Plant Showdown: Real Plants vs Fake Plants! Really? Yes!
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- Hello Everyone,
In this video we compare real plants verses fake plants. We talk about the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Want to learn more about live plants? Check out these helpful videos!:
Beginners Guide to Aquatic Plants: • Beginners Guide to Aqu...
Top five easy plants to grow: • Great Beginner Plants ...
Water sprite vs water wisteria: • Plant Showdown! Water ...
How to make your own root tabs: • How to Make Root Tabs ...
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Also, our new shirts can be found at: www.primetimea...
For the latest in the fish room check us out on Instagram primetime_aquatics
Thanks for watching!
Want to learn more about live plants? Check out these helpful videos!:
Beginners Guide to Aquatic Plants: ua-cam.com/video/fU8xwLNzPmc/v-deo.html
Top five easy plants to grow: ua-cam.com/video/1QW_sBZmRvQ/v-deo.html
Water sprite vs water wisteria: ua-cam.com/video/PMOf9B8R3x0/v-deo.html
How to make your own root tabs: ua-cam.com/video/WRYz9FRdcg8/v-deo.html
If you want to see more behind the scenes stuff, exclusive videos and support the channel consider becoming a member! ua-cam.com/channels/YVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTA.htmljoin
Also, our new shirts can be found at: www.primetimeaquatics.com/merch
For the latest in the fish room check us out on Instagram primetime_aquatics
i guess I'm quite randomly asking but do anyone know a good website to watch newly released tv shows online ?
@Briar Bodie I watch on flixzone. You can find it by googling =)
@Blaze Marshall yea, been using FlixZone for since april myself :D
@Blaze Marshall thank you, signed up and it seems to work =) I really appreciate it !!
@Briar Bodie you are welcome :D
I decided to try to grow fake plants. It's more of a challenge.
😂🤣
🙈
Bwahahahaha
🤣
I’ve returned to this hobby after a thirty year absence and boy have things changed. Learning a lot from these UA-cam videos. Decided to try growing live plants and discovered fake plants made out of silk. So I have a mixture in my two tanks while the live plants grow the fish have some places to hide. Thank you for your videos.
I've done that as well. : -)
Must be interesting seeing everything that's changed. Would you mind telling me some of the biggest differences?
Thank you for not demonizing fake plants. I combine the two. I spent loads of money on plants , only to see them melt, or get digged up by my flock of corys! I have learned to keep easy plants and add a bit of colour with silk. This way I get the best of both worlds.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with fake plants. It all depends on what fish are being kept and what the person wants in their tank!
Great comparison. Good to see someone making a real world pro & con points to artificial plants these days. Thanks!
Thank you!
Love your videos sir. No annoying small talk and comedy, right to the VERY useful info.
New to the hobby and am obsessed. Went from 5 to 15 to 80gallon in the space of around 3 months.
Thank you for the amazing vids.
Thank you!
i had alot of plants co2 and ferts and stuff and it went really well but now i am moving back to the artificial plants just because i like the bright colors and focus more on the fish not as much on plants :) but i love both :)
I'm late for this party, but this video is so appreciated. I'm getting back into keeping fish after a long break, and I've attempted live plants for awhile now, but I've come to realize that they're just not going to be suitable for the type of fish I currently have. I broke down and purchased some nice fake plants, but haven't gotten them in the tank yet. It's been hard for me to go this route because I know live is better and so many people in the hobby seem to tank shame others for their use of fakes. But I'm almost to that point where I'm not enjoying my tank, so new aquascape, here I come. Thanks for making it feel ok for now.
Just don't tell people online what you use. If they don't know, they can't shame you. lol I love the look of real but have a black thumb when it comes to any plant. Fake is more up my alley. My daughter went the full-on fake with the GloFish tank and it's really bright and fun in its own way. I prefer the natural, river-bottom look. Our rural shop only really sells the tiki-mask, skull bones and Sponge Bob decor, however.
