oakes Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Hi, I have set up a 3’x2’x2’ community tank that includes 6 small Boesman’s rainbowfish. I hope that eventually they will be the main feature of the tank. Everything I have read about them so far suggests that they should be in a planted tank. This tank currently has a few large bunches of plastic plants. I am reluctant to go with live plants because I have never been very successful growing them. The tank has a double 3’ flouro that is currently on about 5 hrs of an evening and I am also conscious power usage needed for live plants. Also the light intensity may not be adequate on a 2’ deep tank? Anyway my query is really whether live plants are essential as opposed to plastic. Is there any difference to the fish? If they are going to be happier and healthier I will consider it, though at the moment they seem to have settled in well. Cheers Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mianos Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Personally I find that having plants in the tank seems to keep the water chemistry safer and more stable. Although it can be a little extra trouble for me it has always been worth it. One of the key things is to select the plants carefully and not based on what your local fish shop has or tries to sell you. For a low light tank you want anubias, crypts and maybe some swords. Research them on the internets first. You don't need CO2 if you have patience. If you select the right plants the extra effort is minimal (i.e. minutes a week). I spend 20 minutes a week (aside from feeding) on both my tanks: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod54 Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Personally I'd go for real plants....just pick those that survive in low light Crypts, Anubais,Vallisneria,Hortwort,water sprite,fontinalis Try it....I'm sure the plastic will end in the bin....eventually there won't be any room for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mianos Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 I should add, if you want low maintenance you a you should pick plants that are known to not drop a lot of leaves. Many of the cheaper plants might grow under low light but if they drop a lot of leaves you will need to get them out or let them rot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ps. Saulosi Girl Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Personally I'd go for real plants....just pick those that survive in low light Crypts, Anubais,Vallisneria,Hortwort,water sprite,fontinalis Try it....I'm sure the plastic will end in the bin....eventually there won't be any room for it! I agree. The Anubais variety such as the Lana and the Nana don't drop their leaves either and are very pretty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakes Posted October 24, 2006 Author Share Posted October 24, 2006 hi, thanks for the responses & advice, especially the species suggestions. However my central query remains: i.e. can the fish tell the difference? Will they be happier/healthier and therefore more colourful with live rather than artificial plants? If they like planted tanks because the plants provide shelter & security then perhaps it doesn't matter either way. At present mine seem happy & active enough, but i just want to do what's best for them if it makes a difference. cheers Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod54 Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Refer following article from an expert rainbow aquarist Plants and rainbows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbeer Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 I don't think that plants will make the fish any healthier or happier in a well run tank. However look a lot better IMO. In a 2 foot deep tank without halogen lights will be very difficult to get much light to the bottom of the tank. My golden rule is if it aint broke don't fix it. Also you can get some very nice plastic plants compared with the crappo ones that were around when I was young. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoges Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Another thing to consider is that right about now is the perfect time to purchase plants for your tank, before you put them in take some clippings, set up a tub in your yard (if you have one) with a bit of filtration and some air. Plant the clippings, add a little fertiliser (optional) and watch them grow! By Feb/March next year you will have so many plants you won't know what to do with them. It's a great way to always have spares to replace yours with and you'll be amazed at how nice they grow when they have some natural light. The tub will also be a perfect place for Mosquitos to lay eggs (make sure it’s a decent way from any outside dining areas) but the larvae make's perfect fish food I do this every spring and haven't needed to buy a plant in years and I have 8 planted tanks! Having the tub system works really well if you breed lots of fish, when the weather gets warm you can put the fry outside in the tub (just up the filtration). I also do this every summer and am always blown away by how well my fish colour up outside, occasionally I have some feeding issues when I bring them back into tanks at the end of summer, but nothing drastic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWantFish Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 live Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurohige Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 Live ! Get bullet proof plants like anubias on driftwood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod54 Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 From other sources..... Benefits of Plants in the Aquarium While surfing around the other aquarium websites on the internet, most dealing with fish only freshwater aquariums, I noticed that a large part of keeping a fish only aquarium is trying to