What plants to choose in the aquarium – live or artificial?
Plants not only complement the design of the aquarium, making it more natural, but also have quite practical benefits, for example, provide shelter for small fish and fry, serve as a spawning ground
Below are the most obvious advantages and disadvantages inherent in living and artificial plants.
Live plants
participate in the nitrogen cycle by absorbing nitrates through the root system
absorb nutrients, thereby inhibiting the growth of certain types of algae
take part in gas exchange by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen
serve as an additional food source for herbivorous fish
require suitable substrates, and in some cases additional fertilizers
need special lighting. Especially true for “capricious” varieties
newly acquired plants can carry parasites, pathogens
can grow strongly, require regular pruning, thinning
Artificial plants
always ready to use, easy to clean and decontaminate if necessary
come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, outwardly they may not differ from living plants
do not require special conditions (soil, lighting, water parameters)
are not damaged by fish, do not rot and retain their original appearance for a long time
some, especially cheap, artificial plants can cause injury to fish
useless for the aquarium ecosystem (not involved in the nitrogen cycle, photosynthesis, etc.)
Conclusion
From the point of view of a novice aquarist, artificial plants look the most preferable, which practically do not need to be looked after, and in their beauty they are not inferior and even superior to real ones.
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