Excellent video. I'm just beginning a tank so as much as I would like the real plants I believe I will stick with the fake ones. As you said keeping the fish thriving is my first concern. Thanks 👍
I'm watching this, as I'm now exploring the idea of getting fake plants, as it's my fish I'm more interested in, rather than plants!
As a new fish owner, I was struggling to keep my water chemicals balanced (I'm getting better at it now, thankfully - once I got rid of the live plants!. Unfortunately, I'd made that mistake, and had got live plants for my tank, before I even knew they would affect the chemistry of the water, etc.
But the live plants were quickly either dug up, eaten, or died, as the fish ate, or played, with them, or I hadn't got the light levels right. There was also the problem that I felt guilty about choosing fake plants - it's more plastic, right?
But, in the end, I had to weigh out the life of my fish, against killing them through not understanding the chemistry of living plants!
Thanks for making this, and letting people like me know it's okay to go fake while we learn! :)
Ultimately the choice is about what makes the hobby enjoyable for you while still being reasonably healthy for the fish.
Do what feels comfortable for you. Best advise and thanks for keeping it real for a newbie like myself. I'm sure I'll have questions but that's all learning is, right.
I used fake plants to start then I moved into real plants when I got everything figured out but then a year after planting real plants I went back to fake with the exception of keeping the live algae balls.
When I had real plants (alot of them) I realised that my canaster filters needed to be cleaned more because of die off or fish destroying them..
Right now I have fake plants with a bunch of real algae balls.. I'll probably get bored and go back to real plants some time but for now I am enjoying the fake plants for the simple reason of a lot less up keeping.
It's all about finding a comfort zone for you. Nothing wrong with going back to fake plants if it makes the hobby more enjoyable for you!
I love easy slow growing low light plants like anubias and java fern. I've had the same anubias coffeefolia plant since 1995 and have travelled across the country with it. It's not perfect but I love it! 💚🍃🌿
That's cooL!
Thanks for this. made me feel less guilty for thinking we'd start off with fake plants. Learn about fish keeping then move on to aquatic plant keeping... Many thanks for the clear video.
Not a bad plan at all!
I have artificial plants to give my fish some hiding spaces, but I also have some Marimo moss balls to help with the water parameters. :)
Great, clear, and simple info Mr. Prime. Im new in this hobby, and I have learned a lot from experts like you.
Thank you!
Nice versus video. I prefer real plants but that's the fun thing about the hobby you can make it your own. Thanks for the video
Exactly!
Gorgeous double dark Angels! I just received 2 from angelsplus yesterday...yes, I'm soooo stoked...I can't keep my eyes off of them. I'm a huge fan of double dark/black angels.
They are cool indeed. They were my favorite type of angel when I was a kid so when Luke decided to get them I was excited! Good luck with yours!
Great video! I have a combination of fake and real plants..
Thank you!
Subbed as soon as I heard what he said at 7:16...I'm not even new-new anymore, ran tanks since 2007, but quit the last few years after a big move and just now getting back into it. But I remember being new. And I dislike the purists and snobs that ruin things for people just getting into the hobby. There's a place for fake plants and the people who start with them or prefer them in the hobby.
You have to do what allows you to enjoy the hobby and fits with your comfort level. :-)
great comparison. although i do not have fake plants in my tank, i could understand why some p'ple would. another advantage of real plants is so called 'aquascape', be it Nature or dutch style, where the final result of putting fish and plants together is more than its building parts.
This is lovely. Many blessings. 🕊
Thank you so much for this. I have been trying for at least three weeks to figure out what substrate I should use and whether or not I could actually try to do live plants with my 125 gallon set up I’m about to get. I know I want to do cichlids, this sealed the deal that it will be gravel and fake plants.
Have fun!
Awesome and very helpful video. 🙏
I have both real and fake plants too, love them. You are right fake plants are just perfect for beginners, and everybody should use what makes them comfortable. 👌👌👌👍👍👍🙏❤️
Very well said!
