# What Do You Like More: Plants or Fish?



## banderbe (Nov 17, 2005)

Plants or fish?

I started a planted tank to make a home for my apistogrammas but have come to love plants far more than fish.

What about you?


----------



## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

I enjoy plants since there's so many things you can do to control how it develops. Once you get the hang of growing plants and playing with all the gizmos, ferts and learning about the chemisty and biology of growing plants, then there is aquascaping which I'm still learning. So there's more dimensions to having plants then fish in my opinion.

-John N.


----------



## 247Plants (Mar 23, 2006)

When I started a new tank I was reading up on which to set up because I had never had a SW setup and was considering those until i read about how planted tanks can be more of a challenge, so i figuered what the heck Ill do it! I do love the fish and especially all the new ones I have researched for my community tank and there are so many pretty fish and inverts its a tough call. But it was plants that originally got me to where Im at now.

So my vote was plants!


----------



## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

The fish definitely come first for me. I love the plants almost as much because the two of them them together make for a beautiful, natural looking tank.

But, if it comes to doing something like adding more C02 to get the plants to grow better, and it distresses the fish, I'll just adjust my plant plan so that the fish have the best possible conditions.


----------



## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

Fish are blips of color that move around the Bright Green Plants. 

But Happy Plants = Happy Fishies. 

So, I hope the fishies are happy. It is sometimes fun to see them at feeding time. 

It does help when they show a personality. Like Bettas.


----------



## Chris S (Feb 27, 2006)

I voted Not Sure. I love my fish and i love my plants.


----------



## bpimm (Jun 12, 2006)

I voted not sure also, It's too close to call. they belong togeather, yoou should have had an equal choice.  

Brian


----------



## Sherri W (May 8, 2006)

I voted not sure, but "depends" would have been more accurate. If I'm feeling productive, I like puttering away with the plants (trimming, arranging, etc.). But if I'm just relaxing and watching the tank, I love the fishes and all their little personalities.


----------



## spdskr (Apr 24, 2006)

My current focus is on plants. I find a planted tank with a few fish to be more stable and enjoyble to maintain (think indoor garden) than a tank dedicated to only fish. I have bred many species of fish in the past and always enjoyed the challenges associated with them. Planted tanks still offer challenges (proper fertilization, lighting, CO2) but the end result is more pleasing to view in my opinion. Plus guests in my home always give me compliments on my tanks now.:clap2:


----------



## Script404 (Jun 30, 2006)

I've always had tanks that concentrate on the fish mainly becuase my plant growing efforts have been hopeless, looking at some of the tanks here though and wanting to aquascape more means I'm sorta concentrating on plants a bit more. But I don't know if I can decide which is better I like the look of both really a nicely planted tank with happy fish poking around it is my aim at the moment.


----------



## Minsc (May 7, 2006)

I only own a few fish (7), and appreciate all of them for their quirks and habits.
If any were to die, I would be heartbroken. When I manage to kill a plant, it goes in the trash, and I go buy another!


----------



## Jubs (Mar 24, 2006)

I have to go with plants right now as that is the main focus right now. I have have many types of fish over the years and I will be setting up to start breeding again in the next few weeks but I have to say I never spent as much time on one tank as I do a planted tank and I enjoy it more as the plants really bring out a tank IMO.


----------



## raven_wilde (Nov 16, 2005)

It's hard for me to choose one over the other... I've kept fish for many years and love to watch them grow and interact with other fish and their environment... however, after finally having some real success with plants over the last two years I'm starting to enjoy them just as much, as they add a whole new dimension to my aquariums... now I don't think I could have one without the other!


----------



## SnakeIce (May 9, 2005)

I suppose if you went by the fact that I have a planted tank without any fish in it but no fishtanks without plants in it besides quarintine one would have to say I like plants more.

But if all truth be told I want to have my cake and eat it too. I'm getting my wild and wacky cichlids and my planted tank at the same time.


----------



## kelliope (Apr 13, 2006)

I started out having plants in my goldie tank to give them snacks. Now I have 6 planted tanks and a goldie pond! I love them both differently!


----------



## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I guess if you put it in a different perspective; if you have a dog or cat and house plants, you'd certainly put the dog or cat first, since the dog or cat, etc. are on a little higher level than the plants would be.

Like I said, I love the plants in the tank and wouldn't be without them, but I have to put the actual fauna first and build around them with the flora, since the fish and inverts actually all have their own little personality, like coming to greet you at the glass, which you can't say for the plants.
It's all about making a natural habitat without overdosing C02, nitrates, or anything else that you wouldn't see in nature. In nature the fish have a chance to get away and go to a different area if conditions aren't up to their specifications, but in our tiny closed little systems they don't have the option to do that.


----------



## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Well, this is a plant forum, after all.........

I find keeping plants more mentally stimulating than keeping fish. It's also still a bit of a rarity to have a nice planted tank and I just love hearing the "I've never seen anything like that!" comment.

Truthfully though, I do enjoy the fish quite a bit too. I'd be willing to bet that almost all of us learned how to keep fish alive before learning to keep plants alive.


----------



## Jimbo205 (Feb 2, 2006)

Well, plants don't eat other plants, so this week I like my plants more than my fish. Stupid Fish. 

I left for vacation for 7 days, my friend the engineer tried feeding the fish while I was gone (I must have told him too little food to feed each time). 

My Mollies are still there. But my 4 beautiful Neons that have been in the tank about 4-8 weeks are now missing. 

Damn stupid Mollies. 

I feel like putting my Betta in the tank with them to beat the crap out of their tails, but I won't.


----------



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Tamed the whole fish-breeding thing of several species. Now it is time to tame the wilderness of aquatic plants!


----------

