Artifical/Real plants

You don't NEED to have real plants, but if you're asking the Live Plants forum, you're surely going to get a "you ought to try it" response.

Here's the first one
I had plastic plants for years and years. Now that I've changed to real plants, I'll never go back. The fish are happier, brighter, seem to feel more secure, the tank seems to stay more stable and clean, and it's fascinating to watch the plants convert 'waste' nutrients like ammonia into gorgeous growth.

But it is still a personal choice item. The majority of my tanks are planted, but I always have some fish (herbivores) or water conditions (BW) which are unsuited to live plants. They do not look that bad - I feel dumb spending as much as do on artificial plants, but they do at times fake out even other plant growers.

I found the live plants to be cheaper in my area than silk. Add to that what Blinky mentioned and the fact that I just like something to care for in an aquarium other than fish. As a side note, my Wisteria is growing like MAD! I'll be able to move it toward the back and cover up the gear stuck to the aquarium wall!

When you get down to it, it is personal preference. I will be one of those that suggests at least giving one or two live plants a shot. Java moss or Java fern will likely do well in any setup. Also, if you are into livebearers, Anacharis is a great cover for the fry my mollies unleash and it does exceptionally well with little effort on my part. Actually, make that no effort, I'll be honest and say Anacharis just seems to grow despite what I do to it.

I like live plants for the look. They have a nice colour and add a special value that no other tank can have. Im my area live plants are a lot. By the time I bought the Eco-complete, lighting and of course plants; it added up to $200CAN. Id say if you have the money, go for it. If you want to keep spending low stay with some silk plants.