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Artificial plants in the aquarium. Artificial plants in the aquarium: all the pros and cons. Tips for decorating your aquarium with artificial plants

Before you add fish to your aquarium, you should take care of filling it. Except various coatings for the bottom, such as sand or stones, it is also necessary to provide your pets with various shelters in the form of houses and various types seaweed However, some fish like to eat vegetation in aquariums. To establish such species, you should purchase special, artificial algae.

Despite all the arguments, people are reluctant to have them in their aquariums. It’s worth starting with the fact that any person, as soon as he hears or sees the word “artificial,” tries in every possible way to avoid an object with this parameter. This is the most important rejecting factor. Many people mistakenly believe that absence from an aquarium has a negative impact on its inhabitants and can lead to their death. Despite such negativity towards them, it is worth examining positive sides these "decorations".

Benefits of artificial plants in an aquarium

Unnatural algae has a lot of advantages over the usual flora of aquariums. The first thing you should pay attention to is the artificiality of these plants; this is where most of the advantages come from:

  • No maintenance required. Because the plants are not living, you won't need to keep an eye on them by trimming them every time they grow.
  • Can be safely installed in aquariums with herbivorous fish. Unlike living ones, artificial plants in an aquarium will not be touched by fish, which means their home will always have an aesthetic appearance.
  • Do not require special lighting. Unlike living algae, artificial algae do not require special lighting, since they do not photosynthesize.
  • The composition of the water is not important. The water in the aquarium, where there will be fake algae, can meet any indicators, and it can be adjusted specifically to the fish that will live in it.
  • They can maintain a fresh look for a long time.

Plastic, unlike plants, is not susceptible to disease, which means plants made from it will last much longer.

Thanks to all these advantages, such plants are perfect for quarantine aquariums, where fish require special conditions and the slightest changes in parameters can lead to dire consequences.

Many people mistakenly believe that artificial substitutes are much more expensive than natural algae. But this is not so, the cost of both is approximately the same, and sometimes analogues can cost much less natural grass.

What are they made of?

Another misconception arises when a person hears about artificiality - danger. It is believed that the flashy and brightly colored trinkets can be poisonous and can poison the poor inhabitants of the aquarium. But still, don't worry about it.

Manufacturers have long learned to produce harmless plastic at a relatively cheap price, so corals made from this material are absolutely harmless.

Algae is made from artificial silk polyamide. It's worth stopping here. When choosing between these materials, it is still recommended to give preference to polyamide. Silk, in contrast, is less durable, and such decorations cost approximately the same.

Minuses

In addition to false ones, there are several true facts who speak against artificial plants:

  • No photosynthesis. Aquariums with non-living plants need more powerful aeration, since artificial plants cannot produce oxygen and do not remove carbon dioxide from the water.
  • Stagnant zones.

Some types of natural plants with a developed root system are able to aerate the soil, which reduces the risk of the formation of stagnant zones. Alas, plastic algae cannot do this.

These two problems can be called basic, however, they can contradict themselves. After all, plants produce oxygen only when daytime, at night they willingly take it back, and sometimes the total amount of gas absorbed significantly exceeds the volume of production. The second point can be answered by the fact that not all natural plants are capable of this, so it is worth contrasting this fact in disputes about what kind of algae is needed only in some cases.

Combination with natural

When choosing plants, it is not at all necessary to turn only to living or only to fake plants. Various artificial decorations go well with natural views seaweed By combining them, you can create unique design your aquarium. Some recommend arranging decorations in such a way that there is a 50/50 ratio of natural and artificial objects in the tank, this will preserve the aesthetic appearance and also reduce the amount of hassle associated with living plants. Some people think that such a mixture will look ugly, however, they have now learned to make such reliable copies that even experienced aquarists in the water cannot distinguish which type of algae is located. Especially when a composition is made up of several living and “not quite” plants.

Fish are quite calm about such a neighborhood, herbivores will not touch plastic, and small species will quite adapt to the new shelter.

Artificial plants are an excellent replacement for aquarium algae, and in some cases they are simply necessary. After all, even for the most fastidious fish, you want to make a small, beautiful and cozy house from their empty and transparent tank.

