So I Have My New Tank Coming Tomorrow...

[emmajt]

I would like real plants and sand, is it easier to get your water right with fake plants and gravel to being then change to real plants and sand?

 

[brian1]

I would like real plants and sand, is it easier to get your water right with fake plants and gravel to being then change to real plants and sand?

Hi, I shouldn't think so,if you use the same filter medium, I have sand and it does take a while to clear, mine took 3 day's and i washed it a lot, but it is worth it in the end ,it looks fab.........

 

[tomtomtom1230]

Plants add dissolved oxygen (which the fish, bacteria and other organisms use for respiration) to the water and aren't all that complicated to care for They also help absorb nasties in the water such as ammonia and help the water column in ways I don't even fully understand yet but whatever I'm doing it's working! When you find a good balance, they also look prettier and much more natural than fake plants I think the fish can easily determine between real and fake plants too, before I swapped my fakes over to real ones, the fish never used to rest on the leaves or interact with them in any way but they do now the plants are real. I find it much more rewarding and it helps keep the water in good nick for longer!

As Brian said, sand does take a little while to settle but I think the results are worth it; it's easier to keep the place clean, it's kinder for any bottom dwellers you may or may not get in the future and it'll naturally have less 'dead' spots than gravel which cause bad (anaerobic) bacteria to build up. Although, bottom dwellers and snails tend to sift through the top few layers of sand to keep everything turning over and plant roots also help eliminate the few dead spots you'll get with the sand.