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So my new tank has fake plants...

2K views 15 replies 8 participants last post by  Nordic 
#1 ·
Of all the aquarium hobby forums I'm on, TPT is my favorite. I've always felt very welcome (joined in 2011). I am slowly getting back into the hobby, and I'm excited to share my new tank. There's only one thing... it's full of fake plants. I want to plant it down the road, but that's looking to be at least a year out. In the meantime, where should I post? Can I still do a tank journal?
 
#3 ·
I'm not a mod, but I'd say make a journal for the tank and put any question threads where they fit best (equipment in equipment, fish in fish, etc.). If you plan on planting the tank and want to get started slowly, it will help to have a journal you can point people to when you ask questions. It will also let you see how you grow over time. Even if the plants are plastic, they can still be good practice for aquascaping skills.
 
#4 ·
Get real plants now. Throw fake plants away.
 
#6 ·
I used fake plant's for year's in cichlid tank's where real plant's were often eaten or uprooted all too frequently.
My favorite was the large fake bamboo grass.
I still have a bunch, but am too much in to the real deal to use it ,lest someone cry blasphemy even though hardly anyone see's my tank's cept me.
 
#7 ·
Life is too short to worry about what other people like in your tank.
Before you know it is over and you never did what you wanted to.

For me it is practicality... it is bare bottom tanks that need regular cleaning due to females being fed lots.
I also need it to hide new fry until I discover them. It is super practical to be able to remove the grass for cleaning tank or catching babies.
 
#8 ·
It would be kinda interesting with the premise of converting that tank over to real plants as the OP stated. So you start it with the fake ones and then gradually replace the fake ones with real ones of the same species and compare the two tanks once it's finished. I think if it's under that idea it would go over well.

There were a few vendors I remember that started threads highlighting fake plants here and it didn't go over too well.
 
#9 ·
I began with fish only tank's and fake plant's were a way to liven up the tank before I knew anything about growing the aquatic weed's.
One day a member on another forum made the statement that fish will always be healthier/happier in tank with real plant's.
I responded that fish don't know if plant's are real ,and whether they remain healthy or not has more to do with the hobbyist than plant's per se.
Me think's there is still some truth to that.
For what it's worth,, I had algae issues with the fake plant's but it was easy to pull em out and soak em in bleach/water overnight and rinse clean .
Not as easy with the live plant's.
 
#10 ·
I have to disagree there. Live plants provide a bit of a buffer between our mistakes and keeping of schedules.
With enough plants they could easily absorb the addition of extra fish compared to a "plastic" tank, by virtue of being able to take ammonia straight out of the water, as well as oxygenating the water which is very important, as many of the bacteria that make our fishes ill, love anaerobic conditions.
 
#11 ·
Is excellent point not lost on me.
Takes a bit more work caring for fishes without the benefit that plant's can provide , but still,,, comes back to your/my dedication plant's,,or no plant's.
Have raised plenty of healthy fishes over some four decades, in bare bottom tank's and only a sponge filter or two.
Bait tank's also.(folk's don't want dead bait)
Plant's truly do help make it easier though, assuming they too are receiving good care.
 
#14 ·
I have many bare bottom tanks, but I float some elodea and moss or even some sußwasertang in there to help scrub ammonia....also it gives fish something to nibble on and explore... Sometimes I think fishes are like 2 year olds, they try to stick everything in their mouths. I would probably too, if I didn't have arms.
 
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