Date: 2009-12-27

And synthetics have a right to life.

IN. MiloslavskyG. Moscow

Almost every third question contained in the editorial mail recent years, to one degree or another, is devoted to one topic: are live plants required in an aquarium and can they be replaced with synthetics?
The interest of aquarists in this problem is due to the fact that now the vast majority of pet stores have stands with artificial plants immediately catch the eye, but if representatives of living flora are found, then in a meager assortment, and their appearance, frankly, is quite pitiful. At the same time, in many aquarium management manuals there is an idea that without natural “grass” a home pond cannot function in any way. So the young nature lover finds himself faced with a choice.
Indeed, landscaping is a powerful resource for arranging indoor ponds. Plants are present in almost all amateur aquariums, except those where the presence of aquatic flora is impractical for biological reasons. But whether it, this flora, must certainly be alive is a very controversial question.

At first glance, in terms of biological value, natural plants have unconditional priority over plastic analogues. In principle, “plastic” is quite suitable as a substrate or shelter for fish. But even if it wants to, it will not utilize carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, or help eliminate excess organics and heavy metals from water (and some living plants can do this). And, of course, dummies will in no way supplement the diet of fish that need plant nutrition. An aquarium with live plants quickly enters the phase of biological equilibrium, its ecological system is more sustainable and stable.
At the same time, the importance of natural plants in some life processes artificial microreservoirs is greatly overestimated, and the lack of living plants in the aquarium may well (and should!) be compensated for by modern engineering means.
For example, many novice aquarists sincerely believe that living flora is the main supplier of oxygen for aquatic organisms. In reality, plants provide the aquarium population with oxygen no more than 10-15% of the requirement. The main part enters the water due to the natural diffusion of gas across the water-air boundary, that is, due to the elementary mixing of water created by the most primitive filter.
Thus, in general outline the question posed at the beginning of the article can be answered this way: of course, live plants are better, but you can get by with substitutes. And then it’s up to you to decide what aquarium hobby is for you, comparing various factors, characteristic of representatives of living flora and “fakes”, and keeping in mind that each category of plants has its own advantages, but is not without its disadvantages.

Take, for example, appearance. The leaves of living plants have a wide palette of colors, ranging from all sorts of shades of green to exotic white, yellow, brown and red tones. The shape of bushes, leaves, their spatial orientation, texture, venation pattern, etc. are no less varied. Even the most accurate presses are often unable to reproduce all these nuances.
On the other hand, apparently having exhausted her strength on numerous masterpieces, Nature sometimes demonstrates very clumsy work, and man, on the contrary, surpasses himself in the riot of imagination and the filigree of execution of plans. In addition, people sometimes like those forms and species that Nature has rejected due to their irrationality or unviability. Modern polymers and dyes make it possible to create the most delicate, varied and incredible “plants”. So, in terms of decorative value, the original and the copy, and even more so the fruit of unbridled imagination, can easily compete with each other. Let's say you are unlikely to find anything alive and healthy plant with blue, yellow or black leaves, however, if your eccentric inclinations require just such an aesthetic solution, then feel free to purchase plastic bush. Have you seen glowing plants? Most likely no. But in a pet store these are by no means uncommon.
Don't forget the next point. Organizing an underwater garden from plastic plants, the aquarist, one might say, shapes it for years. After working for a day or two, you will subsequently be spared the hassle of phytodesign. The situation is different with living plants. In unsatisfactory conditions, plants will die, destroying the picture you created; and in good ones it grows rapidly, also introducing anarchy and chaos into underwater landscapes; and here constant monitoring will be required: additional purchase of plants or, conversely, thinning out their thickets.
In a well-organized aquarium, living plants can exist for years, actively developing new leaves and reproducing (mainly vegetatively, i.e. by daughter plants), and in very favorable conditions They even bloom, giving the owner seeds. But this is literate, and what if not, if there is still not enough knowledge and experience? Then everything is less predictable.

