Silk Plants

[Ardvark]

I've got me a pest snail problem. I'm getting on top of it but I have a few questions I would like to ask members.
 
If I decide to get rid of me live plants, what options are available to me to replace them?
 
I've read that SILK plants are more lifelike than plastic, do members agree?
 
What artificial plants are lifelike looking or can you see the difference with all of them?
 
                                                                                              Al

 

[evan47]

i suppose you could go for silk plants over plastic if you really wanted but you cant beat real plants imo.
i went from silk to live plants a while back and have no regrets.
i found that as my tank was new the dreaded brown diatoms took hold and spoiled the look of my silk plants. the only way i could clean them was with a soft brush which made them a little frayed on the edges after a couple of cleanings.
i added a trio of ottos as a clean up crew and gradually added live plants on a trial and error basis and like the results.
they not only look nicer but they do help keep water parameters in check too.
another plus point is you get an ever evolving look to your tank as the plants grow and you can trim them to suit.
if you still have a snail problem you could try assassin snails or use a slice of cucumber as bait.
i prefer ottos as cleaners as they are fun to watch as they zip around the tank and perch on the leaves looking straight at me.

 

[Byron]

I agree, don't give up live plants just because of snails.  The benefits of live plants are significant.
 
To the snails, what exactly do you mean by "pest snail problem?"  I ask because many aquarists initially assume that a few snails means trouble, but this could not be farther from the truth.  Snails are you friend in the aquarium, and usually a sign of a healthy one.  They can get everywhere, and they eat all organics (fish excrement, etc) which breaks it down faster for the plants and bacteria.  They also eat algae, though minimally, but it helps keep plant leaves healthier.
 
The number of snails will be in proportion to the available food, so keep in mind that if there are a lot of them, that means they have plenty of food.  And it is better that they deal with this than not.  Obviously you can control fish foods entering the system and not overfeed.  But even with minimal feedings, you can still see a lot of snails.
 
Byron.

 

[Ardvark]

Hi Byron,
              What I mean by a snail pest problem is that in the morning when I turn the lights on and feed me Guppies, there and dozens of snails all over the wall of me tank. I'm talking about tiny ones about 1mm in size. I keep sucking them out with a turkey baster but the following morning the swines are back. I have 3 Assassins to take care of them but they appear to be vegetarians and when climbing up the tank wall they just climb over the snails without eating them at all.

 

[Mamashack]

They will eat the snails when they get to a decent size. Assassin snails do not work quickly unless they are starving. What mine tend to do is burrow into the substrate for ages and eat what's under there. When I did add a few ramshorn snails as food for them they cleared them in no time but only because I think they were hungry.

 

[Byron]

Hi Byron,
              What I mean by a snail pest problem is that in the morning when I turn the lights on and feed me Guppies, there and dozens of snails all over the wall of me tank. I'm talking about tiny ones about 1mm in size. I keep sucking them out with a turkey baster but the following morning the swines are back. I have 3 Assassins to take care of them but they appear to be vegetarians and when climbing up the tank wall they just climb over the snails without eating them at all.

 
Bearing in mind what I mentioned in my previous post, I would not worry about this.  I have hundreds of snails in my aquaria.  I think I got up to several hundred in just the 115g one day when I lost count.  Considering I am very frugal in feeding, they are obviously finding food and this is a good thing.
 
Byron.

 

[dopieopie]

I have a mix of live and silk plants, though the live plants I bought were prepackaged and guaranteed snail free, they've grown and been fine in that regard for the last six months. I got them at petco, probably the only living thing I would purchase their though.

 

[Ardvark]

What make of SILK PLANTS are the best? Most look great on Ebay but pic's can be deceiving.