Some aquarium owners excell at keeping fish happy and healthy, but do not have a green thumb when it comes to aquarium plants. Plastic aquarium plants are a viable alternative to natural. While most come with an attached cup to anchor in the gravel, it can be a challenge to keep plastic aquarium plants where you want them. Below is a list of five ways to anchor them in the substrate of your fish tank.
Anchor Plastic Aquarium Plants – The Provided Plastic Cup
Most plastic aquarium plants are built with the stems or leaves connected to a plastic cup at the base. This should be filled with the aquarium gravel and dug into it at the bottom of the fish tank. With some fish that enjoy moving the gravel or scavenging for food at the base of the plants, this cup can become dislodged relatively easily.
Anchor Plastic Aquarium Plants – Lead Plant Strips
Lead is a very heavy and flexible metal. It has been used for years to anchor natural aquarium plants to the floor of fish tanks. Pet stores and aquarium hobbyist locations should sell packs of these thin lead strips. Simply bend them around the bottom of the plastic aquarium plant and drop them into the tank.
Anchor Plastic Aquarium Plants – Fishing Weights
Like the strips mentioned above, fishing weights are most often made of lead. These can be purchased in any sporting good store and are usually tear-drop shaped with a hole on the top for the line. They can be tied to the base of plastic aquarium plants using fishing line or narrow plastic cored. Thread or wire is not suitable as it will degrade in the aquarium.
Anchor Plastic Aquarium Plants – Tying to Rocks Method
Another way to anchor your plastic aquarium aquarium plants is to tie them directly to rocks or ornaments already displayed in the fish tank. Using strong fishing line, simply wrap the ends of the plant stems to the rock itself. This method is often visible in the tank, and mostly recommended with very bushy plastic aquarium plants.
Anchor Plastic Aquarium Plants – Create a Weight
The final method of anchoring your plastic aquarium plants in the tank is to create a rock-based weight of your own. Use aquarium grade silicone sealant to build a blob around the base of the aquarium plants. Then, roll this in the aquarium gravel or other small rocks. You can also use the sealant to attach the plastic aquarium plants directly to a larger rock. Either way, the plant will sink to the bottom and stay there.