There are plants that are very tolerant of the owner’s mistakes. They forgive some lighting violations and sudden changes water characteristics(temperature, pH, hardness, etc.). Others are very categorical: the slightest mistake on your part, and instead of an attractive bush in the aquarium there will be only a skeleton of veins, or even nothing at all.
Many are in a “blooming” state. Achieving flowering of living aquarium plants is by no means easy (if only because the vast majority of them bloom only when above water). So, if you definitely want to organize a bright flower bed in your micro-reservoir, it is better to use synthetics.
An important point is compatibility. If plastic plants can be planted in an aquarium without any biological restrictions, then representatives of living flora are selected based on the similarity of growing conditions. Moreover, it should be taken into account that the claims of the plants are commensurate with the needs of the fish and the nature of the soil in the reservoir.
Again, individual fish (some barbs, large characinids, etc.), and snails, are often not averse to feasting on delicate greenery, sometimes bringing even very lush and beautiful bush to the status of an unattractive stalk. In addition, some species of fish like to dig in the ground, undermining plants and damaging their root system or pulling out bushes, thereby nullifying all your efforts to bring the aquarium into divine shape.
There are also hygienic considerations. Natural plants, like any other living organism, are subject to various types of aggression, the most common of which is an algae invasion. And fighting this evil is a very labor-intensive task and, frankly speaking, in many cases ineffective. Algae, however, do not hesitate to use the surface as a substrate synthetic plants, but cleaning the latter is very simple - just remove them from the aquarium and pour over hot (80-90°C) water: soon plastic bushes completely freed from algal yoke. This trick will not work with natural ones.
When using synthetics in an aquarium, it is easier to fight against fish enemies, since you can safely use pharmaceuticals and various types of chemicals without the risk of destroying all the vegetation. In addition, by buying plastic, you are guaranteed to avoid the possibility of introducing into your home pond any infection that has “sticked” to the plants. These may be pathogenic microorganisms, insect larvae dangerous to fish, or other aquatic inhabitants. For many, even decorative snails are undesirable guests, the eggs of which can end up in your aquarium along with living plants from the pond where they previously lived.

The financial aspect is also important. The most common, unpretentious living plants are cheaper than their own artificial twins. For example, at the Poultry Market, Vallisneria or Elodea are truly folk aquarium plants- you can buy for 20-25 rubles. per bunch, while the cheapest plastic plant will cost you no less than fifty dollars. Again, taking just one bush, for example, ambulia for 10-15 rubles, in a favorable situation, in 2-3 months you will become the owner of 3-4 adult plants. Thus, you can save money by purchasing several "mother" plants and patiently waiting for them to reproduce. Having purchased a synthetic analogue for 45-60 rubles, you will be left with it, the only one, and landscaping a spacious aquarium will result in a very round sum.
However, as for rarities, the situation is the opposite. If you have to pay no more than a hundred rubles for a synthetic bush of the legendary uvirandra, then two or three hundred may not be enough for a natural one. And there are no words for how capricious these living uviranders are. So they strive to disappear into oblivion.
Again, by remaining committed to synthetics, you can save on energy costs. In order for living plants to develop normally, they should be provided with sufficiently bright light). Most fish will be quite satisfied with a level of illumination at which the aquarium will look almost like a night light, although you most likely will not know the end of brown algae).
Now about acquisition and transportation. Synthetic plants, as you understand, are more predictable in terms of purchase and transportation. Actually, what they saw is what they found: they will neither grow nor die; indifferent to frost and heat; carry them at least for an hour, at least for a year; even in water, even without it...
From all of the above it follows that plastic dummies have every right to exist, and in some cases their use is even advisable. But one more factor, perhaps not the most significant one, cannot be completely ignored: emotions. It is probably no coincidence that the majority of true aquarists prefer exclusively living plants, because, seeing their well-being in their aquarium, they can rightfully say - this is my merit, I did everything right and have every reason to be pleased with myself. In addition, having an original is always more prestigious than having a copy, even a very good one.
For a real aquarist, fiddling with underwater garden- it's pleasure, not hard labor. He rejoices at the appearance of every new tender green leaf, every young shoot. Creative search, experiments, anxious anticipation, euphoria of victory - this is the essence of his being. Will such a person be satisfied with passive contemplation of the delights of a dead plastic garden, which, at best, only generates gratitude to the manufacturers of such “vegetation”? Most likely no.
But, if the aquarium is just a piece of furniture for you, and your dream is to reduce its maintenance to a minimum, then, probably, a plant model will be the most rational decision problems of landscaping a reservoir. No worries, no hassle... On the other hand, such carelessness is largely illusory, since you will have to be much more attentive to the condition of the water and soil, select equipment more carefully, and more scrupulously observe the hygienic regime in the reservoir, because by depriving the aquarium of living plants, you knock out one of the most important links in a very complex multi-level closed biosystem, which is any body of water, including a home one.
But if this doesn't scare you, let me give you a few more tips.