Those are some really good points on fake plants.
One of your most awaited videos is finally here.. Superb comparisons made Jason 👌 Keep it up 👍 I have recently ventured into live plants.. so far it has been a fascinating journey.. of course not mentioning any negative views for fake plants.. since they too have their own pros as mentioned by you.. Overall a great learning curve for me personally in migrating from an artificial setup to a planted aquarium so far.. all thanks to your UA-cam channel PRIME TIME AQUATICS.. 👏👏
That's exciting! I hope they work out really well for you!
Just what I needed thanks man
Really helpful videos. I dream of having a live planted tank soon, for now though fake is my best option
It will be fun when you are ready. : -)
The blood, sweat, and tears....lots of tears are all the reason why real plants are worth it.
Love this show!!!
it's a good thing you're doing to educate others just joining this "addiction" We so lovingly call fish keeping; and help so many out here who don't yet realize,,, or have forgotten,,,
bc they've just got back into this addiction,,, lol
and needed some reminders... ThankYou 😃
Renae Leann Thank you for watching!
I'm coming back to fishkeeping after a few decades of kidkeeping. I've got a 29 gal kit and a pair of 10s. I'm wanting to start with one of the tens to create cycled water for the 29, and use the second ten as a plant tank. I'm leaning toward guppies, danios, and corycats.
I never knew silk plants were a thing until I started looking for my second tank. I have a 20 gallon with fake plastic plants. I guess I caught the aquarium bug because I went out and got a glass 3.7 gallon tank for a single betta and that's when I discovered silk plants! I'll have a marimo moss ball in there but it's pretty much one fake plant, a real plant, and just one simple decoration. Wish I knew before and I'd have had the more realistic and soft silk plants for my 20 gallon as well.
The only issue I have had with the silk plants is how quickly they break down. They don't seen to last as long as the plastic plants.
"sometimes we forgot what is like to be new". As literally new since few days, I've learn so much from your video ! Wify bought a shubunkin out of nowhere (we had no tank nothing)... And I don't like the idea of having it die in few weeks... So bought a 50L tank in a hurry. Started to put bacteria in it. The fish is waiting in a 14L tupperware... And now I'm thinking what do I want to do in this tank ? We have a basic substrate. The fact that plan reduce the need of water change is really a plus fort me (if we go out for the week I can ask friend to come feed the fish and no worries about water changing) . So... I probably looking to buy some real plantes as soon as the 3 weeks for bacteria are done. Thanks for all your video ! ♥️
If the goldfish eats the plants you can also try growing pothos out of the top as well.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Hum interesting, like you put roots in the water and let the leaf part out ?
Thank you! I just upgraded my betas tank from a 3 gallon to 10 gallon tank and I am trying to figure out what kind of fish to add in there.
I have a half moon twin tail and he gets along great with my guppies and Cory cats
VERY HELPFUL! THANK YOU PRIME TIME AQUATICS!!
Good to hear!
Good comparison of the two!
Thanks Jason and have a great day!
You too!
Thank you for your either or for plants, as I am new to my 36 gallon tank. I think I will go with fake plants to start with. You have been a great help in helping me to "get off the fence" with what I will use. Now, to figure out which fish (big and small to get). I'm thinking maybe 4/5 bigger show fish with different colors and flashy fins and fan like tails and other small fish like tetras and other fish which stay one size. I'll let you know how it goes..............wish me luck!!
Glad it was helpful! Thank you
Thank you for this video! Ive been considering getting real plants because ive noticed my fish has cuts on his fins!
Excellent video, Professor Prime Time!
Thank you for watching!
So great to see someone take this on without "shaming" fake plants. I have a tank with big silver dollars, clown loaches and huge Cardinal tetras living happily for years with fake plants.