overcome the drawbacks of not having live plants. It also made me realize how hard it was to actually keep fish when I still had a fish only aquarium. Diseases such as Ich were commonplace, and although the medicine was available to treat the diseases, I still invariably lost a few fish along the way. This never struck me as strange until now. Instead of desperately trying to keep the fish alive, in a planted aquarium the goal shifts to keeping the plants happy. If the plants are happy, the fish thrive. This is due to the immense benefits that keeping live plants in an aquarium can bring, including: Aeration - Fish only aquariums are often aerated with an airstone in a desperate attempt to keep oxygen levels high so fish can breathe. In a planted aquarium, as in nature, the live plants provide all the oxygen your fish will ever need through photosynthesis. An airstone and air pump (and all the noise and vibration that go along with them) are unnecessary in a planted aquarium. Filtration - Power filters, sponge filters, and canister filters are the only means of filtration in a fish only aquarium. It's up to these filters to remove all fish waste and waste produced by excess food. This is achieved through mechanical filtration, chemical filtration (via carbon), and biological filtration (via bacteria growing on the filter media). There are many designs of filters out there and some are better than others, but all suffer from one flaw: if not cleaned properly and regularly, their effectiveness drops. In a planted aquarium, on the other hand, only mechanical filtration is truly needed. Plants can handle chemical and biological filtration fairly well. They absorb chemicals that are harmful to fish (in fact they live off of the chemicals produced by fish waste) and provide a perfect medium for beneficial bacteria to grow on. Of course, plants have their limits of filtration as well and most planted aquariums have a back up filter providing mechanical and biological filtration. Chemical filtration in the form of carbon will remove beneficial compounds and fertilizers needed by plants, and is not advised for a planted aquarium. Protection - In fish only aquariums, the focus is the fish themselves, and their environment can be somewhat neglected. Not having enough protection can cause fish to be stressed and more succeptable to disease. Although artifical decorations and plants can be bought and put in the aquarium to provide protection and cover for fish, they are inferior to real plants in many ways. First, they provide none of the benefits listed so far aside from a location for beneficial bacteria to colonize. Second, they are much more likely to injure fish. Live plants aren't hard and don't have sharp edges like plastic plants can. Food Source - The only source of food in a fish only aquarium is the owner of the aquarium (aside from algae for algae eaters). That means the fish are entirely dependent on you and the food you give them. If you don't make wise choices and vary their diet, they may not be as healthy and can become more succeptable to disease. Also, if you forget to feed them, they have no alternative food sources. In a planted aquarium, the fish have a choice. Although not all fish will eat plants, most will pick at the leaves and dead or dying plant matter if no other food is available. It also helps to vary their diet. Many fish are omnivorous and need to eat plant material. Algae Prevention - Algae is often a problem in fish only aquariums, and although keeping algae eaters and scraping the glass with an algae scraper are ways of combatting some algae, other types of algae are more stubborn. Algae occurs because there are nutrients in the water and there is light (even low light). In a planted aquarium, plants can outcompete algae and use up all of the nutrients in the water. Although this can open up a whole other can of worms while you try to get your light levels and nutrient levels right, once you get your planted aquarium balanced, you will most likely never have to clean the glass or pull algae off the gravel again. And there you have it. These are only the practical benefits I can think of, there are many many more benefits to owning a planted aquarium, and it's easier than you may think. Even just a few floating plants can make a serious impact in the health of your fish and the tank as a whole. So what are you waiting for? Throw out that noisy air pump and dirty airstone, toss the neon pink plastic plants and cheesy castle decoration, and take the plunge into a planted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradwaterson Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 anubais look great if tied down to a piece of driftwood with fishing line and are as tough as nails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFJ Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 hi i hav never had plastic plants but i can tell u that live are much better. they help keep the water, look better(expecially in a display tank they will look ALOT BETTER), and the plants carry little micro-organisms that the fish love to eat(atleast mine do ). and a bonus is that all my fish dont eat the plants themselves i too hav boesmani and they love live plants. and they are so much fun to watch going in and out the plants. imo the live plants will be better. i used to go really bad with them but now i am goin great with them...infact they grow so fast and i dont even hav co2 . pic the low light plants like vals, anubias, and imo hygrophila polysperma is a great option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradwaterson Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 I agree, live all the way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradwaterson Posted May 27, 2007 Share Posted May 27, 2007 besides, plastic plants give a cheap, plastic look to the tank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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