Almost the main suppliers plastic plants Penn-Plax and Hagen are companies in Russia. The assortment of their underwater flora includes more than a dozen species, and taking into account color and size variations, it generally exceeds a hundred. Here there are bushes that are close to natural prototypes, and completely fantasy ones that have no natural analogues.
Usually, aquarists do not have serious complaints about the quality of dummies, regardless of who acts as their manufacturer. In the production of synthetic flora, water-inert materials are used together with stable and safe dyes. Even long-term stay in water does not significantly affect appearance plants, with the exception, perhaps, of its neatness, which is quite natural and fixable. A long stay in the air is more unpleasant for them. Especially in a dry room, and even in bright light. In this case, the plastic becomes coarser, becomes hard and brittle, and the colors acquire rather faded tones. Therefore, if you have the urge to remove a plastic plant from the aquarium without planning to return it to its native land in the next six months, wrap the outcast in a plastic bag and put it away.
When purchasing a synthetic bush, pay attention to its “root system.” For most plastic plants, it is made in the shape of a boat, with the sides facing up. This allows you to easily, quickly and reliably strengthen the “grass” by sprinkling it with soil. In principle, now this scheme is quite traditional, although there are still products on sale that are mounted on a “bump” - a hollow cup oriented bottom up.
It all looks quite nice, but such a bush is less convenient to use. Sand and gravel roll off easily from this structure, and you are forced to press the plants to the ground with heavy stones or weigh down the cup with something like plasticine. And all the same, any careless movement of the net is enough to pull out such a bush along with the “bump” from the ground.
Pay attention to how tightly the plant sits in the cup: if it is freely pulled out from the base, then you probably will not be able to avoid frequent “transplants” in the future. The same, by the way, applies to composite bushes. plastic plants, which allow arbitrary increase in length and change in shape using existing reserve holes or grooves: if the fastening of the segments is weak, then after manipulating the net or even the siphon tube you will see a bunch of torn stems in the aquarium. And God knows how much time and effort you will need to return them to their original places.

Aquarium Magazine 2000 No. 1

If you don't want to put live plants in your aquarium, you can use artificial aquarium plants. In this article FIRSTaqua.ru will tell you about them!


Nowadays, stores are simply overwhelmed with a variety of artificial plants for the aquarium. They offer you a huge selection, in color, size, etc.

There are a number of benefits to artificial plants. They are not afraid of diseases, they will always look like new. They are inedible for fish (many fish representatives are not averse to snacking on plants). Artificial plants don't grow, which means you don't have to trim them. You can change the design of the aquarium in which artificial plants are planted as often as you like.

But there are also disadvantages. Artificial aquarium plants do not clean your home pond. In addition, over time they lose color or become overgrown with algae. The absence of real plants in an aquarium can lead to a lack of vitamins and minerals necessary for aquarium fish and other inhabitants. For this reason, it is undesirable to completely replace living plants in an aquarium with artificial ones.

There is a third option - a combination of artificial and living plants. In this case, you kill two birds with one stone! On the one hand, by using artificial plants, you get aesthetic beauty, and on the other hand, by planting live plants, you maintain biological balance in your aquarium. Basically, in such cases, the simplest and most unpretentious plants are used as living plants. FIRSTaqua.ru has already written to you about them in the article: Unpretentious aquarium plants. This is especially suitable for beginner aquarists. Having planted such plants, over time you will learn how to properly care for them, then you can try to plant something more capricious and beautiful. Until then, it is better to add artificial plants for beauty.