Fake plants is better than no plants! I just think it is really important to give most species of fish and shrimp somewhere to hide or rest, super easy to put together some java moss covered rocks and use silk plants and get a good result.
Lot's of people do that. : -)
I've done that! :D Thanks for putting out cool videos.
Thank u for this videoo!! Im looking to get plants never had them this helped
I use plastic and silk plants in my aquariums and have done for years. I used to just use real plants but found that fake plants are easier to mange. One real plant that I do use is cuttings from Pothus plants which are great for getting rid of nitrates. You can grow them in a hang on back filter or just float them on the water surface, where they will soon produce lots of roots. They can be planted in the substrate amongst the fake plants and they will help to keep the tank well balanced. Just one pot of Pothus will keep on producing lots of new growth for taking cuttings and enables me to just use fake plants for the main decoration.
I do the same - have pothos on many of my tanks!
in my honest opinion, it's way more interesting to add real plants, even if the fish eat it, it's better natural, the hobby becomes even more interesting and variable
Great video.
Good job Professor. Nice comparison of the two.
I have a new 200g that I'm setting up right now for African Cichlids. I want real plants but except the fact they will destroy them one way or another. So it's going to be fake plants for me.
Thanks for all the pros and cons.
It will save you a lot of headaches later. : -)
Great video I like to use both but sometimes with real plants you have the problem of them sometimes dying or leaves dying so it does take quite a bit more maintenance to maintain a fully live planted Aquarium either way both of them are great options for anyone beginner or experience it really does matter just like your video said on your setup whether you can have live or fake
Very true
I like to mix fake and real together. Why not?
Fake works great, for me, my tank is crystal, no tannin in the water, I like it.
Great video!!! We keep live plants in our tanks. We win some and lose some with our african cichlids.
Very true. It’s amazing how they will leave some alone for a while and then decide they’re great to eat.
Very informative, thank you
What is that fish in the plastic plant tank right above the blue acara?
Wow very good arguments and I agree with both of the reasons for fake and real plants
Thank you!
Hmmmm, some good food for thought! Another advantage of plastic plants is they will not be ripped to shreds or be easily sucked into a gravel vacuum during a water change. Not to get too far off subject, but ive noted you had what looked to be only sponge filters for filtration. They seem way more effective at keeping your water clean than most people give them credit for! You *can* get crystal clear water with proper spong filtration.
Love my red severums, but hate the fact they destroyed my anubias and java fern. Thought those plants were relatively “Severum safe”. Nope! I choose no plants over fake plants in the Severum tank. As a Planted tank guy, I just can’t put plastic into my tanks. 😁👍
I ended up doing the same in the 75 gallon green severum tank. I was hoping he would leave the jungle val alone - nope! : -)
Plant lighting is expensive. I'm using the lighting kit from my aquarium and my plants are dying even with the liquid plant food 😥
does fish get happier with real plants? or fish doesnt understand the difference?
I don't think they know the difference for the most part. :-)
I have to say the 'Fake" plants that have been out for the past few years made of silk are very realistic in both color and shape.
It's getting harder to tell them apart!
I find that petco and petsmart now carry a wide selection of real plants which I love, about 10 years ago it was very difficult to find real aquarium plants in the Hudson Valley of New York unless you drove miles and miles to a small privately owned pet store. Artificial plants and even artificial corals are becoming more realistic as each decade passes which is great to see, but I prefer live plants.
I’ve had good luck with the Petsmart plants
Nice video Jason!
Thanks!
I personally don't like using fake stuff in my tanks. I try to use real decorations and put real plants in my tanks. Doesn't always work, as my Oscar digs out everything I put in his tank. But in that instance, I use floating plants such as frogbit and moss balls. But good video, keep up the good work.
steven greer I feel your pain. My oscars dig like crazy!
Excellent advice
Thank you!
4:24 what is that floating plant?
That is guppy grass!
