A Debate Topic...

[SilverArowanaBoi]

Hey y'all! I was wondering what y'all's opinions on fake or real plants (which is better/preferred) are? I just got some fake plants for my tank and like them (even though I normally prefer live plants over fake), and I was just curious to see what people's opinions on them are.

Also, for clarification, when I mean "fake plants," I mean the more realistic ones, not the silly red, blue, and orange ones.

 

[Friller2009]

Fake plants have there place. I use them as easy quarantine hides and cover. I can use them in dark tanks, I can wash them and reuse them. I also use fake plants for spawning with my danios.

However I much prefer live plants.
I am pretty good at killing plants, but there are still a handful that I can grow.
I've got java fern in all my tanks. It seems to work really the way I use it.
I've also started to use crypts in all of my rainbow tanks in pots. Works well and they grow like crazy.
Val is nice. Especially in big tanks for bigger fish. Shame my turtles eat it..
If you can't grow plants for some reason just chuck syngonium or pothos in the corners of your lids and you'll get the benefits of extra filtration.

 

[Midwater]

Have a look at Sinister-Kisses tanks.

 

[Sinister-Kisses]

Haha yes, I love fake plants! Most of the fish I keep (large CA cichlids) aren't plant friendly to begin with, they dig them up and rip them up and move them around to their liking, etc. But I also really SUCK at live plants, aquatic or not. I can keep a nice tank going with the low maintenance types, anubias and java fern in particular I do like, but usually it's not worth the effort in my tanks. And fake plants have come a long way since I first started keeping fish 30 years ago, there's some very nice ones out there now. Now I can add greenery to my 12" male midas tank, for example, and it doesn't matter if he thrashes them. Plus, most of them are weighted now so when they get moved around, they at least stay upright at the bottom and look okay rather than floating sideways around the tank.

 

[SilverArowanaBoi]

Haha yes, I love fake plants! Most of the fish I keep (large CA cichlids) aren't plant friendly to begin with, they dig them up and rip them up and move them around to their liking, etc. But I also really SUCK at live plants, aquatic or not. I can keep a nice tank going with the low maintenance types, anubias and java fern in particular I do like, but usually it's not worth the effort in my tanks. And fake plants have come a long way since I first started keeping fish 30 years ago, there's some very nice ones out there now. Now I can add greenery to my 12" male midas tank, for example, and it doesn't matter if he thrashes them. Plus, most of them are weighted now so when they get moved around, they at least stay upright at the bottom and look okay rather than floating sideways around the tank.

Totally agree! Do you recommend any specific brand for the most realistic look? I know there are plenty out there, but the more realistic, the better for me, as I think I will do fake plants rather than real.

 

[Zmouvek]

Hey y'all! I was wondering what y'all's opinions on fake or real plants (which is better/preferred) are? I just got some fake plants for my tank and like them (even though I normally prefer live plants over fake), and I was just curious to see what people's opinions on them are.

Also, for clarification, when I mean "fake plants," I mean the more realistic ones, not the silly red, blue, and orange ones.

Fake plants are basically just décor, not many thoughts on them, harmless but can look ugly, they have the advantage of being cheap and durable, but practically no benefits apart from those.

 

[Americancichlidsaredabest]

Both have there pros and cons. Live plants can be very beneficial to your tank but if you get fish that will eat them like silver dollars or severum for example, those plants can become useless and a loss of money. That is a place where fake plants can become useful. It depends on your own situation and your tank.

 

[celebrist]

Live in the sump, fake in the display

 

[duanes]

To me the benefit of live plants for the health of an aquarium trump all other filtration benefits (if there are enough of them).
But because I keep "mostly" cichlids, fully aquatic plants in the main tank are not always realistic, so I also employ planted sumps, and terrestrial plants, with hanging roots into the cichlid tank).
I have tried fake plants, but have never found them realistic looking to use. Also, the waters where I collect cichlids are usually devoid of aquatic plant species.
tetra paradise
So, my tanks look like this

and my sumps like this, below



View attachment IMG_0679.jpeg
One other thing, because I think of my planted sumps, as aethsetically appealing (and for ease of maintenance), I do not hide them under tanks, or in cabinets, they are in plain view., and easily accessible.