View Full Version : Real or silk?
xoparis
05-07-2009, 9:08 AM
Real or silk for a 1 and 25g minibow? Im buying five of them.
Not planning on any huge decorations, just for maximum swimming space
rjhancock42
05-07-2009, 9:15 AM
I've just started trying live plants and I think they're the way to go. To me it's almost like doubling the amount of tanks I have because there are now more living things to balance and care for.
Star_Rider
05-07-2009, 10:49 AM
make an informed decision.
many plants will require light and substrate(pots work too)
base the choice on the amount of light you can provide.
you could do low light low tech for ease.
snoopy65
05-07-2009, 11:03 AM
I do low light low tech plants. I used to have silk and plastic. I find the tanks look better with the live plants.
clb2196
05-07-2009, 11:06 AM
I am SO glad I decided to do my tank planted. If you don't want as much maintenance/money, do low light plants. Lots of people on here sell them, and they're lots cheaper than silk plants anyway.
bazil323
05-07-2009, 2:10 PM
Live plant pros: Helps keep water clean (absorbs fish waste), looks very natural, more fun than plastic (opinion), many easy ones to chose from
Live plant cons: Must plant according to plant needs (high light, low light, etc.), must remove any dead plants to prevent water decline, may need to trim plants or replant, some fish/inverts may eat the plants, not easy to disinfect, some are very expensive or very hard to keep
Fake plant pros: No worry about light, ferts, etc., No worry about trimming/replanting, many natural-looking ones, easy to disinfect
Fake plant cons: Many still look fake, must find a way to weight them down (unless they have weighted bottoms)
Personally, I like caring for plants and have a great feeling when it's all going well.
I like anubias, crypts, Java fern and variants, and most mosses because they are so easy to care for, are low-light, low-tech plants that almost anyone can keep.
That said, I also have one tank that has all fake plants, except for a couple spots with Java moss and 3 house plants with their roots in the water. I just like the looks of my planted tanks better, but I find that the rooted ones make it harder to rescape. Plants like Java fern and Anubias, which are best tied to rocks or driftwood, are very easy to move about, which is why I like them so much.
Live Plants: More work but more enjoyment- better for your fish... and looks tonnes better.
It's all opinion though.
Regarding low-light plants- do your homework. Before buying a low-light plant- google it- read several reviews of it... make sure it really is low-light.
Live plants... to me that is the most fun part of the hobby. I really like caring for my plants and trying different things. I am still very new, but I am learning quite a bit about keeping my plants healthy and so far it is paying me back double with the way the tank looks.