I notice that you have
Philodendron growing out of your tank. I assume that this is a hydroponic approach to reducing nitrates. Can you tell us more about this?
That is true! In some of my heavier stocked tanks that can't have plant because the fish will eat them I try to grow pothos out of the top so I can keep nitrates reduced as much as possible.
Can fish die from fake plants? If so will guppies be alright with fake plants?
I don’t think I’ve ever had a fish die from a fake plant? Good question
I use a mixture of real plants and fake plants. I do a low tech setup so fake plants help you achieve a high tech setup look without the setup. The fake plants gives an nice constant tidy manicured look, access to colors like deep reds that may be hard to keep in low tech setups, and definitely cut down on maintenance time. But I do like incorporating live plants to soften the scape and give it a more convincing natural look, as well as providing all the live plants benefits like water quality, absorbing excess nutrients, and competing with algae. I would encourage more people to not be purists and be open to mixing fake and live. Even if you are a master aqua gardener, including maybe even one or a few plants could help you achieve something that you couldn’t with real plants only.
Another idea I had, with all these new bright colored and glow in the dark fake plants, you could have seasonal plant setups. Maybe an outrageous Avatar-like scape for Halloween season or something. Or be half bright red half and half green for Christmas… just thoughts.
I ended up getting real plants a year ago for months they did great . But now they keep dying , my tank has never been so dirty and isn't as clear anymore. I have to constantly take off rotten leans . So I am done I tried , but I'm ordering some big thick plants online . I never had any issues with fake . I love the look of real plants but Its not working for me . I'm ready for my fake plants lol.
I've tried with a lot of different real plants for my golrfish aquarium, and I've failed miserably each time. I don't like fake plants, but I'm starting to think that might be my only option. So, sad. At least I can say that they really ate the plants instead of just destroying them, so good for them.
You're not alone - goldfish like lots of different types of plants for snacks.
Same here. I've got root tabs, light, water fertilizer and none of it works. Every plant I put in there melts away. I've got one Amazon sword that's lasted over a year, but its never grown at all.
great video! in the first tank shot with the christmas moss, how do you recommend attaching it to the wood?
I actually just kinda placed it on there and it stayed. : -) Some people crazy glue it on too.
Does the live plant grows in the gravel or we need different soil specifically?
Ours have done fine in gravel or sand.
At 4:00 what species of fish is in the center of the tank? Redish tail fin and blue/green body? Thanks for your time. Very helpfully video.
Coolsideofthepillow That is Oreochromis Niloticus! A gentle giant.
Hi! Im thinking of starting a 10 gallon planted tank. I have a couple questions 1: when you plant a tank do you need the organic substrate or can you use gravel with root tabs? 2: if you have a planted, how do you do water changes with cleaning of substrate? Thanks.
You can use standard gravel or sand with root tabs (that's what we do). I generally don't put the gravel vac into the substrate, but just above the surface in my planted tanks. Hope this helps!
9:42 can someone please tell me if these fish are all cichlids?
I’m a newbie learning here.
Would like to have these exact fish in my tank.
Really appreciate your help. What fish do you see? Thanks
I'd say about half are cichlids in that tank?
7:54 can someone tell me what fish is the blue one with that tail on the left of the screen? Thanks
Those are electric blue jack dempseys - they usually have horrible genetics and don't live long.
Very useful information .thank you . Is it advisable to plant plant ontop of your tank .in my region(Namibia ) its hard to find aqua plants ..
Sure, they can still pull nutrients from the water if the roots are in the water.
I think to take fake plants, because I live in the Philipines and the temperaure is at least 27-28 Celcius and it reach sometimes 32 C
i am a beginner and getting betta fish was wondering what fake plants to get. people say just get slik or rubber..no plastic
I would get what you like. They are all about the same. I will say the silk plants we have used didn't last very long.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics just offically fins are delicate so would say any belong not sharp or rough
I would also like to add silk plants to my aquarium that are tall. All I ever find on Amazon and EBay are short. Do you know of a company that sells tall ones?
