Planted tanks

[Faramir]

I'm not putting this in the Plants section because it's not a question about plants per se.

I've always planted my tanks, unless this is impossible or undesirable - large cichlids, African rift lake environments. It improves water quality and beautifies the tank. Granted, they can be buggers to keep alive, but I've never begrudged the odd fiver or so for new plants if a particular species doesn't make it (Hygrophila would grow in the bog, I reckon!)

I get the impression that most folk don't have planted tanks - or use plastic plants. Is this correct? Do other UK posters wonder if this is a UK/US difference, as planted tanks seem to be the norm over here, or always used to be?

[jafo]

All of mine are planted. Even the small Tanganyikan tanks have an Anubia or 2 and a few Crypts. I think most people that don't have planted tanks don't realize the benefits to the fish or simply think it's too much work.

[beviking]

I put in my vote for the "too much work" belief. I've only ever had plastic plants - don't need high light output, fertilizer or pruning sheers. I'll also admit to ignorance in the live plant realm. I don't really know how much work is involoved, though I suspect that given the appropriate species, I could continue with my regular flourescent lighting and no fertilizing which would result in less pruning maintenance. I plan on upgrading my 55 to a 90 next year and am going to research this because I do believe live plants can be beneficial to the fish and are more beautiful!

[Jeremy S]

Both my 75-gallon aquarium and my 20-gallon paludarium are heavily planted. I have also noticed that in the UK there seems to be more planted aquariums.

[Bruddah Chrispy]

I've got my 29g planted. I don't find the plants to be any extra work and to my mind it just 'looks right'.

FWIW - I've also got a rather heavily planted apartment, so I guess plants in the fish tank just seemed a logical extension.

[kveeti]

I used to get the odd Amazon Sword or 2 to kill, but otherwise used plastic for years. I just started planting my tanks in June. And, like beviking, I was (and still sort of am) ignorant of the finer details. When I started researching for planting, I knew I did not want to have to pay $ for retrofitting my old canopy or go to CO2 or do too much work. I wanted to keep it as simple as possible, so obviously I opted for low light plants. I've always loved my fish but now I love my tanks, too. I would never go back to plastic.

[Richer]

2/3 of my current tanks are heavily planted. My malawi tank would be heavily planted too, cept we all know how many cichlids are around plants.
I consider myself pretty lazy, and yet I still keep a couple of heavily planted, high light, regularly fertillized, co2 injected plant tanks. After the initial startup, I find maintaining a plant tank is like maintaining a FO tank. Dose every other day with fertillizer and keep the water level up (due to evaporation from high lighting). The weekly maintanence is simliar with a FO tank. 40-50% water change and instead of a gravel vac, I just do a little bit of trimming. My 70 gallon plant tank takes about the same amount of time to maintain as my 66 gallon FO tank. One more thing, if you find that a high light setup is too high in maintanence, switch plants. Move from fast growing ones, to slower ones.

HTH
-Richer

[Jeremy S]

What is a FO tank? :confused:

[Bruddah Chrispy]

Originally posted by Jeremy S
What is a FO tank? :confused:

FO == Fish Only

[Jeremy S]

Ok, thanks. :)

[beviking]

kveeti, can I ask how many and what type of plants you have? What lighting also? Pruning schedule? Do you fertilize at all? Thanks:)

Bill

[goldfries]

i support plastic plants, cheaper in the long run and easier to maintain.

[kveeti]

Originally posted by beviking
kveeti, can I ask how many and what type of plants you have? What lighting also? Pruning schedule? Do you fertilize at all? Thanks:) Bill

Most of that info is on my aquarium specs page. I have to prune my java moss every 3-4 weeks, everything else rarely, just take off any dying leaves on weekly maintenance. The floating plant I have to thin out weekly, it practically doubles each week.

[beviking]

WOW! Nice pic! The tanks look great too! ;)
Thanks for the info!!!

[Ranger]

I find four different "categories" if you will, when chatting with US aquarists, and they all overlap to some degree.
A fish tank only
A plant tank only (rare but happens)
A fish tank with plants (the emphasis is on what's good for the fish first, and the plant benefits to them)
A planted tank with fish (the emphasis is on what's good for the plants first, and the fish benefits to them)

Of coarse there are differing degrees. Some one with a planted Discus tank probably has an equal concern for both. Others who like to breed Oscars for instance just won't be able to have one of those lush Dutch or Amano style aquatic gardens. The point that the cichlid forum and the plant forum are separated on this chat is kind of an example of what I mean

[OrionGirl]

I am a huge fan of planted tanks. I have more species of plants than I do of fish.

I think most people start in the hobby without any help--or bad advice from the uninformed. They try plants with high lighting needs using a stock strip light and bulb, and get depressed when the plant dies. People who start slowly and have guidance from experienced people will have better success. Plants are cheaper than plastic--I can split a crypt and have 3-4 more plants. Try that with plastic! I don't have tons of light, I fertilize haphazardly. I vaccum the substrate deeply and regularly. Heck, I still have a UGF in one planted tank. And yet, everything is growing. Not superfast, but growing. I know I can't support swords, so I don't get them (except one melon, which is a dark red freak--not sure why it hangs on!), I stick with low light bunch plants and anubias (I have 4 species now--two are blooming), or crypts, which I haven't been able to kill yet.

To me, the rumors of planted tanks being hard is along the same lines as saltwater being so hard...And probably spread by the same people who haven't done either.

[RTR]

All of my display tanks are planted - directly or indirectly. Those fish incompatible with plants have veggie filters.

PS: Mine are "fish tanks with plants", even those which are very heavily planted. The tanks are for the fish.