How to choose the right artificial plants and not make a mistake?

First, you need to check the artificial plants for the aquarium to see if they emit a strong odor. Plants made from low quality plastic tend to smell strong and unpleasant. They must be made of safe plastic. This should be indicated on the packaging, study it carefully, pay attention to the manufacturer, etc. In general, it is better to buy decorative elements for an aquarium in a specialized store so that you can look, touch, and turn them in your hands. After all, buying low-quality plants can harm the health or even the life of fish and other inhabitants of your aquarium.

The cost of artificial plants for an aquarium ranges from 30 rubles to several hundred. Stores today offer ready-made kits assembled for aquariums of various sizes. But you can create the design of your aquarium yourself by purchasing plants separately.

Once you have purchased artificial plants, they must be treated before planting in the aquarium. They must be washed thoroughly under the tap and doused with boiling water.

If your aquarium is dominated by fake plants, be sure to limit the lighting. Otherwise, algae will form on them very quickly. And you will have to constantly remove the plant from the aquarium and clean it.

To sum it up, it’s worth saying that for a novice aquarist, artificial plants are very necessary, since there is still no experience in caring for real plants. Later, when you gain experience, you can plant real plants.

Spawning plants, in other words spawning substrate, are necessary for the successful breeding of aquarium fish. A large percentage of species do not care about their offspring and, on occasion, may even eat them. During the spawning process, the eggs are randomly scattered among the thickets of plants. With the help of an adhesive substance, they are attached to the surface of leaves or among thick roots - this becomes their only protection from predatory parents (cannibalism is very common among fish).

Not all plants are suitable for spawning; the most popular are Riccia floating and Java moss, which can grow into dense clusters. However, if you did not plan to breed, but suddenly discovered that the fish are showing clear signs of the beginning of the mating season, you may not be able to quickly find such plants.

There is a fairly old but effective and cheap way create artificial plants for spawning at home. These are bunches wool threads floating on the surface or attached to the bottom. For spawning, it is recommended to use a separate tank so that the fish have no other alternative where to disperse their eggs. When the mating season arrives, take a simple three-liter jar or any other container of suitable volume, fill it with water from the aquarium and place artificial plants.

Why wool?

Woolen threads, the same ones that grandmothers use for knitting, are ideal for catching eggs, and the wool itself is very soft and will not cause harm upon contact with the body, which is especially important for cyprinids, whose males like to “chase” females during the spawning period, often driving them out through thickets of plants.

Artificial or natural plants?

Artificial plants made from wool for spawning have huge advantages over real ones. They have a larger surface area for capturing eggs, and most importantly, they can be sterilely processed before being placed in the aquarium, which will minimize the risk of infection.
Natural plants are not universal; they require certain conditions for their growth, which limits their range of use. In particular, Riccia is not suitable for breeding species that spawn in semi-darkness, since it requires bright lighting and quickly dies if there is a lack of light. In addition, such plants form dense clumps, which is good for cultivation, but bad for maintenance - organic waste and uneaten pieces of food get stuck in them, polluting the water.

What you will need for production: a piece of cardboard, scissors, wool threads and polystyrene foam. Time spent - 5–10 minutes.

Stages of creating artificial plants for spawning

Step #1: Cut the cardboard to the desired size

Take a piece of cardboard, for example, measuring 20x20 cm and make two cuts in the top and bottom.

Step No. 2. Winding threads

Secure the end of the thread into the slot and begin wrapping the cardboard. On in this example 50 turns are made, but you can do more depending on how dense you want the plant to be.

Step No. 3. Wrap the “tie”

From the last turn, cut a piece of thread and wrap it around a strand near one side of the cardboard. The result is a kind of “tie” or loop, depending on what you like.

Step No. 4. Trim a strand of thread

Take scissors and cut the end of the strand opposite the “tie”. At this point, the cardboard has fulfilled its function.