The only place I have seen them is from Petsmart occasionally.
Greetings from Michigan. Thanks for the tip on where I might find tall silk plants. You have been very helpful by answering a few of my questions.😬
I think so many people are recommending using live plants today that new hobbyist's may feel overwhelmed. Your video on using fake plants (for various) reasons is well done to just say "Hey, fake is just fine too." Well done. Thank you.
Sometimes it's hard to remember how overwhelming fish keeping can be when someone is new. : -)
Can we add live plants In normal filtered aquarium or we have to change the whole setup?
You can add them to a standard fish tank setup.
Aqua plants don’t really take up nitrates, they take up ammonia predominately... normal land plants take up nitrates
Depends on the species for sure, different species have different feeding habits, some prefer ammonia, some phosphates, some nitrates, they will uptake all types of nutrients but different species definitely have different feeding habits..
While it is true many studies have shown aquatic plants prefer ammonium over nitrates. It is not true to say plants don't utilize nitrates. Once a tank is cycled, plants must compete with microbes for available ammonium. When ammonium concentrations are reduced (as they would be in a fully cycled tank) plants then switch to nitrates as a source of nitrogen.
Real plants all the way! I love all my house and yard plants so real is a must for me. Just another way to use my green thumb.
What is that beautiful floating plant, looks like guppy grass.
That was indeed guppy grass (possibly star grass). A chuck of it came with some fish I got from an auction and it really took off!
What kind of fish can go with beta?
This may help: ua-cam.com/video/_st_6B96Tj0/v-deo.html
Do fake plants need to be cleaned? If so, how and how often?
Only if they get excessive algae and you don't like the way it looks, then you can clean it off. I don't use any cleaning chemicals to do so though.
MY problem with real plants is.. that I live in Philippines my tank as minimum 31 degrees Celcius... and that is the cold season
Nice
great channel
Thank you! Appreciate you watching.
I bought 3 live plants from petco water wisteria 2 died and the 1 made like 500 plants so now i have live wisteria in 7 tanks and fooating breeding in 3 but i don't want to buy something else ajd it die
Like real plants, but have for when I get the 150 a large fake log that has holes and nooks that I will use real plants in...
Cool!
I have real plants and I love them but they are extra work and if you dont have time for the extra work like getting in there cutting out dead parts and the extra money for like liquid carbon co2 and you do your water changes regularly then go with fake plants. That's just my opinion but if you have time and the extra money real plants are I feel just nicer bc think if you were the fish would you want fake plants around you or real plants while your locked up in a tank?. So it's just 50/50. Ups and downs to both and like he said real plants are going to help with alge control and benefit water quality and you'll notice it in your fish behavior.
I'd rather have real but they cost so much and I'd be afraid kill them also the grow lights aren't cheap either. I eventually wanna get a couple and just see how it goes though. I have a led light it just sits on the hood which is glass but idk if it can grow plants got my tank used so idk. I been buying fake plants that are more realistic but they are expensive too, 19 dollars for one large one and 10 for medium size 7 for small .
You would be surprised how well some plants do with standard LEDs. Anubias, crypts, java fern, java moss might all be good options.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics Ohh ok thanks for the info
Mine cause algae
3:58 cyanobacteria?
Hi. Can I plant direct into sand or do I need soil under the sand? I’m new so don’t laugh lol. Thank you
We usually plant into the sand and use root tabs. It works well. :-)
@@PrimeTimeAquatics normal soil or some other kind of soil ?
Ive not had much luck with real plants, i have to order mine online and they are always alot of rubbish online, so decided to go fake, please dont hate me lol!
Perfectly ok :-)
Its the snails which put me off.
Snails can be cool once they are under control. :-)
Depend on the fish you keep
It sure does!
I can't even manage outdoor plants so yeah fake plants all the way lol
Real plants.