Anyone else w/ fake plants?

[FishObsessed]

I'm researching considering trying a real planted tank, but curious if anyone else utilizes fake plants here? 

[Aquatic Journal]

I have one fake plant in my fish room and it’s for breeding angelfish. I would just say mix some real plants in with your fake ones and see what you can get to grow in your water! I enjoy watching the plants grow so you may get a lot of enjoyment out of it as well!

[Eclipse]

Not me. I used some temporarily for a week in a new tank while waiting for my plant orders to come in because I hate how an empty tank looks and I think fish would feel more comfortable with some kind of plant even if it is fake, but haven't used them again since. I just don't like the look of them.

Edited September 10, 2020 by Eclipse

[Paul]

I use some especially in my taller tanks while waiting for the real plants to get some height on them.

[Mr. Ed's Aquatics]

I use some for my cichlids when they are growing out and can use the hides.

Once they get adult sized I will probably pull most of it out and replace it with a few very large pieces of wood or stone.

[Jack]

I use fake plants as of now but hope to graduate to live plants in my aquarium!

[Ben Ellison]

I honestly find live plants to be easier than fish. Get a half decent led light and some crypts and watch the magic. I bought the light on this tank for about 20 dollars on Amazon it's a hyggr or something like that.

[FishObsessed]

Thanks for sharing...and for the pics, I love to see the pictures! 

@Paul the discus tank looks great... ...the nc water seems like it would be perfect for them

[StephenP2003]

I only have fake plants in my daughter's tank -- her choice. It has live plants, too, and the fake ones aren't meant to look like any real aquatic plants (she was going for a fantasy theme).

When they're clean (after I give them a diluted bleach dip), they look great for a few weeks:

 

I cleaned them in July, and this is what they look like 7 weeks later:

(Also, the water sprite died back a lot as you can see -- bioload had gone down, and I was still changing water at the same schedule and barely fertilizing. Trying to turn it around now.)

[Alison]

I've honestly thought about adding one or two in to mix it up. There was one area in the tank I had a hard time getting plants to take. I just stuffed hornwort in that corner and its doing fabulously.

I am not against using them and may use some on future tanks depending on what sort of look I am going for.

[Ben Ellison]

I use silk plants in my hospital tank to avoid fin damage and I like the way they move in the current. However, there are some rather nice fake plants out there and you could have a very beautiful tank with them. I do feel the pros that live plants offer really make them the best option.

[Seized]

I honestly havent used fake plants in years now. I almost see no use in them because of how easy some aquarium plants are to grow.

[Streetwise]

Get live plants and we will help you!

[Paul]

4 hours ago, FishObsessed said:

Thanks for sharing...and for the pics, I love to see the pictures! 

@Paul the discus tank looks great... ...the nc water seems like it would be perfect for them

The water here is acidic, just the way they like it.

[Matthew]

Eventually I will be moving to all live plants when I get the next big paycheck. However at the moment I am using fake plants in all of my tanks. Except for Water cabbage which I am trying to grow in my whitecloud tank.

[Daniel]

Looks beautiful to me!

[FishObsessed]

@StephenP2003 her tank looks pretty cool! What fish are in there? I see a guppy and are those rainbows?

@Streetwise thanks! This forum has been pretty great so far. I'm actually thinking about getting a 20gal or so and trying out my plants in that one...I like the look of a smaller planted tank with guppies or another small fish.  But I don't know how my husband will feel. He surprised me with my current tank and I dont think he knew what he was getting into lol. But he's pretty supportive so we'll see

@Matthew those are some impressive fake plants! I like the tank

 

Thanks all for the replies!

[FishObsessed]

@Ben Ellison I like the guppy tank....do you have your plants in gravel? And if so, how do you clean it?...i.e. do you gravel vac at all or around the plants? 

[Bill]

4 minutes ago, FishObsessed said:

@Ben Ellison I like the guppy tank....do you have your plants in gravel? And if so, how do you clean it?...i.e. do you gravel vac at all or around the plants? 

I had wondered the same thing until I saw a planted tank expert using a turkey baster. Just use it in one hand to stir up the detritus while you use the syphon in your other hand. Works great! Gets everything from gravel, rocks, driftwood, and plants.

[Alison]

@FishObsessedI wish I had gone with a 20 gallon but I got a 15 instead. Still a nice size but I wish I had caved and shelled out the extra for the slightly larger tank.  I went acrylic so cost was definitely a factor in my decision. The more I learn about the hobby the more I want to do. I want more killifish, I want a betta tank, I want a rainbow tank and pea puffers! I somehow thought that I'd be fine with just the one tank when I got started with this. I should have known better.

 

[Ken Burke]

I have a couple in my wife’s beta tank to diffuse the flow from the HOB.  I really like the live plants best, but sometimes you just need something that a live plant won’t provide.  

[Ben Ellison]

@FishObsessed and @Bill the substrate is seachem florite. And I know this not the general wisdom of the community but I have never gravel vacuumed it. In the early days of the tank I did frequent water changes but since then it more or less is self sufficient. I top off the water and clean the spounges a fair bit. The substrate is also very very dusty when moved so I really avoid disturbing it. I did hover my gravel vac inch or so above the substrate when I first put it together to get the dust out and I have used clarify when it gets really disturbed.

 

 

 

[FishObsessed]

@Alisoni know! I just have the one, but there are so many fish out there that I like. And now I'm thinking a betta tank would be cool. And one or two 20 gallon tanks with live plants and smaller fish. Lol you could easily fork over a ton of money on this hobby

@Ben Ellison I have wondered if it would work to just get mainly the top of the gravel and go around the plants and decor and let the rest of the stuff in the gravel support the biological bacteria. 

Edited September 11, 2020 by FishObsessed

[Ben Ellison]

Yea I'm sure it would the root plants seem to consume most of the detritus in the area around them. I am a huge fan of swords and all the crypts. They look good to my eye and are super easy.

[Alison]

@FishObsessedYou aren't lying. I am still building the tank I have slowly. I need some more pygmy corys and I think I'm going to do a small school of 6-8 chili rasboras. I've already shoved what a lot of people would consider a shocking amount of money into this tank as it is.  I definitely don't have any regrets other than not planning for multiple tanks when I dove back into the hobby. I will probably be moving in a couple of years and that's definitely something I'm going to be taking into consideration when I start house hunting.