Dabbling

Plastic craft store plants instead of aquarium plastic safe for tank?

I would like to know if I can use craft store plastic only (no metal wires or other material on/in them) is ok for a tank. The ones at the pet store are limited and expensive, small too. I have some beautiful all Plastic Plants that I'd like to use in my tank but would like to know the details of if it would harm the tank. I'm sure there 'might' be a different plastic chemical makeup for them than aquarium ones, but could I? I have a large tank (150 gal bow front). I have silk plants I've used for years by light bleach washing to rejuventate them (process does not remove color!!!) and a mix of live, but I need some tall fillers. Anyone tried this before? Serious answers by serious fish gurus requested.
Just a reminder, these do not have glue, nor do they have fabric or painted markings for decorative purpose. They will be bleach solution washed and well rinsed and soaked in declorination solution prior to use.

I personally would not use anything not labeled for aquarium use. You never know what kind of dyes, glues or chemicles are used in their making.

More Saltwater Marine Aquarium Decorating Tips

If you have a marine aquarium, then its going to need decorating.

In marine aquarium decorating you can really allow your thoughts to reign free. Their are many decorations around - from backgrounds, ceramic, resin or plastic ornaments, real or false corals and shells and even plants the skys the limit when it comes to inventing a marine world for your fish..

Marine aquarium decorations are fun to buy because unlike the other inhabitants of your tank they don't require any special care. You won't need to feed them, provide special habitats and they can't get sick or die so they are hassle free! A tank without any décor is dull but that's not all.

An aquarium without any saltwater aquarium decorations is not very exciting and it can also beunhealthy for your fish. Using tank décor makes it possible to break up the physical environment of the tank and is important both for the biological and psycho-social well-being of the fish in your tank. This is because using tank decorations gives hiding places, areas for food to grow on and microbe activity that keeps your marine tank healthy.

Add to this the fact that marine aquarium decorations are nice to look at and fun to work with and you'll begin to see that décor is essential in any marine tank. The best way to choose your marine tank decorations is to visit a store that allows you to see saltwater aquarium décors in an working tank, not just on a rack or a table.

Some examples of marine aquarium decorations you might like to try in your saltwater tank are:

Belching clams and treasure chests - These are bubbly and air actuated action ornaments. Spacemen, submarines, clams, and treasure chests are always very popular. Even a frog on a log and airstones, are fun saltwater aquarium decorations. The display should be well lit and there should be plenty of bubbles for the best effect.

So what other options are there for marine aquarium decorations? What about unusual and interesting backgrounds? You can purchase a variety of backdrops like marinescapes, paint-on materials, foils, mirrors and cork stock. You can even buy an in-tank diorama! Display the background effectively and choose a tank décor that suits its theme.

Rocks are another good choice for saltwater aquarium decorations. You can choose from volcanic, sandstones and metamorphic rock or even plastic. Some rocks don't have any impact on water quality while others improve the water quality. If you aren't sure of a certain rock, play it safe and leave it out. Try pieces of tufa, igneous, silicious/petrified woods), and brackish and African Great Lakes systems calcareous "base" rock. You can usually buy rocks by the pound or the 'piece'. Some rock types are artificial while others are natural.

Driftwood is a great idea for saltwater aquarium decorations. It might be self-sinking or weighted and wither chemically or physically inert or live. Don't try to cure your own woods. It's just too time consuming and expensive, it's cheap enough to buy anyway.

Corals and shells can also be used as saltwater aquarium decorations. Always try to use those from a natural marine source.

Marbles are traditional saltwater aquarium decorations. They can be used underwater - whole circular to flat, marbles and crushed glass are popular in marine tanks. However marbles don't make for a good biological substrate. They do provide vibrant color to any tank, though.

Faux natural saltwater aquarium decorations are another way of pepping up your tank. You can choose from fake rocks, logs, shells, coral, ships and more. Fake they might be but some are attractive when arranged properly; so don't overlook these decorations.

Plastic plants are another option you might want to make use of for your saltwater aquarium decorations. You can obtain some good likenesses of marine plants like sagittaria-turtle grass for example so don't overlook them and use them to supplement your real plants while they are growing.

Your choice of saltwater aquarium decorations is up to you but there are some general guidelines to bear in mind when making a choice.

Always make sure that your marine aquarium decorations don't have any sharp edges on which your fish might cut themselves. Never use any substances (rocks, shells etc) that might give off toxic chemicals into the water. Choose shapes and designs that make suitable hiding places for shy animals and good substrates for the growth of marine plants.

Also make sure that your saltwater aquarium decorations are squeeky clean when you put them into your tank. Never use decorations from a tank where the fish or plants are ill or unhealthy in any way. Make sure that there are no spaces within the decorations where fish might get trapped and die.

The best saltwater aquarium decorations don't have to be particularly fancy. If you like spacemen and frogs go ahead and decorate your tank with them - it's your tank after all. If you prefer a more elegant style choose natural, rather than faux ornaments and study other natural systems and try to copy some of these environments in your tank.

You can easily glean this kind of information from books on marine biology or by doing some research on the World Wide Web. The more you learn the more accurate will be the marine world you create and this will make your fish and other invertebrates happy and healthy. The most important thing to remember is to have fun with your marine aquarium decorations.

But don't forget the health of your marine ecosystem. Try to find the proper balance between the aesthetic value of your tank and the well-being of your fish. The only way to make sure that your stock stay healthy is to study, study, study the fish, invertebrates, plants and make sure you give them what they need to survive, a good cheap online book on everything you need to know on marine and saltwater aquariums.

Good luck in whatever you choose, and enjoy your saltwater aquarium decorations.

About the Author

Kevin has been a writer for marine monthly for 15 years, you can buy his 2009/2010 saltwater and marine aquarium book online at http://www.saltwateraquariumbook.com

Healthy 10 gallon freshwater tank with colored gravel and plastic plants!