Aquarium Decorations

Artificial plants and ornaments give a tank structure, shade and hiding places on day one — no lighting, CO2, fertiliser or trimming, and herbivorous fish will not eat them. What they do not do is take up nitrate or oxygenate the water, so your filter and water changes still carry the whole load on water quality.

Measure before you buy. Use the internal height of your tank from the substrate to the underside of the lid, not the external dimensions. Pieces of 45–50cm need roughly 50cm of depth or the tops bend over at the waterline. For a nano or shrimp tank, stay with 10–18cm — anything taller takes over the whole scape.

Mounted or free-standing. Plants on a moulded log, rock or pad base sit on the substrate without planting and can be moved without disturbing the bed. Free-standing trees and ferns are background pieces. Single stems are an easy way to build up a planted look gradually.

Lighter pieces will lean or shift in front of a filter outlet — bed the base into gravel or keep them out of the main flow. Heavier ornaments hold position anywhere.

• All fish & aquarium supplies
• Amazon Jungle — artificial plants and ornaments
• Fish Tanks & Aquarium Kits
• Fish Water Care