Is it safe to put the silk plants meant for home decor into my fresh water aquarium?

Question

I also put a lava rock into my tank. It's a newly established tank, and the ph and ammonia levels are fine, but I have a high fish mortality rate and am wondering if the fake plants are the culprit.

Answer 1

NO.



Silk plants are made a variety of ways. if they are not labeled aqaurium safe they may have toxic chemicals in the dyes, stem and adhesives causing your fish death.



There is a company that makes aquarium safe silk plants which will work fine, but yu cannot safely use just any craft store silk plant.



Often the stems are made of a cheap low cost metal material that reacts in water, the adhesvie glues can break down and release toxins, and teh dyes of the leaves are soluable in water and release into it. Also, they may not be true 'silk' leaves and may be a synthetic that is not safe for aqauriums.



Plastic plants ansd the new ultrarealistic plants are a good choice. The new varieties are very relasitic.

Answer 2

I would only use plastic or real plants. There could be harmful chemicals leaching into the water. If you put lava rock in there, is it colored, washed, boiled? How would you like those fish to put you in a tank with all that?

Answer 3

They could be. The dyes in the silk plants may leech chemicals in to the water.

Answer 4

Yes, it is safe. Just treat it as you would any other mineral (ie, rocks) that you would put in there, for example, cleaning it with soap and water and rinsing it well.