Plastic Aquarium Plants

For some hobbyists, plastic aquarium plants are the preferred decoration over live plants. And there are a number of obvious benefits such as not having to worry about lighting, PH, fertilizing, or being eaten by the fish. On the other hand, plastic aquarium plants don’t offer any benefits to the environment, like the oxygen production or waste breakdown that is carried out by live plants.

The two major considerations that tend to sway people in favor of one over the other, are cost and care. Plastic plants are much cheaper, and are virtually indestructible. Live plants can be expensive, especially if you have problems with light and PH, or fish with a bad case of the munchies. Plastic plants are easier to care for, requiring not much more than washing with a soft cloth or old toothbrush when cleaning your tank, or when you see the leaves/stems have acquired a coating of algae or dirt. The same process is more difficult with live plants, especially the more delicate fern or thin-bladed kinds.

Opting for plastic aquarium plants, doesn’t mean giving up a good balance in the natural bacteria of the tank. In fact, there are instances where plastic plants left for a long time, accrued a layer of dirt, which was fed on by the tank’s fish. When examined, this “dirt” contained microscopic worms and other natural products of the tank. So plastic plants are able to provide the same “dining table” as natural plants, since by-products of the aquarium will develop, regardless.

Plastic plants are easily uprooted and placed elsewhere in the tank, whenever the mood strikes you, without having to worry about root breakage, or whether there is enough light in a different spot. And they can make a landscape that is every bit as attractive as live plants, especially when combined with stones, driftwood, and special underwater lighting sources. But make sure they are manufactured for aquariums, as decorative plastic plants often have wires in the leaves and stems that disintegrate in the water and foul the tank.

Many books and sources will recommend only 1/4-1/2” of gravel on your tank bottom, where most plastic plants tend to have anchor sections that really require an inch or more of gravel to hide it. To remedy that, take a plastic pop bottle, and cut ¼” off the bottom of it. Make a hole in the center, equal to the size of the plant’s stem. Poke the stem through, set the plant down on the bottom, and cover up the plastic disc, with your ¼” of gravel.

Buy Aquarium Plants

Aquatic Gardens Family Pack Aquarium Plants - 6 1/2" to 10 1/2"H, green. Landscape your aquarium with the plants that look great and give your fish a safe place to hide without the maintenance and upkeep of live plants. Realistically designed plastic plant anchors securely in aquarium gravel.

An Easy Way to Grow Live Aquarium Plants Right in Your Aquarium

Grow Your Own Aquarium Plants - 7-10 bulbs. Grow your own aquarium plants! Just drop the bulbs into your aquarium. The live plants will produce oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide produced by fish, help in the breakdown of waste materials, and provide hiding places for newborn fry.

Save On Your Fish Supplies

Get special savings on premium fish food, filters, aquariums, medications and more at Petco. Click here for savings. Find everything from aquariums & bowls to filters to heaters.