The Fishkeeper Friend

Personally, I love houseplants. They cluster in any free space I have. (unless there’s a fish tank there instead!) But what about putting plants in my aquarium? I can see both sides of the argument. I did end up losing my first amazon sword to lack of sun, but now my anubias have taken over my white-graveled tank. In today’s post, a question arises: to keep or not to keep?

A desolate, empty tank is no home for a fish. Whether it’s giving your eel a pipe to swim through or getting your cichlid a cave, decorations are a cornerstone to a fish tank. Plants are usually overlooked as the ‘extras’, but they can play a crucial part in your pet’s enrichment and ensure a sense of safety. 

So you need some greenery in your tank. Right off the bat, the easy choice is clear: plastic plants don’t need special water, light, and cost way less. They come in many colors and shapes. So they’re the winner, right? Not so fast. While they might look cool to you, they really aren’t awesome to your fish. Those plastic leaves aren’t a good place for your betta to lay down. If you have a very active school of fish, how do they feel about constantly dodging that big ol’ cherry plastic tree you put in the middle of the tank?

Fish are stronger than they look; they can knock over things. A plastic plant that’s not anchored into your substrate will likely get bumped around. If you put in a ‘plant’ with even the smallest of sharp edges, there’s a chance your fish might scrape themselves on it eventually.

Now, you might have heard of herbivorous fish. What if your pleco decides to destroy those Jungle Vals you put in yesterday? It’s pretty unlikely. Don’t worry about that; Fully herbivorous specimens are few and far-flung between. A lot of fish are omnivores, yes, but if you give them a good diet they likely won’t bother your plants. 

I have heard quite a few people turning down live plants for another reason. They claim that maintenance and fertilizers for plants are expensive. The truth is that plants are only expensive if you let them be. I personally have a 36 gallon tank with plenty of plants, and I only use one fertilizer to keep them lush. (Seachem Flourish) As far as my basic freshwater tank goes, this tactic seems to be working. 

Lighting for a planted aquarium can be just as basic as fertilizer: I only use the basic TopFin (A PetSmart brand) light that came attached to the aquarium hood. All of my plants don’t seem to have any fault with this, and they have grown and spread out a significant amount since I purchased them.  

Of course, there is an intermediate between plastic and live plants: fabric. You can often find fabric plants available at your local pet store. Of course, they’re not usually all fabric. They mostly have fabric leaves with plastic stems and supports, but if you’re looking for something that’s still easy maintenance, fabric plants could be a fit for your tank. They’re softer than plastic and therefore are a bit better for fish. 

The one problem that this artificial plant brings is its lack of availability. Good fabric plants are usually harder to find, and their prices can be varied. I have bought a small fabric plant for two dollars and seen extra large ones on sale for fifteen. But when you’re looking for a better fake plant option, fabric is above plastic. 

If someone was going to ask me, I would tell them that live plants are the best option for a tank. Of course, you can still maintain a great tank with faux plants, but now you know how easy it can be to keep live greenery.