Setting up an aquarium with artificial plants.
The aquarium is decorated with natural or artificial driftwood, grottoes, stones (river boulders, volcanic lava, and other water-neutral rocks are most commonly used); this type of decoration mimics the biotopes of lowland rivers and freshwater bodies. An aquarium decorated exclusively with artificial plants combined with stones and driftwood retains all the features of a freshwater tropical ecosystem. In such an aquarium, you can safely focus on the inhabitants. Such aquariums are most often stocked with unpretentious fish. Goldfish, numerous species of barbs (*Barbus*), some cichlids (*Cichlidae*) that do not need additional shelters, caves, and grottoes, as well as a great variety of catfish look great here.
An artificial plant is very difficult to distinguish from a real one. They have the same shape, design, color, and even a specialist may not immediately spot the differences. Today you can find a wide variety of artificial plants designed for aquarium placement. Pay special attention to plastic plants, while silk plants are better avoided as they have a very short lifespan and will last you a maximum of a year. At the same time, remember that placing artificial plants not intended for this purpose into the aquarium is strictly forbidden! This will lead to disastrous results, because such plants, especially those with a green color, contain dyes with toxic substances that are very dangerous to living organisms.
Many plastic *Nymphaea*, *Cryptocoryne*, and Amazon sword plants against the background of live Java moss (*Vesicularia dubyana*) (which is not to every fish’s taste) look quite natural. Combined with stones and driftwood, they greatly liven up the underwater landscape. Today, pet stores offer a wide selection of artificial aquarium plants that have long been used in fishkeeping and have proven themselves well. A major plus of this type of aquarium is the ability to stock it with fish of various sizes, including very large ones.
Sometimes there is a direct need to use artificial aquarium plants; artificial plants are especially needed in aquariums with African cichlids (*Cichlidae*) and fairly large herbivorous fish such as *Leporinus*, *Distichodus*, and popular catfish that use greens as necessary supplementary feeding. Such fish use live plants as food. Today you have the opportunity to purchase artificial plants that have proven themselves in the best possible way. All kinds of plastic Amazon swords, *Nymphaea*, *Cryptocoryne* against the background of live Java moss, the taste of which fish do not really like, will look quite natural and harmonious. A combination of driftwood and stones will also not hurt, as they will significantly liven up the underwater landscape.
Advantages. Artificial plants will never grow and will never die. You place such a plant in the aquarium and simply enjoy the beautiful view. And you will only need light when you want to look at your fish. Some artificial plants may fade over time. Algae can also grow on them if you leave the lighting on for too long.
There is a huge number of artificial plants of various colors and sizes, and you might want to put all kinds of plant species in your aquarium. It is better to concentrate on two or three species. Use large artificial plants as the center of the composition. The plant should be about a third of the length of your aquarium. Do not place it right in the center. Place it slightly to the right or left. Try moving it closer or further away. Use some piece of driftwood to draw attention to the main area of the composition. For this, you can also use stones or smaller plants.
Most aquurists place long plants along the back wall of the aquarium. Do not line them up in “corn rows”. Break up any lines in the back row – move plants slightly forward or slightly back. You can also add some smaller plants of a different color to avoid solid lines. Inclusions of smaller plants in the foreground will give the composition a finished look. Use plants of the same species, but of slightly different sizes, so your foreground doesn’t look like a golf course.
Since artificial plants do not require special lighting, regular fluorescent aquarium lamps will do just fine. Bubbles from the air pump will add movement to your aquarium, and the fish will receive extra oxygen.
In a pseudo-marine aquarium. As the name implies, the “marine” look is marine, but “not real”. Of course, because the water in it is fresh! Many decorations in the aquarium are of natural origin (coral skeletons, sponges, shells). To give the aquarium more brightness, artificial plants, plastic or silicone decorations are sometimes added. As for the fish that can be kept in the aquarium, these are freshwater inhabitants with bright coloration. All together makes the pseudo-marine aquarium very spectacular.
Combined aquarium setup (combination of artificial and live plants).
Yet, you should not set up your aquarium solely with artificial plants, as this will disrupt the biological balance of the artificial water body and cause vitamin deficiency in your fish. Live plants look much more attractive when grown properly, and they also help remove nitrates, which artificial plants cannot do. The optimal solution would be a reasonable combination of artificial and live aquarium plants.
Such an aquarium should contain the necessary amount of natural stones, driftwood, as well as artificial and live plants (mostly in a ratio of 60% and 40%, respectively). How will such an aquarium setup differ from one with entirely artificial plants? It’s simple – under such conditions, the water in the aquarium has a healthy biology. This happens precisely because of the presence of live plants, which can grow over time and produce young shoots, and this in turn not only “heals” the aquarium, but also makes it even more beautiful. Not to mention the condition of aquarium fish; under such conditions, even more demanding fish live comfortably.
Shelters and refuges for aquarium fish. Stone shelters.
Decorations in the aquarium. Design and decorations. 
