Aquarium owners: Real or bogus plastic plants?

[Deja Q]

Poll question: Aquarium owners: Real or bogus plastic plants?

Real: Looks natural, adds oxygen to the tank, is food for the fishies, helps with the nitrogen cycle, helps to reduce algae potential. Also makes the need to clean the filter more frequent. Also adds a risk of snail infestation.

Plastic: Expensive plants look natural (though aren't quite photogenic), cost nothing to maintain, but don't add oxygen, don't help the nitrogen cycle, don't aid with algae problems.

[southpaw]

1. I've used both...

Prefer real, for all the ovious reasons, but have switched to plastic when tank maintenance was not something I could spare too mcuh time for...

Live are best, plastics are easiest

[Bake]

2. Do you mean real plastic or bogus plastic?

And what's the damn difference anyway?

Bake

[lil-petunia]

3. real imitation plastic

[bratcatinok]

4. Use a mix of real and plastic.

You can control how often you'll have to clean the filter with the number of real plants you use. Use plastic plants as background with real in foreground. Best of both worlds.

[Bertha Venation]

5. Neither: Silk.

I use silk because I haven't the time, patience, or watery green thumb to keep real plants alive & healthy and the water quality good.

I have silk plants. Not best, but much better than plastic, and the best alternative for --> see first paragraph.

[Ready4Change]

6. Bogus

I've had no success keeping the real plants alive.