# Walmart plastic crafts for home decoration in tanks?



## fishlids (May 5, 2007)

I was thinking about using those artificial, plastic plant things for home decoration in my aquarium. It's practically the same thing as those fake plants from Pet stores, but less expensive. However my concern is, are those things safe to be used in aquariums? Do they release some kind of chemicals in the tank? Is the material not really the safest kind of plastic? Would I have to do some special kind of cleaning to them before using?

Afterall, it's for home use, and not meant to be put in water right? It was just a crazy light bulb that hit me as I was walking past that aisle in Walmart. I thought it would be great if it really worked.


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## Hoosier Tank (May 8, 2007)

You just need to make sure they dont have a wire in the stem that makes the "poseable", most for use in a vase display do. Just bend the stem and see if it stays bent, if so, don't use those in a tank. The fabric ones tend to look raged in time and I would worry if the dyes used in the fabric are waterproof. Other than that, artificial plastic plants are fine in an aqarium.


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

I've used quite a few artificial plants from Michaels in my aquariums. I've never had any issues with dead fish etc in the 55 or the 90. However, the 20 gallon seems to go through fish left and right, and I'm not sure why. I might be needing to pull those plants out. Same plants, but I wonder if the smaller volume of water doesn't dilute something enough.......Can't say for certain they're the cause, but I've certainly had better luck in bigger aquariums with the artificial plants. YMMV.


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## fishlids (May 5, 2007)

why shouldn't I use the wired ones?


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## boostspike (Apr 3, 2007)

over time the wire will rust and may cause harm to the fishes.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

boostspike said:


> over time the wire will rust and may cause harm to the fishes.


not to mention rust and iron = lots and lots of algae


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

herbivore warning: some fish will tear the leaves to shred. mostly on edges to start, as algae starts to build up, but if you leave them in tank too long after that, you will find loose threads in the water column.
they can be very useful for adding cover over water surface. i use the wire type so i can bend/secure them accordingly. they have been used in my tanks for years, and because they have a short term usefulness (2-3 months due to shredding), and i do 40-50% water changes weekly, i do not ever expect to experience any toxic results from the wire. broad leaf types, bent to duplicate pond-type cover, and spider plant look-a-likes are my favorite to work with.


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## londonloco (Mar 31, 2011)

Before I got into planted tanks, I used fake silk plants from Walmart and craft stores, never had a problem with the wire stems. Iron is not a problem in planted tanks, in fact, part of micro dosing includes iron. I would worry about fish ingesting the plants if they start eating them tho.


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