Show me fake can look as good as real plants!

[AfishIonado]

I'm all for fake plants, some of them look real and they don't require special lighting but I will say they don't provide any benefit to your tank like the real deal does and they won't get covered in algae and become all slimy



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[platytudes]

I know this thread is old, but here's a new installment to PFK's "plastic plant" series A plastic plant paludarium!

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co....m=How_to_set_up_a_paludarium&utm_content=html

Doesn't that look incredible? It helps that the tank, stand and canopy are over $1,500...

 

[Fishfriend1]

I use plastic plants in my QT tanks. It gives the fish some shelter without needing to have a substrate (easier to clean). Plus, plastic can be moved around easily, so you can keep an eye on the fish. Since my QT tanks have no lighting, there isn't any algae that grows on the plants.

I also use plastic in my 75gal, they aren't as pretty as live plants done right, but they are more then enough for me.

 

[platytudes]

I find them perfectly acceptable aesthetically, although I know the fish prefer them and they do improve water quality. I have about half and half. All of my 10 gallon tanks are 100% live plants, it's the bigger tanks I have trouble with...they are more tricky to get the lighting balance right. Two incandescent sockets over the 10 gallon tanks (using usually 10 watt CFLs) seem to be the perfect amount of light for a 10 gallon tank for me.

 

[Fishfriend1]

+1 to platytudes

 

[cicrush13]

I find them perfectly acceptable aesthetically, although I know the fish prefer them and they do improve water quality. I have about half and half. All of my 10 gallon tanks are 100% live plants, it's the bigger tanks I have trouble with...they are more tricky to get the lighting balance right. Two incandescent sockets over the 10 gallon tanks (using usually 10 watt CFLs) seem to be the perfect amount of light for a 10 gallon tank for me.

Not only that but also the amounts of ferts in the larger tanks.

I redid my 60 gal to a full blown planted tank and I absolutely love it. It's nothing too crazy, just a HO T5, some CO2 and new substrate.

 

[platytudes]

I don't use any fertilizer really, except maybe some root tabs sparingly. Like flossing, I just never remember to do it consistently!

 

[Kiel'thalin]

I have been using plastic plants for over year now. Recently I took out my wet/dry unit and put on a HOB filter temporally until I can get a Canister filter. Then it is back to live. Here is a FTS of what I got going on now:

 

[platytudes]

That looks great! Are those resin pieces? I miss the cleanliness of tanks like yours, tanks with sand and live plants are always a little dirtier...in my experience. More algae and mulm than a tank with large gravel and fake plants. I know the fish like it that way, but when you have guests come over and they say "Eww, it's time to clean the fish tank soon, huh?" you know it's gotten a bit grungier than it should

 

[Kiel'thalin]

That is lace rock and a piece of driftwood of some sort. It has been pretty clean for over a year or so, I just did a water change 3 weeks ago and rinsed the plactic plants, scrubbed a little on the driftwood, and got the vacuum out on the neglected rockbed. It made me realize that the once a year cleaning is probably not a good thing since my sump was removed last week.