Real or fake aquarium plants can give a more natural look to any tank. An abundance of lush, green plants in an aquarium never fail to get attention, and makes fish happy, too. They serve as little nooks where fish can hide, rest or lay eggs. Since real or fake aquarium plants tend to simulate their natural environment, fish are naturally more relaxed around them. Additionally, just like what real plants do for us humans, they also produce oxygen for our beloved finned friends and consume nitrogeneous wastes they excrete.
A few words of caution, though: having real or fake aquarium plants in your tank is not without glitches. Plants naturally attract algal growth, so if you have fake plants, you will have to take time to clean them out every so often. For real plants, this is not so much a problem, as they have inherent mechanisms to prevent algal growth. Go for silk-made fake plants if you will, mostly because they are easier to clean.
Real plants, just like your fish, require your tender loving care. You need to nurture and maintain them, and make sure your fish don't eat them to death. You will have to be more careful in choosing your substrate, as well, because real plants require certain nutrients that can only be found in certain substrates. Also, real plants tend to attract certain pests like snails, so careful maintenance is needed. Ample lighting is also needed should you go for real plants for photosynthetic purposes. Also remember that not all plants are suitable for aquarium use. Generally, water plants are suitable, but not so for household plants. Also, if you plan to change plants after sometime, then you would have to go through the same planting process again and allow sometime for your new plants to adopt to your tank's environment. If you don't have the time and patience to deal with all these nuances, then going for fake plants could be your best option.
If you're not too purist about decorating your tank, then a good mix of real or fake aquarium plants is a good idea. Try to introduce a variety of real or fake aquarium plants so you can create a natural ambiance and lush for your fish, something that feels like their natural habitat. You can try to create a feel of wilderness so you can give your fish a sense of security and freedom they've had in their natural habitat. A habitat aquarium that mimics your fish natural habitat can be made of real or fake aquarium plants, you just need a little bit of imagination and do your own homework.
