Maintaining a heavily planted tank w/ fish?

James0816

James0816

AC Members
Feb 14, 2007
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I thought I had found this somewhere before but could not seem to locate it. Still searching but in the mean time.....

I am seeing more and more pictures of peoples most beautifull tanks (hope mine will turn out like some of these). They are heavily planted with practically no ground showing as it is all covered with plants. With this, there are quite a few fish in the tank as well.

So how do you maintain this type of tank? There is absolutely no way you could perform a gravel vac in these setups. Do you just do a water change and the plants will take care of the gunk that gets in the substrate? Maybe cleaning crews of cories and shrimps? snails?

Please enlighten me o great keepers of these tanks. Show me the ways of the force. :bowing:
 
APC - check the NPT section as well as the regular FAQs. There are several approaches, to put it mildly.
 
Well, it isn't that bad...
There's NPT and High Tech approaches. Within each of these two broad categories, there are at least 3-5 basic variations. Add to this the numerous schools of Aquascaping theory and... OK - it is that bad!

Uh - choose NPT or High Tech, get lights, buy plants suitable to said lights, add fish that won't either eat or uproot said plants. Add shrimp and/or snails that won't be eaten by said fish.

There - Simple enough?
 
Fish food becomes plant food and fish waste becomes plant food, no vacuuming required.

Having lots of plants is easier than having less. Lots of plants means less algae, provided the plants are healthy and growing.

Plants need light, CO2, nitrates, phosphates, potassium, and trace minerals. How much you use of each is what spurs on all the different techniques which people use and debate about.
 
in a word......WUH?

jest cornfuzzleing me more.
 
phanmc said:
Fish food becomes plant food and fish waste becomes plant food, no vacuuming required.

Having lots of plants is easier than having less. Lots of plants means less algae, provided the plants are healthy and growing.

Plants need light, CO2, nitrates, phosphates, potassium, and trace minerals. How much you use of each is what spurs on all the different techniques which people use and debate about.
Click to expand...

this is what i was inquiring about. all these mega planted tanks...no vac needed just regular wc correct?
 
Correct....you don't need to vac the gravel. Fish waste=plant food. :)
 
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