to start off is it better to have...

live plants v. fake plants

  • live

    Votes: 118 80.8%

  • fake

    Votes: 28 19.2%
  • Total voters
    146
Fish only. Feed 'em, change the water.
Repeat.
The more you feed, the more water you change.
Lights on, lights off...who cares?
There's too many darn plants to ever make up your mind which ones to get/have so just stick with fish and let us have the nice looking tanks! :sim: :dance2:
 
I think it is best to start with no plants (fake or real, dont' waste your money on fake) and just fish until you get the hang of fish. Once you got them down, focus your attention on plants. When starting a tank, set it up to have plants later, with good subtrate, then, in a few months, when the tank is going as planned, start researching plants, and start planting.
 
Hornwort can shed and make a mess :(. Java moss and wisteria are easy to take care of just stick em in :). Much better than fake plants. Fake plants look... fake.
 
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I say start with live... so much easier to scape the plants in when you first get started. Ok... maybe that's the approach on the second tank you own. I admit... I did all plastic plants on the first tank... Live plants scared me lol
 
I started with live anything that is an aquatic weed, low light, or invasive species is great.
 
Live plants of course. One, you save money from the cost of all the plastics you will eventually toss in the trash in contempt. Live plants use the nutrients in the water which otherwise would feed algae. So, you have less algae problems unless you get out of hand with fertilizer. Most plants will be fine in 2 watts per gallon. 3 watts is hard to get on a budget, but 2 is pretty easy.

Plants of course remove Co2 and replenish O2. Thats good. Of course they look so much better. Some fish will nibble on them if they find one they like. (My Dwarf Gouramis regularly clear the leaves off my moneywort leaving a little forest patch of green sticks.)

Fry can hide much easier in real plants and still not get cheated out of nutrients.

Hmmm. And anyone who sees your tank will think you are a marvelous gardner with much skill (when really, it just tanks ferts after water changes, and pruning to taste).

But I suppose you could use some neon pink plastic plants from petco....
 
Live plants of course. One, you save money from the cost of all the plastics you will eventually toss in the trash in contempt. Live plants use the nutrients in the water which otherwise would feed algae. So, you have less algae problems unless you get out of hand with fertilizer. Most plants will be fine in 2 watts per gallon. 3 watts is hard to get on a budget, but 2 is pretty easy.

Plants of course remove Co2 and replenish O2. Thats good. Of course they look so much better. Some fish will nibble on them if they find one they like. (My Dwarf Gouramis regularly clear the leaves off my moneywort leaving a little forest patch of green sticks.)

Fry can hide much easier in real plants and still not get cheated out of nutrients.

Hmmm. And anyone who sees your tank will think you are a marvelous gardner with much skill (when really, it just tanks ferts after water changes, and pruning to taste).

But I suppose you could use some neon pink plastic plants from petco....
 
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