Silk Plants - Page 2 - Aquarium Advice

10-06-2005, 03:54 PM

well i have some live plants but i am getting tired of all the gunk that gets in the filter... its a lot of work!!! I do still have my Java Fern and my crypts, but the anacharis was a pain and kept getting uprooted and the fish kept biting off the leaves. Also i don't have [acronym:2fef3e94ff="Carbon dioxide"]CO2[/acronym:2fef3e94ff] and i have a very very lowlight tank... so most of the bigger leaved plants wont grow in mine.

talloulou, how long have you had the silks in there? I notice you have some plastic mixed in... i think. Which do you like better?

About the algae part... wont otos and plecos eat the algae off? I have both in my tank, and i also have kissing gouramis that eat algae.

talloulou · 10-06-2005, 05:39 PM

I have otos but my plants still get dirty looking. My snails climb all over them. I also see the otos and even the corydoras sometimes "cleaning" them but eventually I have to clean them as well. I do have some small plastic plants mixed in. I don't really prefer one over the other. Some people think the silks look more natural. I personally don't think either looks natural but the silk ones do come in some cooler varieties. I like them both and just picked mine based on their looks and colors.

**An t-iasg** · 10-06-2005, 05:56 PM

I agree with BrianNY. My silk plants collected a lot of diatoms, and after about 6 months, they were stained. I tried a weak bleach solution without much luck. If I still had silk plants, I would probably just buy new ones every 6 months or so. They are fairly cheap that you could do that if they got too stained. They didn't fray, although when they got close to the 6 month mark, the edges would look a little frayed if you looked closely.

10-06-2005, 06:11 PM

hmm.. so maybe i will do a mix of platic and silks.. that way it won't be too expensive to replace the silks if need be, i just really like the way the silks look!

barefootKATE · 10-08-2005, 01:20 AM

Thanks guys, Yall are great. I appreciate the info! I think I'm gonna try them. I have plastic right now, some good, some not so good (too stiff). I think I'll integrate some silk in...I'll see how it goes.

10-06-2005, 05:39 PM	#12
talloulou Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Washington Posts: 2,092 Images: 17	I have otos but my plants still get dirty looking. My snails climb all over them. I also see the otos and even the corydoras sometimes "cleaning" them but eventually I have to clean them as well. I do have some small plastic plants mixed in. I don't really prefer one over the other. Some people think the silks look more natural. I personally don't think either looks natural but the silk ones do come in some cooler varieties. I like them both and just picked mine based on their looks and colors. __________________ http://talloulou.smugmug.com/

10-06-2005, 05:56 PM	#13
An t-iasg Aquarium Advice Addict Community Admin Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Criders Corners/Glen Eden (Pittsburgh, PA) Posts: 6,911 Images: 40	I agree with BrianNY. My silk plants collected a lot of diatoms, and after about 6 months, they were stained. I tried a weak bleach solution without much luck. If I still had silk plants, I would probably just buy new ones every 6 months or so. They are fairly cheap that you could do that if they got too stained. They didn't fray, although when they got close to the 6 month mark, the edges would look a little frayed if you looked closely. __________________ The canal walk through downtown Indianapolis

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Silk plants, how to clean them?	Comus	Freshwater & Brackish - General Discussion	8	01-23-2006 05:13 PM
Silk plants too heavy?	newhobbist	Freshwater & Brackish - General Discussion	4	08-23-2005 07:21 PM
Silk Plants	Mazdaman	Freshwater & Brackish - General Discussion	2	01-25-2005 01:23 AM
New silk plants, new pics	TracyRee	Freshwater & Brackish - General Discussion	9	07-22-2004 03:23 PM
best silk plants	TracyRee	Freshwater & Brackish - General Discussion	2	07-18-2004 06:19 PM

10-06-2005, 03:54 PM	#11
Guest Posts: n/a	well i have some live plants but i am getting tired of all the gunk that gets in the filter... its a lot of work!!! I do still have my Java Fern and my crypts, but the anacharis was a pain and kept getting uprooted and the fish kept biting off the leaves. Also i don't have [acronym:2fef3e94ff="Carbon dioxide"]CO2[/acronym:2fef3e94ff] and i have a very very lowlight tank... so most of the bigger leaved plants wont grow in mine. talloulou, how long have you had the silks in there? I notice you have some plastic mixed in... i think. Which do you like better? About the algae part... wont otos and plecos eat the algae off? I have both in my tank, and i also have kissing gouramis that eat algae.

10-06-2005, 06:11 PM	#14
Guest Posts: n/a	hmm.. so maybe i will do a mix of platic and silks.. that way it won't be too expensive to replace the silks if need be, i just really like the way the silks look!

10-08-2005, 01:20 AM	#15
barefootKATE Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: May 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 38	Thanks guys, Yall are great. I appreciate the info! I think I'm gonna try them. I have plastic right now, some good, some not so good (too stiff). I think I'll integrate some silk in...I'll see how it goes.