# Any benefits to fake plants?



## pdoyle2 (Sep 17, 2009)

Hey guys, just a quick question, is there any benefit of having fake plants over real plants? I have real plants and they just aren't doing as well as i hoped they would. They grow but aren't as green as I would like them. So, are there benefits of having live plants versus fake plants?


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## NatBarry (Feb 19, 2008)

Well you dont have to worry about them getting eaten by fish such as cichlids, theyre cheaper, less hassle and look just as good


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

no algae. less expensive as u dont need special lights.


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## pinetree (Nov 29, 2009)

I've always preferred live plants, but I agree with all of the above. You also don't have to worry about caring for fake plants with fertilizers, lighting requirements, CO2 and dealing with waste if they rot.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

They stay put, don't change shape or color (some fade). 

Wait a minute, we all listed the benefits of fake plants. You asked if why live ones were better. 

Live plants eat nitrate (and sometime nitrite and ammonia) and they remove some other bad stuff from the water as well. They provide food for some fish and/or fry both as something to chew on and as food for tiny thing fish eat. And some fish like plants a lot. They spawn more in planted tanks. Because they eat the same stuff as algae does, a planted tank often has less algae on the glass than one with plastic plants. 

IMO, try plants and if they live, great, if they die, buy plastic. Some places' water is better for plants than other places. It kind of depends on the fish, too. I keep java fern and hornwort in my Malawi tanks, but fish from rocky lakes don't need plants and they actually look kind of silly. But give kribs or cories a planted tank and they do better.


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## Dragonbeards (Dec 14, 2008)

Less trouble if your fish decides to redecorate. While I personally love live plants, fake certainly do have their place.


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## ApplePie (Jan 21, 2010)

Won't cut fins


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

I disagree with looking just as good and no algae.
In my opinion they dont look near as good as live plants. 
And live plants actually out compete algae for food so you will have less algae with live plants. Fake plants are the ones that will get algae on then which is impossible to clean off, which also goes back to my comment about how they don't look as good lol.
Here are the benefits of fake:
less hassle
just as good a hiding place for fish
in some cases cheaper
they will never die
no pruning 
Why they aren't as good:
Don't compete with algae
Don't look as good
Don't clean the water/gravel
Don't take CO2/make O2

I prefer Live plants


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## pdoyle2 (Sep 17, 2009)

Well i prefer live plants too, but I guess the water isn't good or something because I have tried everything and my pants just don't look good. They grow but aren't as green as they should be.


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## ApplePie (Jan 21, 2010)

They can die Tallone, just like everything else.
Can be more of a hassle if you have to move around a lot, like if you live in a dorm room or lease an apartment for a year and then move. Or if your plant require certain lights which can be expensive.

I like silk plants although they are expensive, as long as they look real.


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

Re read what I wrote Apple, I said fake plants don't die.
Lol I obviously know live plants die


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Plastic plants don't die, they disintegrate, but it can take years. And when the fall apart, they don't rot and foul the tank.


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## OCtrackiepacsg1 (Oct 18, 2009)

What do you mean theres no algae with fake, fake are such a biotch to clean, but with live you just pluck the dead ones and trash. The benefits of fake is no lighting requirements and no snails.


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## ApplePie (Jan 21, 2010)

Oh, sorry Tall. Everything was just bunched together 

and 

not 

broken

up 

so it was hard for me to read.

My apologies.


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## Ace (Mar 16, 2010)

There's the obvious reason of...they don't die. You don't need lights or anything for them either. Sure everyone once in a while you have to clean them off but you can't just uproot a real plant to clean it and then throw it back in there. I personally like them both though.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

the benefit of fake plants.........................................
somebody is getting rich off of the folks that buy them.


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## wmoyer2006 (Mar 17, 2010)

I prefer fake because they don't die and look fine.

Honestly, I don't have my aquarium for plants. If I wanted plants, I'd have a garden. I like the fish.


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## Ace (Mar 16, 2010)

lohachata said:


> the benefit of fake plants.........................................
> somebody is getting rich off of the folks that buy them.


Somebody also gets rich off of the fish you buy, and the car you drive, that doesn't bother you?


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

You shouldn't have to uproot a real plant and clean it ever


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

wmoyer2006 said:


> Honestly, I don't have my aquarium for plants. If I wanted plants, I'd have a garden. I like the fish.


Live plants make the environment for the fish you love so much about 500 times better so if you love your fish so much then try live plants. Fake plants do nothing for your tank but serve as a place for algae to attach.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Strong feelings.

I second, the plants bring snails unless you dip them.

Where I lived before i couldn't keep plants alive, here I can't kill them. They can be PITA and die or they can provide cover and clean your water and multiply to be sold at auction for more than your fish go for. Try plants, watch your fish. If they fish like them, thats reason enough to have them. I will never spend hours rearranging the plants for artistic effect, but I will bid $1 on an auction plant and put it in a tank and see if it grows.

There isn't any rule against mixing live and plastic plants. It isn't an either or question. A lot of people start with plastic and a few live and take out the plastic ones as the live ones multiply enough.


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## wmoyer2006 (Mar 17, 2010)

Tallonebball said:


> Live plants make the environment for the fish you love so much about 500 times better so if you love your fish so much then try live plants. Fake plants do nothing for your tank but serve as a place for algae to attach.


Tell you what, keep a full grown Oscar with with a tank full of live plants without him destroying them, and I'll buy all the live plants you want.

