# real or fake?



## swrve (Jan 8, 2005)

im not sure which plants to get here....i like the look of real plants, but i dont want to buy a co2 system to have them. do i need a co2 system for real plants? someone shed some light on this for me please. can i just put a bunch of real plants in my 55 and they will flourish? 
thanks
shawn


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## joefish219 (Feb 8, 2005)

you do not need co2 for a couple of real plants, meaning the number of them and the type of them. the key is filtration and lights. real plants in a p tank is kind of troublesome since they will uproot them unless you tie them tie very well which is hard at least to me cuz every time i check on my fish, often time the plants are floating on the top and they are those types of plants


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## swrve (Jan 8, 2005)

so i should definately not do something like this?
http://cgi.ebay.com/AQUARIUM-PLANTS-SOUTH-...oQQcmdZViewItem
i have a 55gal with a fluval 404 and a emperor 400 with sand as a substrate. all i need are plants now and maybe a powerhead. so i should probably get some fake plants instead? like these?
http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-OF-18-PLASTIC-AQUA...2QQcmdZViewItem
which should i do?
thanks
shawn


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## Gumby (Aug 13, 2004)

You can do live plants without CO2 and with Piranhas, but expect the plants to get beat up a little bit.

As far as what plants to go with, you left out the most important thing... what kind of lighting are you running on that tank?


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## swrve (Jan 8, 2005)

im not sure what kind of bulbs, but they are 15watts, if that helps?


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## mylesc99 (Sep 5, 2005)

Yeah Co2 is not required when it comes to plants. I have plants in my tank but no Co2, and the plants are doing just fine. I've had the plants for over four months now.


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## Gumby (Aug 13, 2004)

swrve said:


> im not sure what kind of bulbs, but they are 15watts, if that helps?


You sure it's only 15 watts on a 55? The only 15 watt bulbs I can think of are incandescent.


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## swrve (Jan 8, 2005)

they say 15, but i could be wrong, they came with the all-glass aquarium.


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## The Predator (Sep 28, 2005)

I use fake plants.


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

if you are going to run 15 watts go buy some nice fake plants save your self the time. BTW I would think that a 55 gallon tank would come with a 4' flourescent bulb...but i could be wrong.


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## rocker (Aug 12, 2005)

i use both. I have one fake plant and one real plant....thats been totally destroyed.


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## nick007x (Sep 9, 2005)

Gumby said:


> im not sure what kind of bulbs, but they are 15watts, if that helps?


You sure it's only 15 watts on a 55? The only 15 watt bulbs I can think of are incandescent.
[/quote]

18inch florescent bulbs are usually 15 watts. Sold with a 55 gallon hood, there would have to be like 2 end to end, or 4 in two rows.


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## nick007x (Sep 9, 2005)

swrve said:


> im not sure which plants to get here....i like the look of real plants, but i dont want to buy a co2 system to have them. do i need a co2 system for real plants? someone shed some light on this for me please. can i just put a bunch of real plants in my 55 and they will flourish?
> thanks
> shawn


You definetly don't need co2, and plants like java ferns, and to some extent the different sword plants and anubias, only need indirect light from a window in addition to minimal (1 to 2 watts per gallon) amount of artificial light. Don't buy lights though at the fish store. At Hope Depot they are like 75% cheaper. Buy the ones that say they're for plants/aquarium. I used to use fake plants, but gradually transitioned to real plants a couple weeks ago, just buying one type at a time to see which ones would live in my light conditions (if it lives, buy some more, if it dies, at least you only bought one). I recommend live plants in your tank as I have noticed a significant improvement in overall water quality (levels), water clarity, and my piranhas seem happier and more active. As long as you get the right kind, have some light, and use liquid fertilizer, keeping low-light, low-maintenence plants is easy. The only issue is once the fish get bigger keeping them rooted. At that point, if that becomes a problem, get plants such as anubias that can root to a rock or log's surface.


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## andrew.burd (Oct 17, 2005)

I have fake plants in my tank too.. I'm putting together a 90 gallon tank this week.. my RB's are just babies right now.. once I get them in the 90 I don't want to have to mess with the tank much, so live plants are kinda out. I did notice one thing.. they sure do like to hang half eaten rosies in the tall tree I have in there...


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## jiggy (Jun 27, 2004)

im using short plants.. java ferns and java moss.. i want the substrate to be completely covered.. so it looks like a lawn


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## DucatiRave21 (May 27, 2005)

with P's i used real plants. mine always would bite off small peices of the fake plants and id have to scoup them out all the time. was always afriad they'd try to eat the plastic and...yea


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## nick007x (Sep 9, 2005)

jiggy said:


> im using short plants.. java ferns and java moss.. i want the substrate to be completely covered.. so it looks like a lawn


you should check out Micro Sword and Dwarf Hairgrass. They both look like grass, grow fast and will spread out and make a lawn in no time. Saw some in a friend's tank--looked sweet as hell.


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## DucatiRave21 (May 27, 2005)

^def a good choice i think


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## Gumby (Aug 13, 2004)

nick007x said:


> im using short plants.. java ferns and java moss.. i want the substrate to be completely covered.. so it looks like a lawn


you should check out Micro Sword and Dwarf Hairgrass. They both look like grass, grow fast and will spread out and make a lawn in no time. Saw some in a friend's tank--looked sweet as hell.
[/quote]

Both also need a ton of light and CO2 =\


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## OneEyedPiranhaGuy (Sep 30, 2005)

my p's used to eat my fake plastic plants in the tank, i now only have real plants and they never get uprooted


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