Just a decade ago, a person could easily tell whether plants in an aquarium were fake or real because fake plants would deflect light differently and look odd, feel stiff and too fixated, and come in unnatural forms. Nowadays, however, It is much harder to differentiate between the two, thanks to advances in technology and years of experience of manufacturers trying to perfect every aspect of the product. Not only do plastic plants look increasingly natural, but they also provide a number of other advantages:
- Not harbouring parasites: aquatic plants are the primary harbour for many kinds of parasites – they use the plants to feed and grow, and if you don’t take care of them quickly, they might infest your fish tank completely and make your fish sick and cause them to die. Plastic plants don’t have the same issue, it is much less likely for parasites to pop up in an aquarium with plastic plants.
- Continuously green and doesn’t require attention: aquarium plastic plants don’t need CO2 filled water to survive, they don’t need special light to keep being green, they don’t require a certain temperature to thrive, and they don’t won’t die after a few months. That’s why you can easily ensure your aquarium looks, green, and alive year-round with minimal attention with plastic plants.
- Easy to clean and replace: it is really easy to clean and replace plastic plants compared to real plants. Dust on it is less sticky, replacing it is only a matter of taking it out and putting in new plants, and there are special tools that allow you to use the properties of the plastic plant to clean it in a matter of minutes. This is quite different from traditional plants where you not only have to spend a lot of time cleaning it and replacing it, but you’ll also have to contend with the waste it generates from dying leaves and stems.