Just because you like them doesn't mean that you're always right.


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

wmoyer2006 said:


> Tell you what, keep a full grown Oscar with with a tank full of live plants without him destroying them, and I'll buy all the live plants you want.
> 
> Just because you like them doesn't mean that you're always right.


Actually you can put java fern in tank with oscars and the java fern would clean the water, I recommend it.
And to go along with that point live plants are nutritious for fish so even if your plants get eaten in the tank it would still be good for your fish.
I'm not acting like I'm always right I'm just expressing my opinion just like you expressed yours. Maybe the fact that your mad means that you think I am right though. :console:
Your the one who acted like anyone who wants plants doesn't care about their fish with your "if I wanted plants I'd have a garden" comment. Take a look at yourself buddy.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Put the keyboard down and back away slowly.... both of you.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

lol, we can discuss religion and politics civilly but will go to war over plants and blood parrots.


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## wmoyer2006 (Mar 17, 2010)

Plants are nutritious, but so are Hikari pellets. It's not worth the hassle of trying to keep a tank looking decent with live plants when all the Oscars do is uproot them, eat them and in many different ways, destroy them. Not to mention I'm not repeatedly buying plants that are just going to get destroyed. Plants to me are not food, they are decor.

Silk plants do not last for more than a week in my tank.

The only reason I responded to you was you quoted me originally. Hence, there is no need to "look at myself." 

My comment on the garden had nothing to do with not caring for fish. It is my personal preference. In your previous post, you mentioned that I "acted like anyone that has live plants doesn't care for their fish." That assumption is faulty and I did not say anything of the sort. There was no need to read into, an honestly harmless comment, so deeply. Personally, I don't want to take care of plants. I have my hands full with plastic plants and the oscar moving everything around as is.

Honestly, I find that live plants look much better and would likely have them if my tank situation, personal tastes and fish preferences were different. But because of those factors live plants do not work for me. Hence, my original comment still stands. If I wanted to take care of plants, I would have a garden and not Cichlids.

I did not, and still do not, intend to offend anyone. It is *my personal preference.* Anyone that wants live plants, more power to you.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Lots of fish need cover and hiding places. Plants live or plastic fill a real need. Meeting the fish's need is, IMO, more important that how you do it. 

When every plant I bought died, I hated live plants. But here, I buy 1 java fern and it fills a 55 with plants, and I sell the excess at auction. I love live plants. But I still have plastic plants, I put them in tanks with poor or no lighting, in QT tanks with meds, wherever the live plants aren't as full as I like, or I need additional cover to break up sight lines. I can understand "live plants look better", but I can't understand "I'd never use a plastic plant", you use what you have available to make your fish happy. I still roll my eyes when the planted-tank types start talking CO2 and PAR and I can't imagine spending more money on a light than the tank and stand, but I have to admit the fish in those tanks look happy and healthy and they sell so many fry that I do believe "fish like plants".


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2010)

Ace said:


> Somebody also gets rich off of the fish you buy, and the car you drive, that doesn't bother you?


the cars we drive isnt for a hobby. its a reqiurement, unless u prefer using public transport.

fish have a value add. fake plants dont. am not a fan of fake plants. i would rather not have plants than have fake plants.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Ooooo Zakk. Tsk Tsk. Many people have cars as hobbies 

I have 4 tanks:
My 5.5 is a QT tank and has minimal gravel (just enough so their reflection off the base doesn't completely freak them out). It has no other decorations. I am strongly considering a plastic plant or two so I can help them feel more secure. I can't risk snails in this tank, thus the plastic over real. 

my 10ga is part plant and part fake. It has a fake log with silks attached, a little plastic one in the corner, and a live bronze wedntii. The wedentii does pretty well in this tank and is just fun to watch. It also has hornwort that I have to take about 3/4 of it out with each water change (every other week). My Betta adores it. It is a nice little tank.

My 100ga has nothing but silk and plastic. I bought these at Joanns and not from a fish store. Those who have seen this tank think they are real until they realize that one of them is impossible to keep alive in water LOL. For pictures of that tank go to user journals, Obsidian's 100ga. I enjoy how easy it is to take care of this tank. My pleco's take care of any algae that pops up. 

My new 20L set up has real plants. This is the first time I have attempted live in a full tank. I did buy a higher watt light fixture. Other than that if it can't survive on its own with a little fert then its not going to stay alive and will be pulled. I enjoy watching the movement of plants n this tank. It is a very nice set up that I am very much enjoying. 

I like them all and see benefits and down sides to all of them. My tanks are all unique in their own ways which I appreciate. It is one of the great things about this hobby, you can mix and match and do anything you want as long as it is not fish harmful. You should have seen my original "Neon" tank LOL. Now that tank was awesome!!!!


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## OCtrackiepacsg1 (Oct 18, 2009)

Honestly, Live plants are really really easy to keep, I've really haven't done any of that CO2 injection or that special substrate and my plants are fine. Snails can be a problem if you get live plants but it shouldn't be a reason not to get them, the benefits of live plants outweighs its negatives. Plus if you have puffers in your tank, it gives them a nice snack.


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

One live plant i do hate though... duckweed.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

lol, I'll join you in that and add pearlweed.


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## wmoyer2006 (Mar 17, 2010)

Obsidian said:


> Ooooo Zakk. Tsk Tsk. Many people have cars as hobbies


I'll second that. I have an 1984 and 2002 Camaro, both of which are hobby cars.


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