There’s no doubt a well-maintained aquarium, delightfully aquascaped with live plants, is a beautiful sight. However the choice sometimes comes down to whether to keep the fish or the plants when these tankmates are not compatible. Many fish will either nibble your plants into raggedy eyesores or downright eat them up! Others are natural diggers, uprooting dislodging and rearranging your flora all the time. The outcome of this constant planting and replanting can be stressed plants and aquarium owners!
What’s the solution? Change your fish? Do without plants at all? How about artificial aquascaping?
Purists cringe at the thought of using artificial plants in aquariums even though there are many realistic looking choices available today But think about it? What’s the main reason for growing plants besides the aesthetics of it? That’s right, shelter for your fish and places for egg-laying. Plastic plants do these jobs just as well as live ones. The fish don’t care, except for those who have become excessive nibblers and they’ll soon get over it. Algae grows just as well on artificial surfaces, so your algae-eaters will be content. Hiding places among the artificial flora can still be comforting and also serve as a nesting area for your egglayers.
If your community is comfortable with live plants and you enjoy growing them, by all means continue to do so! But if you want both and are willing to go “plastic”, the rewards can be just as satisfying to you and your fish!