hi - thanks for the comment. The plants I bought (set of 9) were actually plastic plants but I knew that when I ordered them. They are soft plastic, though, and suitable for the fish I have (I wouldn't use them with delicate fish like bettas).

I also ordered some silk plants from the same company last week (it's an online shop not auction site)- and they are fine as filler-in plants. I've no idea if they are truly silk (it said "Silk" on the packaging but that doesn't necessarily mean made from silk LOL - could just be another soft material and the stems are soft plastic) but whatever they are made from I was happy with as they were half the cost of those sold at my LFS and look just as nice in the tank.

I know you can get some really expensive silk plants and, no doubt, those ones are so good it's hard to tell they are fake. If I could afford those then that's what I'd choose - but I just wanted to smarten my cichlids tank up a bit without too much expense.

Convicts and plants are a nightmare LOL - even with the silk ones they manage to fray the edges of them from pulling them about so much. I can plant one on one end of the tank and the next day it's been moved to the opposite end!

Anyway, until I win the Lottery (ha!) I'll have to make do with some nice-looking, budget plants that I can replace cheaply whenever I need to.

Yes, I guess when we're paying two or three quid for a silk plant we can't expect it to be the top quality ones.

Athena

 

[james_fish]

I have never used artificial plants but I do like some of them.

They make them look really nice and attractive, great for cichlid tanks if you want some form of plants.

James.

 

[Jenste]

pictures please!!! would love to see your tank set up!

 

[jmkgreen]

What's the shop's name?

I'm looking to order some man-made plants having watched my organic ones be ripped up by Severums...

 

[Twinklecaz]

YOu know what I think the prob with artificial plants is? Usually when people have them they say things like "I have a 60l tank with 3 artificial plants, purple gravel and a shipwreck ornament" and you shudder! But actually if you're prepared to spend the money on quite a few you can "fully" plant your tank with them and it can look great (and they don't go brown). Liverbird proved that, her tank looked fab.

 

[Harlequins]

Sounds a bargain Anthena

I use artificial and some plants look fab,i think the only downside is that artificial after a long while do become prone to certain algaes and are a pain to get clean.

 

[fishnovice]

All my tanks except livebearer community have fake plants. With large plecs, cichlids, corries and goldfish I have no choice! The silk type are very realistic and so are the better quality plastics.

Got an even better bargain today from 99p shop -4 small plants or 2 big ones for 99p. Beat that!