Other countries, other rules...

niethammer said:
Hi Xielos,

are plants very expensive in Your country? BTW, You can use also homemade bio-CO², that costs you just a few pennies, it should be less than 2 $ for 2 month. But You don´t need necessarily CO², sometimes, depending on Your water and Your plants, it will also do without.
Personally, I think it's more of a cultural difference, myself. Most of us grew up with the "goldfish in a bowl with cheap gravel and plastic plant" environment and it's hard to get rid of what's considered "tradition". Also explains why a lot of people use carbon. Because we always used carbon and that's how it was done when we saw someone else's set up. At least that's what my husband and I thought. When we found out that most hobbiests don't use carbon, we were aghast. What?? No carbon! But we ALWAYS used carbon! No aerator? No bubbles? But the fish will DIE!!!! Things like that :)

Niethammer, do you have links to some of those NG biotope tanks? I'm working on the plans for a Boesemani 90g in April and I'm thinking of either a 55 or 90g one for Glossolepis pseudoincisus. Gotta have that FISH!

Roan
 
niethammer said:
Hi Xielos,

are plants very expensive in Your country? BTW, You can use also homemade bio-CO², that costs you just a few pennies, it should be less than 2 $ for 2 month. But You don´t need necessarily CO², sometimes, depending on Your water and Your plants, it will also do without.

Its not necesarily the cost of the plants themselves, but the upkeep of them. Even with a homemade co2 reactor, I'd have to keep a constant watch for ph changes and replacing the yeats mix. I have enough on my table as it is without plants to care for; college, a broken alternator on my car and no job :coffee2:
 
It also depends on the fish kept whether or not one chooses to use live plants. I have CA cichlids and live plants really aren't an option for me as these fish are constantly digging. I use plastic plants for these fish. I'll have to post some pics of my tank when I get my hands on a decent camera...I have a very attractive plastic plant jungle going on...lol. I'm no newbie when it comes to live plants, however. If I ever setup another freshwater community tank, I'll definitely be going back to live plants again.
 
Hi Roan,

*Niethammer, do you have links to some of those NG biotope tanks?*

What is a ?NG? biotope tank?

By the way, glossolepsis incisius sure is a wonderful fish!!! And he loves almost every water!

@Xielos: Yeah, I understand that, sorry!!!

@Slappy: I also had some tanks with Malawi-Mbunas, You could throw some dynamite into the tank, the effect is similar...
 
niethammer said:
Hi Roan,

*Niethammer, do you have links to some of those NG biotope tanks?*

What is a ?NG? biotope tank?

Not to presume to speak for Roan, but I think she meant the Papua New Guinea tanks with the rainbows. Am I right? :)
 
I decided to go ahead and try to take a snap shot of the tank with the crappy camera currently at my disposal. The quality of the photo is rather horrendous to say the least, but you get the idea. It's my 55g with a breeding pair of Salvini cichlids and all plastic plants.:) Unfortunately the pair aren't visible in this shot but the female is on the right side of the tank behind the driftwood guarding a new batch of eggs. The male is on the left side of the tank hiding out in the cave.
 
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WOW Slappy! That is beautiful!!!

I have primarily plastic plants in my 75 gallon now, but I'm slowly adding a few live plants. I didn't want to switch over my substrates so I am planting them in burried terra cotta pots.

This is an interesting thread. I'm always curious how different area's do things. :D

By the way niethammer, I think your english is wonderful :clap:
 
Thanks:)
unfortunately the pic just doesn't do the tank justice. It looks so much better in person. I do miss my live plants though. This is a pic of the same tank a few years ago with live plants in it.
 
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