Step No. 5. Make buoyancy

Wet wool sinks; in order for it to float, you need to make a float from a piece of foam plastic or any other material. The float is wrapped with thread at the junction of the strands with a “tie”.

Step No. 6. Immersion

Place the resulting plants in water and squeeze with your hand to squeeze out the air, otherwise it will take a very long time for the wool threads to get wet on their own. long time.
Artificial spawning plants are ready!

It is believed that algae for aquariums can only cause harm. But there are many types of algae that can decorate a home pond and bring it many benefits. These varieties are morphological characteristics close to higher plants. What algae are perfect for planting in an aquascape without harming living creatures?

Quickly navigate to the article

Vallisneria

Vallisneria (lat. Vallisneria) is a perennial algae that belongs to the Aquaticaceae family. These are real aquatic plants, or hydrophytes that perfectly adapt to life in all freshwater bodies. All types of Vallisneria are characterized by a thin, long, creeping root system.

floating algae

Flexible glitter, or nitella (lat. Nitella flexilis) is a floating algae of the Characeae family. Natural environment growth – North America and Eurasia. The leaves have a palmate dissected shape, they are located on a long stem in whorls. Each whorl has 5-7 petioles. The color of the leaves can be light green or emerald. The spangle has highly branched stems, so the algae can float in the water column in a tangled state. The water in the tank must be clean and transparent, because suspended particles settle on its leaves. Can be kept in moderately warm water with a temperature of 19-27 o C. Medium hardness is acceptable aquatic environment, neutral acidity. LED lamps with a power of 0.5-1 Watt per liter of water are suitable for lighting. The amount of daylight is 12 hours.

Riccia fluitans is a floating algae for aquariums that can be placed in moderately warm water. They grow naturally in all corners of the planet. Openwork weaves of rich green color create a cover in the form of islands. The algae does not have leaves or stems, or a root system. Riccia consists of a thallus, small flat plates that are intertwined with each other. Riccia is often used as a spawning substrate for breeding fish in an aquarium, and is best suited for sheltering fry. When the water hardness is above 8 dGh, the algae grows slowly. Recommended water temperature for keeping: 20-22 degrees Celsius.

At reduced temperature range stops growth, deformation of the structure occurs, which can lead to death. Every week you need to replace 20% of the water with fresh and infused water. Riccia floating prefers bright lighting. Be careful if the aquarium contains plant species that do not like bright light. With a lack of light, the algae breaks up into small fragments and begins to rot. In summer, this aquarium algae grows strongly, preventing sun rays in water.

Hornwort, or submerged hornwort (lat. Ceratophyllum demersum) is a perennial algae that floats on the surface of the water because root system absent. At low water temperatures, it begins to sink to the depth of the reservoir and slows down its growth. The stems are long, the leaves are tiny and needle-shaped, small aquatic organisms can hide in them.

See how hornwort grows in an aquarium.

This is an excellent algae for aquariums because it provides shelter for baby fish. You won’t get fry in the hornwort leaves large fish, there are microorganisms on the leaves that will be food for the fry. Hornworts can be a spawning substrate on which eggs will be deposited. Sticky eggs stick firmly to the needle-like leaves, while non-sticky eggs simply get stuck in them. It is better to immerse hornwort in a moderately warm or cold-water aquarium, where the hardness of the aquatic environment is 5-15 o, the pH reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline. Hornwort loves a large number of light, so the duration of daylight hours is allowed above 12 hours a day.

Globular algae

Cladophora spherical, or Japanese marimo (Aegagropila linnaei) - belongs to the Cladophora family. Has decorative value for freshwater aquariums. Its structure is a colony of green filamentous algae that form a dense green ball. The arrangement of filaments in the colony is radial. The homeland of Cladophora is Japan, where it grows with a diameter of 10 cm, in an aquarium - 5-6 cm. In an aquascape, balls of these algae are placed on the bottom, where they themselves are fixed to the substrate. In the morning, cladophora produces oxygen. Bubbles form inside the ball, it becomes light and floats to the surface. IN evening time There is less oxygen, and the green ball sinks to the bottom.