So I hear a lot of people say things like, "Why would you pay $__ for rocks/wood?" I used to think the same thing. I'd see aquarium wood for like $50 and think. "Who in their right mind would pay that much for a piece of wood?" While it's debatable how much aquascaping wood/stone should cost, I'd like to offer some thoughts I've recently had on the subject.
So I have a 55 gallon planted tank that has been kind of a nightmare. I've ended up paying way more than I intended through fertilizers, Co2, substrate, lighting, and just the plants themselves. While having a planted tank is super cool (most of my aquariums are planted), the cost of maintenance can be pretty high over a long period of time.
Let's use my tank (55 gallon) as an example. If you were going to do the barebones minimum for plants, you can expect to pay no less than $30 for the plants, maybe $20 for substrate, and $20 for lighting. You are then going to pay AT LEAST $25 per year for maintenance (Co2, fertilizer, lighting replacement, etc.). So over a 5-year period you are paying like $200 just for the plants. Again, this is for super low-tech (i.e. vals, java fern, etc.).
Now you can have a really nice hardscape for like $50-100 (you can go cheaper than that, but this is if your using stuff specifically for aquascaping). This is pretty much a one-time purchase, and you don't need to worry about plants dying on you or whatever.
Again, I'm not saying that plants are a bad idea. If you have the time and the money, you should definitely go for it (it's still way cheaper than having something like a reef aquarium). However, I'd like to see more done with hardscapes, especially in large aquariums. It may seem stupid to pay for rocks and wood, but I think it is worth the money. If you're on a budget, but want a decent, natural looking aquarium, I think that's the way to go.
So I have a 55 gallon planted tank that has been kind of a nightmare. I've ended up paying way more than I intended through fertilizers, Co2, substrate, lighting, and just the plants themselves. While having a planted tank is super cool (most of my aquariums are planted), the cost of maintenance can be pretty high over a long period of time.
Let's use my tank (55 gallon) as an example. If you were going to do the barebones minimum for plants, you can expect to pay no less than $30 for the plants, maybe $20 for substrate, and $20 for lighting. You are then going to pay AT LEAST $25 per year for maintenance (Co2, fertilizer, lighting replacement, etc.). So over a 5-year period you are paying like $200 just for the plants. Again, this is for super low-tech (i.e. vals, java fern, etc.).
Now you can have a really nice hardscape for like $50-100 (you can go cheaper than that, but this is if your using stuff specifically for aquascaping). This is pretty much a one-time purchase, and you don't need to worry about plants dying on you or whatever.
Again, I'm not saying that plants are a bad idea. If you have the time and the money, you should definitely go for it (it's still way cheaper than having something like a reef aquarium). However, I'd like to see more done with hardscapes, especially in large aquariums. It may seem stupid to pay for rocks and wood, but I think it is worth the money. If you're on a budget, but want a decent, natural looking aquarium, I think that's the way to go.
