How hard are planted tanks

[nightster]

Just out of curiosity, how hard are planted tanks to maintain and successfully run? I don't think I want to get into CO2 mind you.

[sunkenmetal]

This topic interests me I have the same question.

[TexSun]

That's a tough question to answer. There's alot of different variables that go into play. Simply put, it can be as easy as getting those aquatic plant bulbs from walmart and planting them into plain gravel, or as complicated as a full ADA iwagumi. I guess you could also ask yourself, " how much do I want to spend".

You can really let your imagination run with these things.

[specialone0812]

first investment are
soil(can be used or new)
lighting ( more or less wattage depend on the height of your tank)
plants ( a lot cheaper to buy from members on here-plants repreroduce-so you don't have to buy a lot at beginning)
CO2-depend on your tank size-if it's small, you can use Excel liquid to substitute for CO2, but for a long run, CO2 bottle will save you lots of money.

I think that's all. not expensive, not hard. just do it slow and you will succeed.

[TexSun]

^ +1

[Navarro]

Just like anything else a planted tank can be as expensive as you want depending of the system you would like to get, the best way to start is by getting a decent size tank and rich in Fe substrate think enough to support plant growth and stick to true aquatic plants for they can do much better without Co2 since the obtain the carbon from CaCo3 which Houston water have more than what you need adding enough light will also help a lot so at list 3 fluorescent bulbs the length of your aquarium will suffice.
If you are using a neutral substrate then I advice you to change water once a week for the will deplete the water from CaCo3 if you get something rich in it like Onyx sand you can prolong the water changes all the way up to 2 times a month. Once you get the hang out of it try epiphytes for they are more forgiving and if you think this is for you then start thinking about Co2, keep a low bio load and avoid overfeeding and soon you will have a lush planted tank.
Regards,
Navarro

[specialone0812]

Just a pic of my 58g tank. It's not a best tank compared to someone's tanks on here. but this gives you an idea of low tech tank-just soil, light and dosing of Excel liquid when doing water change.

[manifresh006]

just like these guys said +1

all comes down to how much $$, patience and time is available

[Astex]

All my tanks have plants, but only 2 are actual planted tanks. You can always start with some live plants as accents (floaters, ferns, in pots) to see if you really like plants in your tank and if your planned fish will leave them alone. If you are starting from scratch, there are low tech tanks (google walstead tanks or Tom Barr no-CO2 method) all the way up to tanks which rival saltwater for complexity.

At heart I'm a lazy planted tank type, so I prefer the lower tech, set and mostly forget type. I use a lot of crypts, vals, swords, ferns and mosses in my tanks with 2wpg of compact fluorescent light and root tabs/occasional ferts. I thin the plants occasionally but I don't have to do weekly trims/upkeep. Stem plants are pretty and some have more colors, but once you get them growing good require more attentive care.

Look around on the web for pictures of planted tanks, visit The Planted Tank forums and look at pictures to see what you like. Once you know what style you are going for, the people on the board can answer the "how hard is it" question with more details.

[Warlock]

Special.. thats a very nice planted tank..

in my barebottom discus tanks.. all i have done is tie some anbuias and java fern to small pieces of driftwood..

i would love to really get a tank like yours.. but at the moment. i can only handle one type of tank at a time.. but maybe.. some day.. i will give the plant tank a try! keep up the good work

[davemonkey]

I think with the right kind of water movement/filtration, planted tanks can be as easy or easier than non-planted. 10x the water volume circulated per hour and a canister that holds 1/10th the volume of the tank...every aquarium I've seen that comes close to those is sparkling clear and algae free...planted or not.

But yes, you can make it as complicated or costly as you want...depends on how fast you want the plants to grow or what type of plants you want to keep.

-Dave