Good Idea or not? Live plants?

Live plants consume nitrates, produce oxygen for your system, provide a feeling of security and naturalness to the fish, provide a food source for umpteen nibblers, add valuable organisms to your system, and enhance the aesthetics of any aquarium a thousandfold.
Once you have them you will not be able to abide plastic.
There is just no comparison in terms of beauty.

That said- many fish will eat them, or keep them uprooted. What kind of cichlid are you housing?

I just switched over, and what Cearbhaill says is true - I look at my plants and wonder why I ever liked plastic.
Benefits - plants use up excess nutrients in the water (as well as things like metals that are dangerous to fish), are absolutely beautiful to look at, fish can't cut themselves on a leaf like they can with plastic, they change and grow so your tank doesn't look the same day in and day out, and they offer a new dimension to the hobby - there is so much more to it than just fish!
Disadvantages - you'll need to cater to the needs of the plants as well as the fish - they need enough light, CO2, and fertilizer; some plants may not suit the conditions in your tank (with plastic you can choose any shape/colour you like, with real you have to buy based on suitable conditions, as with fish), you'll have to dedicate a bit of time to pruning them regularly if you get fast-growing plants (otherwise your fish will live in a jungle), plants can be initially expensive (though unlike plastic they grow, so soon that little tiny $12 plant may be 10" high and producing six plantlets).
Take a look online for information on planted tanks - there's a lot out there, and I think most people will tell you it's a little extra work for a lot of extra joy.

I never thought about the plastic one cutting the fish, but it suppose it could happen. There are lots of plants that grow even in low light, like I have. Yesterday I had to cut down a leafy plant that was growing all over the place.
Last week I cut a piece and just transplanted it and "voila!" new plant.
The plants also soften my moderately hard city water. When I added my Black Ghost Knife, (blind fish) he couldn't stop shmoozing up and down the plants. He had none in his fish store tank. So, I assume, he thinks he's "free" or as free as he has ever known in his life. The plants do make a nice difference. My 2 Canadian cents worth.

i can personally vouch for the 'plastic cutting fish' thing. many years back me and my family had a goldfish tank, and one day we came home and found one stuck between two blades of a hard plastic plant - he was cut up really bad :sad even now i'm getting a lump in my throat thinking about the poor guy...

that said, you could always go with silk instead of plastic. but my vote, like the others, is for live. i just ordered a new bunch of plants for my tank. and think of it this way: i think someone mentioned this, but in theory, you only need to buy a group of plants once even if they dont initially fill out the tank. give them the right conditions and they'll grow like crazy. for example, i earlier bough 10 individual italian vals - now each one has sent out about 5 runners - you do the math!

Like what has been said already, I'll never use another plastic plant. In fact, I won't setup a tank that I can't use live plants in because it doesn't look natural (or pleasing enough). IME fish just generally don't act normal when put into an un-natural setting.

"voila!"

Click to expand...

Swimfins- thank you from the bottom of my heart for not spelling that "walla"

Bienvenue! ..I'm sure

Oooops! Should have done some plants thread search before I went to pets Mart. Just bought two plastic plants yesterday .... I thought plastic would be low maintenance .....

Well, good to read up this thread. I was ready to order a bunch of plastic plants for my 55G tank.

Thanks!
CM

This article should be helpful to you. It looks a little overwhelming when you first get started reading, but after you see the beautiful low maintenance tanks at the bottom, I think you will opt for the live plants.