Nice Fake plants?

[clawlan]

I really like the look of a natural planted tank with some drift wood like this one for example:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86147
But I dont want ot have to deal with likve plants. Anyone know of good looking fake plants? At the store, they all look fake and plastic like.

[Star_Rider]

I've got some fake plants in one of my tanks..they are the fake version of a real plant.

some of the fake ones look real when they are submerged and properly disguised. lace leaf swords, vals and ludwiga are some of the ones I have seen.
there are also some real plants that are low maint and easy to care for.

those may include anubias, java fern(rhizome plants) crypto's and java moss.

anubias and jave fern do not need to be planted and can be attached to driftwood.

[clawlan]

looking on ebay at teh java fern, i really like them and they do seem to be easy to take care of. maybe ill get some of those.

[clawlan]

This may be a dumb question but are aquatic plants specific to fresh and saltwater or can they survive in either?

[Star_Rider]

they are specific..many won't survive in even brackish water.

[clawlan]

they are specific..many won't survive in even brackish water.

ok, thats what i thought, thanks.

[Star_Rider]

anubias are also easy to care for and do well in low light tanks.
java ferns wil eventually produce new plants on old leaves..once roots/rhizomes apppear they can be removed from the parent plant and attached ..

I started with about 4 java ferns I now have 30+ and more every few weeks

[clawlan]

I really like the look of the dwarf hairgrass, i'd like a nice carpet of that and the java fern on the driftwood. I think that would look nice.

[Star_Rider]

you can use dwarf hairgrass but you need to get the light closer to 2 wpg.

at this level you don't need CO2

what size is the tank and what light do you have.

[clawlan]

you can use dwarf hairgrass but you need to get the light closer to 2 wpg.

at this level you don't need CO2

what size is the tank and what light do you have.

i have a 28 gallon bowfront with the light that came with it.

Here is what the tank looks like:
Linky (http://cgi.ebay.com/28-Gallon-Bowfront-Fish-Aquarium-with-Glass-Door-Stand_W0QQitemZ250069406149QQihZ015QQcategoryZ2075 5QQcmdZViewItem)

[Star_Rider]

sounds like you have a 24" light . if it's std flourescent it should be 15 watt..possible it's a 20 watt. either way you may need to upgrade light.
you may need to get compact flo to get there you need about 50+ watts but easily attainable with a compact flo.

checkout this place..they sell refurbished

http://www.tricitytropicals.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=19

he's got 24" satellite fixture 1x65 for $35.98 and he ships fast

[clawlan]

i thought a light was a light. so instead of getting a different bulb, i need to get a whole new fixture? that sux! Why do I need 50 watts?

[Marinemom]

Generally the light that comes with a tank set up is sufficient for simply viewing your fish and the tank but it really only applies if you do not have live plants. For live plants you want at the very least around 2 wpg (watts per gallon). If you have 50 watts of light for the tank that is 28 gallons you will have almost 2 watts per gallon. This should be sufficient to grow some low light plants such as java fern, java moss, some crypts, and anubias.

Marinemom

[clawlan]

interesting. never knew it was that complicated.

[Star_Rider]

it really isn't that complicated. plants need light, nutrients and CO2 to grow. the CO2 in the tank with fish plus fish waste is generally enough for low maintenance planted tanks. the factor that needs to be added is enough light for the photosynthesis to take place.
the fixtures that come with the tanks can work but not efficiently.
the other way to add light is to allow a certain amount of sunlight in..you can control light here with the use of sunscreen to filter light. it doesn't take much sunlight to be effective since we don't have lights that come anywhere near the intensityof the sun. you do need to be cautious here as the sun can easily cause algae to take hold.

[Sonic Tooth]

What's wrong with the tank getting direct sunlight? Isn't that much easier?

[Star_Rider]

it can be done and is done with some tanks. you need to be very aware that the sunlight is very intense and that therre is a great chance of algae over running the tank.
btw, I have a tank that has 20 watts wirth supplemented sunlight...this tank is very successful at growing plants..so much so that it need more frequent pruning.
but i control the sunlight with adjustable blinds and can control the sunlight to some degree.

[TheMightyQueenPixie]

As far as fake goes, silk ones are probably the most authentic looking... You should really try giving live plants a whril... Not complicated and there are many plants that grow quite easily under not so perfect conditions. A good looking fake plant is more money then a real one and doesnt benefit the fish at all in the long run.

[clawlan]

As far as fake goes, silk ones are probably the most authentic looking... You should really try giving live plants a whril... Not complicated and there are many plants that grow quite easily under not so perfect conditions. A good looking fake plant is more money then a real one and doesnt benefit the fish at all in the long run.

very true, but i still have to shell out more money for a new hood/light :(

[clawlan]

sounds like you have a 24" light . if it's std flourescent it should be 15 watt..possible it's a 20 watt. either way you may need to upgrade light.
you may need to get compact flo to get there you need about 50+ watts but easily attainable with a compact flo.

checkout this place..they sell refurbished

http://www.tricitytropicals.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=19

he's got 24" satellite fixture 1x65 for $35.98 and he ships fast

Now i assume that i cant just get a higher power light, i need to get a new higher power hood also?

[Star_Rider]

correct. the ballast which powers the light will need an upgrade.

there are upgrade kits you can purchase..but the refurbished lights are actually cheaper.

I picked up one(Orbit) that looks brand new.

if you want to look at upgrade kits try

http://www.ahsupply.com/

[clawlan]

how about this: Linky (http://cgi.ebay.com/Odyssea-24-65w-Aquarium-Power-Compact-Light-Bonus_W0QQitemZ300066487490QQihZ020QQcategoryZ4631 4QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

[Star_Rider]

should be okay...looks like a 50/50 bulb..if it actinic white /daylight it will probably work.

[clawlan]

should be okay...looks like a 50/50 bulb..if it actinic white /daylight it will probably work.

ok, getting confused now. there is a different\ce if its 50/50? and im unclear on what "actinic white/daylight" refers to.

[Kyohti]

I can understand your sentiments about wanting fake plants.

For me, since I have very limited options for the purchase of quality live plants and animals for my aquairums, and because of the added needs of specific lighting, plus the hassle involved when you break down the aquarium for cleaning, plus the added hassle if you have parasite or algae infestations (since some medicines can be toxic to live plants)

I like that when my silkies get grimey, I can just yank them out of the substrate, scrub them with hot water, apply algae-killer solution (if necessary), and poke them right back into my tank with no fuss. They also don't have any shedding or dead parts to dirty up my substrate, clog my filter, or cause any unwanted imbalances.

My aunt raised live plants for years in her 50 gallon tank... but she also NEVER cleaned it and it filled up with sludge and fish bones (when her fish would die) on the bottom because it was too much hassle and 'trauma' on her plants.

No thanks. I like silk!!! If my bulb breaks... if my fish get sick... if I have an algae break-out... no sweat, no fuss and no muss. I only EVER buy real plants if there's a power outage as an oxygen producer until the weather clears up. After that, I keep it until it dies or someone else wants it.

I browse eBay a lot for my fakes. They usually provide pictures which can give you a good idea of what looks realistic and what suits your needs. It won't ever look as aesthetically pleasing as the real deal... but to me, the convenience justifies the lack of 'realness'.

*shrug* That's just my humble opinion, of course...

[clawlan]

you bring up a good point. i think i will start with fake ones and when i get to know what im doing, i can upgrade my light and use real plants.