Fake Or Real Plants?

[TheMerovingian]

i dont know wether or not to choose real plants for my tank or fake.

Fake are easy to take care of. but i like the idea of real becuase if gives the fish a more real enviroment. but if you have real plants, dont you have to add stuff to keep the going? . Kinda like adding water to a plant out of water.

 

[lilfishie]

As a newbie to plants myself its not as hard as it looks or sounds providing you get hardy low maintainence plants, i have just planted my 15 and 6 gallon tanks, and all i do is add so liquid plant food every week and leave the lights on for at least 10 hours a day, have to remove the odd dead leaf at times.

 

[Shrimper]

I would say real plants, they are much easier than people think. You don't need to do anything special if you choose the right plants.

I kept Java fern and Java moss in my first tank and didn't do anything special other than have the light on a timer (No ferts etc) and they grew nicely for me. In fact all my Java ferns (probably about 10 big plants in total) have come from my 2 original plants.

 

[TheMerovingian]

so most plants dont need fert.
but if i put some fert in every week i shouldn't have not problems

 

[lilfishie]

depends if you choose the right plants, currently i have Cabomba, Egeria Densa and amazon sword and they do fine, i'm sure some of the experts would be able to give you some more easy plants

 

[Sanj]

i dont know wether or not to choose real plants for my tank or fake.

Fake are easy to take care of. but i like the idea of real becuase if gives the fish a more real enviroment. but if you have real plants, dont you have to add stuff to keep the going? . Kinda like adding water to a plant out of water.

There is no competition; REAL!!!

You do have to provide some basics. But you dont have to go high tech there plants that can grow in low light and co2 addition is not essential.

Personally i would have real plants or none at all. Plastic plants are far to tacky.

 

[TheMerovingian]

excellent thanks

when buying real plants watch should i look for.
how can i tell if the plant is healthy

 

[catfish101]

look for healthy looking plants basicly. Some good plants would be java fern, java moss, hygrophila, anubias, vallisernia, and lots of different types of bulbs.

 

[TheMerovingian]

Thanks

 

[Tetraking]

i do not use ferts c02 or anything and i have healthy plants, just make sure you buy true aquatics, prune regulary and real is the best way to go, there are some good fake plants available but imo real are way better.

i do have eco complete mixed with sand which i think helps alot, check out my tank in the member tank pic section under, plants have grown

 

[TheMerovingian]

beautiful tank!
i'd like some of the plants you have in your tank. What are the long ones at the very back?

 

[Tetraking]

i think it is called cabumba or something like that, its great it grows really fast and does not need much light and is well easy to keep.

 

[Renate]

Personally I like the look of real plants better. Some plants change daily. Also great for breeding fish in. Right now got some baby black mollies hiding in the bushes of hornwort in my 29 gallon tank.

From my own experience, I found that to grow plants you first have to decide what kind of lights you are going to have. Then look for plants that will grow with your lights.

Easiest plants I have had are the java ferns, which come in many variations, and hornwort. The hornwort is a fast grower. Some don't keep it because it grows to fast. I shall see if it will be a problem.

Java ferns and hornwort don't need a lot of light or special substrate.

 

[TheMerovingian]

" Fluval GLO lighting, one of each 30watt PowerGlo & AquaGlo "
thats the lighting i'll have in my tank. I was told to have the light on for 10 hours daily.

 

[shibby]

i just have standard jewel t8 lighting and sand base and my plants seem to thrive ive given up pruning them now since it was a carrier bag a week. i dont use ferts or foods or anything really, no co2 either. il try and remeber some names but im not good the current ones that are thriving are:

amazon sword, tiger lotus lily, valis, elodea, crypts of soem sort, annubis, camomba (sp), java fern and a few others of which i have no idea on the names.