Plastic Or Real

[andywg]

Silk Plants will never create a natural looking tank as well as real plants do. However not every one wants a perfect slice of nature in their front room.

A slice of nature? Have you seen what large parts of the Amazon are actually like? Much of it is clay coloured water where divers cannot see their own hand if they extend their arm. The water is bedded with metres of rotting plant vegetation and it certainly doesn't look anything like the tanks seen in the planted sections.

The "natural" look which many people talk of with regards to planted tanks is a fallacy.

 

[jourdy288]

Real!! There are plenty of plants, like Anubias, for example, that do great in aquariums without much light, etc.
And also, with fake plants, you can't have all the fun of watching them grow for real, and watching them as they maybe send out runners and make more of themselves, so you don't have to buy more...

 

[Darkerwhite2]

I have both, a smaller tank that i have real plants in, and my larger tank i use fake, mainly plastic but i prefer the loook of the silk plants.
If you have the patients and know how go the real plant route it will pay of exponentially in the end.

 

[Raidmeuk]

All this is really good info It's also nice to see a difference of opinion too.

 

[Gemmylou]

personally prefer plastic. in our big tank down stairs we tended to get snails infestations when we bought real

 

[Goodygumdrops]

I like the look of real better, but switched back to plastic last year. I just couldn't take the constant algae war any longer. So in that regard, my tank looks better since I switched to plastic.

I can't understand how you would have LESS algae with plastic plants?

 

[Kombat]

I like the look of real better, but switched back to plastic last year. I just couldn't take the constant algae war any longer. So in that regard, my tank looks better since I switched to plastic.

I can't understand how you would have LESS algae with plastic plants?

Less light I imagine. My tank is almost algae-free since I went plastic, and the only algae eater in it is a single otto. Every 3-4 months I take a brush to the driftwood to get algae off and the plastic plants get a cleaning once in a while. I'm loving it. Like I said before, I did like the look better when I had real. I was just tired of the maintenance. I was trying a high-tech setup with DIY CO2, EI dosing, higher lighting, and it just didn't work for me. I've tried low-tech, and maybe I just don't get it, but I've never been able to keep any plants alive doing lo-tech. Most of the plants I had were supposed to be ok for low-light, but everything died within a couple weeks after my switch over.

 

[aaronnorth]

I like the look of real better, but switched back to plastic last year. I just couldn't take the constant algae war any longer. So in that regard, my tank looks better since I switched to plastic.

I can't understand how you would have LESS algae with plastic plants?

If live plants rot, then they produce ammonia which can induce algae (where as plastic dont).

You have to remember when we say things about plants/ planted tanks we are talking about them being healthy and growing!

 

[Goodygumdrops]

Guess I've been lucky with mine.Low light,no co2 injection,and touch wood,no algae to speak of.

 

[DJ ArKaDaRkA]

i added a plant yesterday and its kinda comming to pieces so i think im going to chuck it a go with silk its making a right mess of my nice clean tank

 

[aaronnorth]

Guess I've been lucky with mine.Low light,no co2 injection,and touch wood,no algae to speak of.

Not lucky, just that you have chosen the correct plants and everything is in balance. Most of the people on here are saying planted tanks are high maintenance. Not all tanks are, if you decide to go low tech, with some echindorous sp, cryptocrynes then you will only have to dose a weekly fertiliser, and cut a few leaves off.

Yes more maintenance than you would usually have to do without them, but nothing OTT, anyone could handle it

 

[ghent_3rd]

I would love to have a full real plant set-up and tried it myself but he maintenance done me in I am afraid!! Will be going with predominantly silk in my new tanks although will probably have the easy plants like Java Fern, Moss balls and Vallis in some of the tanks. My eldest daughter (5y/o) could manage with them plnts!!

 

[kevinthecow]

In my 29g, I'd prefer real.

But in my 10g, i'd prefer none. ): They'll probably get cut down.