Rubber Bands

[Guest Phreno]

I have a barebottom tank, but I want to put some fake plants in it. Is it safe to rubber-band them to some rocks to hold them down? Or is rubber not safe for the fishes?

[daryl]

Using rubber bands in the water is probably safe for the fish in the short term. But most rubber bands (there are a few made from special materials, but most) will break down and fall apart after a time submerged in water. You would not want to use them for very long, for the broken down pieces could be eaten by the fish and stick in them or kill them.

One of the best and almost permanent ways of holding plastic plants down in a bare bottomed tank is to take a tube of aquarium sealant and glue rocks around the base of the plants. You can glue the plants on larger rocks. Remember, if you soak your plants or rocks in bleach for very long, the adhesion between the rocks and the plants will loosen. Other than that, they will last for years that way.

This is what I have done. A decorative ring of rocks around the base of the plant looks good and works well.

For a temperary measure, they sell tank safe lead weights for plants, also. They do not work as well, but will do the job....

[Guest Phreno]

Thanks, I had aquarium silicone, but the stuff smelled. Maybe I'll try it again once I upgrade tanks. Right now the only plant in my tanks is in the QT tank with my sick oranda.

Do the goldfish really need the plants? Its just that since they all got sick, I took all the stuff out except the huge river rocks. Now that they're better, should I start putting the plants back in?

[benno]

The aquarium sealant I have smells really acetic too - it's normal though and only smells like this while it's curing (drying), it should be safe to use.

[Kissy]

You could attatch the bottoms of the plants to suction cups

[daryl]

THat, too, is a very good idea, Kissy. I have found, though, that the suction cups also break down and loose their plasticizers after a time - it makes them stiff and no longer capable of compressing and "sticking" to a tank's surface. They need to be replaced, also.

Benno is right on. The aquarium sealant does smell - like vinegar. But this is how you can tell when it is totally cured and ready for use. When you no longer smell anything, it has cured. This sometimes can take 2 days or even longer if you have used it fairly thickly and the weather is heavy, unmoving and humid. Give it time. The only thing I have found that breaks the aquarium sealant down is multiple exposures to strong chlorine bleach.

GOldfish do not need plants - they do like to eat many of the real ones, but if you feed them their greens, they have no need of the plants. The plastic plants can be useful to break up or block the currents in the water - giving a fish areas of more or less current. They can provide support while sleeping - some fish like to hang out in plants. Others do not seem to care. The plants add attractive texture and color variety to a tank - to catch your eye and be attractive. If you decide you do not like them, then there should be no problem.