How Should You Set Up Fake Plants in a Tank?

Plastic or silk artificial plants have many advantages over real aquatic plants. They can't be eaten, don't have any tricky lighting requirements and don't rot. According to "The Everything Aquarium Book," you should choose plants that do not have metal pieces, since these can rust and leech dangerous chemicals into the water.

  1. Considerations

    • The primary purpose of artificial plants is to create hiding places for fish, so arrange them with that in mind.

    Size

    • "Goldfish: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual" (Marshall Ostrow, 1995) recommends putting large plants in the back and smaller plants near the front. Plants can be used to hide unsightly equipment.

    Temporary Tanks

    • Hospital tanks, quarantine tanks and tanks for very small fish (fry) are best without gravel or plants, unless the plant can be weighed down without gravel. In order to give a hiding spot, you can use rocks or aquarium-safe tunnels.

    Fry

    • If fry hatch in a tank with other fish, they may be eaten unless they have hiding spots, such as fake plants floating on top of the water. Ideally, the fry should be transferred to a temporary holding tank.

    Expert Advice

    • If keeping seahorses or pipefish, be sure to provide fake plants with plenty of branches because these fish spend most of their time with their tails wrapped around the plant, eating any food that drifts by.