Live Aquatic Plants Or Artificial Aquarium Plants? 10 Reasons to keep Real Aquatic Plants
General 8 Comments »Regardless of whether a tank has live aquarium plants, or if it contains silk or plastic ones, it is going to look more attractive, more comfortable to the fish when it is properly decorated. This may sound strange, but fish have very simple nervous systems, are are easily stressed in harsh environments. A few plastic aquatic plants gives fish an illusion of nature, and using live aquarium plants provides a good deal more.
Artificial Aquatic Plants
Plastic and silk tank flora have advanced a lot in the past 25 years. Today, a tank can be adorned with fake versions that look almost identical to the real thing. The biggest advantage of using these decorations is that they can be easily removed and cleaned, when necessary. Fish do not eat them, so you never have to worry about a bedraggled tank decoration that must be pruned or replaced, which is another point of consideration. They are still liable to be knocked around by larger fish, but this can be remedied by using weighted bases, or planting them lightly in the substrate. Lastly, most aquatic plants do better with an organic substrate, while plastic and silk have no such demands.
Live Aquarium Plants
An authentic aquatic plant is more than a home for fish and an interesting decoration. Live aquarium plants absorb nitrates and perform a beneficial carbon exchange. Rather than being purely ornamental, these aquatic plants form a vital part of a healthy tank’s ecosystem, filtering waste and creating life-giving oxygen. Live aquarium plants are also food for some fish, which some aquarists find appealing and others think is annoying. Aquatic plants also require a stricter lighting schedule than fish alone, and can potentially be a carrier of disease and parasites when first added.
My suggestion: Living Aquatic Plants Are Best
As we’ve discussed, live aquarium plants offer more to the beautiful tank than good looks alone. Using artificial versions will not reduce your time spent maintaining the tank, and keeping it clean. Nor will such fake flora help to mitigate chemicals and pollutants. The following list offers reasons both biological and decorative to use live aquarium plants, but is far from being a complete list.
10 Reasons to Use Aquatic Plants
1. Aquatic plants complete a living ecosystem.
2. Live Aquarium plants inhibit algae growth.
3. Aquatic plants provide a CO2<>O chemical exchange.
4. Aquatic plants reduce waste buildup.
5. Aquarium plants reduce fish stress.
6. Herbivorous fish are able to eat live aquarium plants.
7. Live aquarium plants give the tank a natural appearance.
8. Tanks with aquatic plants require less cleaning.
9. Aquarium plants change over time - artificial ones never change.
10. Tanks benefit from allelopathic aquatic plants.
Things that you might wish to keep in mind:
1. Browse thru Aquarium plants forums (there are lots of good ones), to make that what you imagine is what you will be getting
2. Look at your own schedule. You will probably need to spend a weekend to work on your aquarium tank, when you got your plants on hand.
3. On-going maintenance: If you lead an extremely busy live, you need some good hobbies to relax your mind. Aquarium planting is one great way. But, do not over commit - get some hardy aquatic plants to make the maintanance easy.
Have a nice day!
David
