# Bought a bunch of artifial plants from a dollar store



## afr..cichlids (Feb 16, 2010)

Dollar store plastic plants, they look, and feel just like the plastic plants that you can buy from a fish store. I have had them soaking for about 2 days with nothing leeching from the plants and water remains completely clear. There is no odors associated with them as well, does any one have any experience with using the dollar store type plastic green plants, ones with no metal, or glue? Will this be ok to put into my cich tank? Have had mixed reviews from my google searches...

Thanks to any that can help...


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

For my personal thoughts, I would have no problem using them. Dollar stores are often where over production or possible seconds wind up. That can make them incredibly cheap. One test you might run is to put them in water for a few days and let any oils or such show. If there is no odor and no shiney surface shows up on the water, I would rinse them as I would any new item and go for it.


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## tmds3 (Jan 14, 2010)

Guy on another board used them to do his whole tank and the tank looked awesome, I have been looking for some around here but no luck so far.


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## Dook (May 13, 2009)

go for it... I'm willing to bet those plants are made by some of the same companies that make plants marketed for aquariums


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## il0veCichlids (Nov 9, 2009)

yes they are usable. *** been using them for a really long time and no problems yet! they look really nice too!









Heres my 30gallon with some of the dollar plants too!


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## afr..cichlids (Feb 16, 2010)

Nice job, thanks for the pics, looks great.. BTW I found that the stocks, at the very end of the plastic plants to have metal inside of the plastic covering. I did not knowtice it at first, but after soaking it in water for a week it began to rust, so am hesitant to use it now. Am thinking of using GE II silicone, put it in a plastic cup weighed with gravel and silicone everything in the bottom of this plastic cup, and hopefully that will do the trick? Otherwise am going to hunt for plastic plants with no metal in it all..


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## zazz (Apr 5, 2008)

afr..cichlids said:


> Nice job, thanks for the pics, looks great.. BTW I found that the stocks, at the very end of the plastic plants to have metal inside of the plastic covering. I did not knowtice it at first, but after soaking it in water for a week it began to rust, so am hesitant to use it now. Am thinking of using GE II silicone, put it in a plastic cup weighed with gravel and silicone everything in the bottom of this plastic cup, and hopefully that will do the trick? Otherwise am going to hunt for plastic plants with no metal in it all..


yeah .. i skipped a few because of the metal inside... usually you can tell because the stem will act more like a pipe cleaner rather than a piece of plastic.


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## RaizedWICKED (Feb 10, 2010)

Hmmm never thought of looking at the dollar store.. 

I usually get mine from Michaels arts/crafts store..

But I am certainly going to check out the dollar store..

looks good by the way... 

RW


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Dollarama has actual aquarium plastic plants complete with weighted bottom. I have an Amazon sword that has not created any problems. It also looks like an aquatic plant unlike those other ones.


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## mrs.som (Nov 14, 2009)

If you are concerned about any leftover chemicals, just try running them through the dishwasher (without soap of course!). I do that with my plastics when they start to get gross and it does an amazing job!


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## RaizedWICKED (Feb 10, 2010)

mrs.som said:


> If you are concerned about any leftover chemicals, just try running them through the dishwasher (without soap of course!). I do that with my plastics when they start to get gross and it does an amazing job!


That is brilliant!!!!  I usually soak my plants in a bleach solution when they get gunked up. And then rinse the **** out of them. Dishwasher seems to be a better alternative..

Thanks for that.. 

RW


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