Hi,
I am a newbie to this forum and I've always been fascinated by the tranquility and calming effect that a nice aquarium can provide - so soothing and relaxing. But can anyone tell me how different it is to maintain a reef aquarium as compared to a planted aquarium.
I have tried a planted aquarium previously and I have failed terribly! In the process, I also feel that pruning and maintaining plants is much more difficult than maintaining fishes and reefs (I have no experience in that though, just a personal feeling). Do you guys also feel the same?
I have recently thought of giving it another try... and hopefully it will last me for as long as I want it to. Any advice will be appreciated! Thanks!
Hmm,if i were you..give it another try,well no one is perfect!Just do what you like.By the way,what was your old tank's specs? If you can tell out those specs,other people in AQ might be able to help you so you won't repeat the same mistake twice =)
Cheers!
Life Is Blessed By Those Who Are Blessed
Living a fake life is by following other people's life,get a life n follow yours and u will have pride
Previously I was in marine for over 15 yrs, only lately venture into planted setup. Probably can give you my view abt the differences. And maybe others can give you theirs. Ultimately it is you to decide what you want.
Marine : expensive equipment to sustain. Protein skimmer, chiller, denitrator, phosphate, sulphur reactor, calcium reactor, etc. Most setup need an overflow filtration tank so you'll need more space to house everything (usually bottom of cabinet). There are also many methods applied today than 15 yrs ago - starting with undergravel (gosh I started with that!), overflow bioball, wet-dry system, DSB (deep-sand-bed), Bob Goemans method, Berlin method, and lately mud system... So to speak you need to really understand the pros & cons of each setup. Lighting wise is definitely MH. Overall investment & operational cost tend to be on the higher side.
Planted : 1 bare tank with a (minimum 1) outside canister filter. Substrate is a must, cost depends on what you can afford. Chiller or fan, again depend on what you want to grow. Lighting, PL or T5 if you can afford. They are better than flourescent.
Maintenance : Both are equivalent if you ask me. Fert regime (planted) & vits regime (marine) are abt the same. Re water change freshwater is cheaper & much easier than marine. Marine don't require much physical handling once it's done with, unless you plan to rescape. Plants need trimming to maintain orderliness and healthy growth. Yes it is back-breaking for planted sometime.
Livestocks : Marine is more costly. Coral imports are quite restrictive and subject to conservation rules. Expect stuffs to go even higher. I remembered about 10yrs back then 1 kg live rock is a dollar. Today it hovers around 10. Much pricly than D24 durians. Many common plants are sold at $1-2. Exquisite ones can hit up to $20, maybe.
To sum it up, both setup are really rewarding once you get it right.
well, i would say depends on your liking. i chosen planted, reason was captivated at first sight when i happened to shop by a LFS. Though i wont denied marine are as beautiful.
Never tried marine before, but knew that it is a costly hobby, even more than planted. setting up planted can be low cost to high, depends on your budget. And there are DIYs that able to ease your budget.
Most hobbyists actually don't mind about those relatively high cost. Don't be dishearted, guess most of us doesn't start up easy on marine or planted. if you encounter any enquires or problem, most of the forumers be most willing to give you useful advices.
Eventually you be able to sit back and admire your fruitful projects!
Thanks for the encouragement! I guess the decision to start a planted tank the last time round was a moment of impulse more than anything else!Originally Posted by Synthesia
But having said that, I have never failed to enjoy the lush and beautiful sight of a well done tank everytime I walk past one...
I cant really recall how was my previous setup like, but it wasn't a big tank and my knowledge at that time was really not up to the level which I think it should be. Just bought whatever the shop assistant told me and followed his simple verbal instruction. It was really disastrous after that... the prawn I added became red and "cooked" and my plants turned yellow, stunted and became brown eventually.
A question: If some plants are taller than others they tend to cast a shadow over those shorter plants. Will these shortie plants do well in this situation (no light)? Or is it a matter of how you arrange the plants in your tank in order for light to be evenly distributed to every greenies?
In planted tanks the main cause for concern is algae infestations, whereas in a marine tank I've heard that there will be much much more concerns.
It's always good to give another try! This time, you have experience, and if you take into account your mistakes in the past and read up on how to prevent them, things should work out good.
Welcome to AQ
alanyeo99,
Is the tank supposed to get very muddy and messy when you are trimming the plants? I uprooted almost all my plants when I tried to cut away the yellow and brown leaves... then after that, my tank water looked like it from kallang river.
I learned from the internet that you can trim either the leaves or the root of the plant. Is this based on the plant type or can this trimming method be applied to all kinds of plant?
Last edited by |squee|; 12th May 2006 at 00:47.
can try plants tied on wood, ie; mosses-taiwan moss, fissiden, spiky moss,....etc. much easier to manage and can achieve lush and beautiful growth!
yes it can get real messy when you are at it - sort of like China's Yellow River. Just kidding... The silt will eventually settle, so don't worry.
Well not all plants require trimming or for that matter the same method can be applied across. For instance foreground plants (substrate creepers) need less trimming. Just make sure they stay within creeping boundary, etc...
There are alot to learn & I can't explain all at one go. I'll suggest you decide what you want to do... post your plan in here, and am sure all forumers will chip in to help.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks