Question planted tank vs monster tank

[jbnebres]

Ok we all can appreciate monster tanks and monster fish- but, if we were to tally up the prices/labor, which would cost more in the long run- a planted tank or large monster fish tank?

So, if we had TWO 120 g setups, one planted, and the other housing larger fish, which one would cost more to operate? (disregard the price of actual fish- this would dramatically change the discussion)

I know with planted tanks one must consider more expensive lighting and CO2 setups, but the waste-care/filtration/feeding needed for monsters are also in game. Please chime in if I'm missing anything else- substrate, decor, ferts, meds, etc.

[12 Volt Man]

the planted tank.

fish food is cheap if you buy in bulk.

the lighting costs, fertilizers, C02 etc can be more expensive.

but its really not THAT much more..but I have never really had a true high tech planted tank either..

but the startup costs due to lighting would generally be more expensive with the planted..

[davcheng]

The lighting alone would cost a lot initially and also in the long run. I've done planted tanks that did really well with only a really good light and some suppliment tablets... so if you were thinking more low tech (as in no CO2, no dosing of ferts continuously) then it could be cheaper to have a planted tank vs. large monster fishes.

[jcardona1]

planted tank any day of the week. $1300 invested in 55g you see here (being torn down as we speak :cry:). and i got a really good deal on that tank, if not, it could have been way more

[jcardona1]

if youre doing high tech, you need to factor in costs of more electricity as youre running higher wattage for lights, solenoid on your regulator, ferts which youll need to replenish regularly, co2 which has to be refilled, and most importantly, TIME.

i have a 55g planted and a 210g monster tank. the monster tank is a walk in the park. change the water, feed the fish, and enjoy.

the planted tank involves daily dosing, trimming, 50% weekly water changes, monitor water parameters and co2 levels, maintain plants that uproot, cut leaves that die back, etc. its a never-ending project :)

[BloodredOscar]

Ok we all can appreciate monster tanks and monster fish- but, if we were to tally up the prices/labor, which would cost more in the long run- a planted tank or large monster fish tank?

So, if we had TWO 120 g setups, one planted, and the other housing larger fish, which one would cost more to operate? (disregard the price of actual fish- this would dramatically change the discussion)

I know with planted tanks one must consider more expensive lighting and CO2 setups, but the waste-care/filtration/feeding needed for monsters are also in game. Please chime in if I'm missing anything else- substrate, decor, ferts, meds, etc. Were on MONSTER fish keepers. Some of the people on this site would say planted, but the rest would tell you to go MONSTER.

[jcardona1]

Were on MONSTER fish keepers. Some of the people on this site would say planted, but the rest would tell you to go MONSTER.
lol WRONG. monster doesnt refer to the size of the fish you keep. it refers to the size of the passion, dedication, commitment, and the love for the hobby that drives us all. from guppy to monster.

and about planted tanks, dont knock it until you tried it - AND SUCCEEDED!!!

[jbnebres]

beautiful tank jcardonaq1, sad you're taking it down.

I create this thread, b/c i will have an empty 75g soon, and have toyed with planted tanks in small scale 10-20g in the past. I put up for the lighting, but attempted to save some cash with the diy co2 generators(works really well for small scale-if you have the time and ingredients/math right).

now, 'm beginning to think that a larger scale planted would be best for later on in life, when i have more time for the hobby, and more money wouldnt hurt as well.
in the mean time, i think the 75g will become permanent housing for a pair of rotkeils. the decor will only be bsubstrate, dw and a varied bunch of anubias. so while i'm not quite there with a full blown planted, i'll be somewhere in the middle. thanks for the quick responses everyone.

[jcardona1]

thanks man, im gonna miss that tank. but i will bounce back in the future. i have no experience with DIY co2 so i cant chime in there. but if you have the patience, in can work well for you for smaller tanks (less than 30g). it will definitely be more effecient to run pressurized on a larger tank. keep in mind that bigger tank = bigger costs, especially when it comes to lighting.

for practical reasons, i think the biggest full-blown high tech planted tank i would do is 75g. anything bigger than that and id have to jump off a cliff. i like the dense jungle look in a planted tank and that will be hard to achieve in anything over 100g IMO

[Yanbbrox]

lol WRONG. monster doesnt refer to the size of the fish you keep. it refers to the size of the passion, dedication, commitment, and the love for the hobby that drives us all. from guppy to monster.

and about planted tanks, dont knock it until you tried it - AND SUCCEEDED!!!
This guy is a real pain on the board and needs banning, not only does he have a really nice planted tank he got it perfect 1st time ;)

The comments about 'monster' are also perfectly sound, there is a post somewhere from Li that echo's the same comments.

jcardona1, I'm only joking of course, I hate your success;) even if I love that tank:D



Go monster, do both:D

[jcardona1]

This guy is a real pain on the board and needs banning, not only does he have a really nice planted tank he got it perfect 1st time ;)

The comments about 'monster' are also perfectly sound, there is a post somewhere from Li that echo's the same comments.

jcardona1, I'm only joking of course, I hate your success;) even if I love that tank:D



Go monster, do both:D

lol thx man! yeah i remember Li saying that about the name. of course, most of us here have a bias towards monster fish. i love them all. i like the tetras in my 55g and the monsters in my big tank.

need any planted tank equipment? it will be up for sale shortly after all the plants are gone :)

[nfored]

I tried the planted tank with a dual 2 gallon long setup, and to be honest my dedication was not there. Planted tanks IMHO cost more to run and setup then all but the big monster tanks 300 gallon +. Not to mention the daily work, at first I was like ok ne big death dump the fertz in once a day do 50% water change once a week. the fertz are easy takes less then 5 minutes to disolve them in tank water and poor them in, and we all already do water changes.

My problem came with the fight to get teh water right so algea didn't grow, and keeping my filters from cloggin from dead leaves. Thank God these tanks are in the basement, they must have overflown a dozen times because of a clogged over flow. I have lost fish that float over the feeding whole when it overflows.

I wont go back to planted until I have way more time and money to do it right. I think a correctly planted tank is just as beautiful as a coral reef setup, and sometimes looks better.

[nigaharu]

Maintanance TIME for planted tank