# Why are there no "monster" planted tanks ?



## ian_m (11 Jul 2013)

If you read various other forums, there are people out there making some quite massive aquariums in their houses (and sheds).

For example:
This 20 foot marine aquarium, 5,500 litre
UltimateReef.com - View Single Post -  OMC: 20ft long x 2ft wide x 4ft high And 7ft x 7ft x 4ft Triton

or this 1,200 gallon
 Dave's 1,200 gallon double reef drop off - UltimateReef.com

or even this 50,000 gallon (OK in the US, land is cheaper etc etc).
 Building My 50,000 Gallon Monster Mega Tank

Why don't we not seeing massive planted tanks on this forum ?

Around 500 litre (Juwel 450) odd seems about the most common maximum on this forum ?

Is it because maintenance of a huge tank would become a full time job ?

Can't be water change issues as some of the marine tanks change 100's litres of RO water a day !!!!

Getting x10 filter flow and enough CO2 in the water becomes a major plumbing problem ?

Plant layout in a big tank will be an issue, tweaking plants will be hard in a deep tank.

Would need a tree as suitable aquarium wood ?

Any thoughts, I am awaiting to be corrected ?


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## Iain Sutherland (11 Jul 2013)

they are doable but like you say maintenance would be massive and think that the nature of a planted tank means rescaping normally every year so cost of plants of a big tank would be unreal, where as marine tanks tend to be stocked and left.

Oliver Knott and Tom Barr also maintain some pretty large planted tanks, oliver's tanks can be seen on his facebook page.
Oliver Knott | Facebook


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## Ady34 (11 Jul 2013)

Personally, I'm not a millionaire, that's my reason. Not enough finances, nor time on my hands. However when I win the lottery ill journal my effort


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## ian_m (11 Jul 2013)

Ady34 said:


> Personally, I'm not a millionaire, that's my reason. Not enough finances, nor time on my hands. However when I win the lottery ill journal my effort


Did you see the Ferraris in the first link ? Explains how he can afford such a tank.


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## LancsRick (11 Jul 2013)

If I had the money spare, I'd almost certainly do something like this, but as mentioned above, the outlay must be staggering. Plus I'm on a water meter .


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## ian_m (11 Jul 2013)

LancsRick said:


> If I had the money spare, I'd almost certainly do something like this, but as mentioned above, the outlay must be staggering. Plus I'm on a water meter .


If you had that much money & tank, water meter would be least of your costs.....

Actually 100litres of RO a day, assuming 4:1 waste -> 500litres a day @ about £4 per 1000litres on a meter is -> 500/1000 * 365 * 4 -> £730/year on water, which in the scheme of things is not too bad.

Compared to for example 20Kg of sea salt @ £50 will do 600 litres of salt water thus one year is -> 100/600 * 50 * 365 -> £3040/year in salt.....

Compared to typical Ferrari insurance of £20k/year....


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## mafoo (11 Jul 2013)

also consider lighting for a massive planted tank. the higher the water column the more lighting intensity required for plants to thrive. Apart from the electricity cost, thats a massive amount of heat to dissipate.


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## Gill (11 Jul 2013)

I have owned a Big 400G  fully planted tank in the past. And the costs can amount quickly when you are using that much electricity on a large tank. I admit that I went overboard on the filtration and lighting. And learnt alot from the experience.


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## TDI-line (11 Jul 2013)

Here's a few links to some of my past 720 litre scapes...

TDI's  Blyxa-Blyxa Journal | UK Aquatic Plant Society

TDI's Blyxa - Riverbank (picture update 19/5/09) | UK Aquatic Plant Society

TDI's Blyxa - Monolith (with guests appearance by L046). | UK Aquatic Plant Society


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## Yo-han (11 Jul 2013)

I guess there are about as much large planted tanks as reef tanks but not on this forum. I know a few on Dutch fora and maintain a 720L at my work at in a car showroom. My excuse is that the 250x100x72 I almost bought for a bargain, didn't fitted through my window (4th floor). But definitely will buy a bigger one when I buy my own place. That said, I'll probably keep a small 90cm high light tank as well because the big tank will definitely be low light because of the amount of maintenance.

This tank included sump willed with media for €750,-:


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## Palm Tree (21 Jul 2013)

I don't consider it a 'monster' but I previously had a 700l tank.​The average house in the UK is tiny- Average Home Sizes Around the World | Apartment Therapy​Also, electricity is very expensive here so you would want to heat it with the boiler, I saw someone on Monsterfishkeepers do that before.​There is also the fact that a lot of Americans have the 'bigger is better' perception which I actually respect in regards to fish keeping, however there is always someone who asks what the bare minimum size is for an Oscar etc no matter where you live.​


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## sanj (29 Jul 2013)

My tank isnt as big as the real monster tanks on Ultimate Reefs, but i think it is quite big: "Fifty Shades of Green" - (1600 Litre Sanjarami) | UK Aquatic Plant Society


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## RichardJW (8 Nov 2013)

Pets @ Home huge planted tank projects and event. | UK Aquatic Plant Society

How's this for a Monster tank ?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## ghostsword (9 Nov 2013)

The London Aquarium Piranha Tank, easily the largest planted tank in the UK, and running for almost one year now..


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## Jose (26 Nov 2014)

I think for normal people not so much into plants like us, a saltwater is more breathtaking, and that is why people with loads of money go for these aquariums and not a planted tank. I think marines are more commercial maybe because fish are more colourful and people are normally into fish and not so much plants.

Also Im sure there are less companies that build fresh water tanks for clients and many more salt water ones. This might be due to the demand, so not  the cause but the effect.


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## Edvet (26 Nov 2014)

I am not where i want to be yet but my tank is 1500lit. Maintaining this as a high light/CO2 tank is not only expensive but takes a lot of time too. If i had wanted to stay in the high light side i would have had to change a lot (plumbing/filtering) as it was designed for discus. For now i reduced the light and try to get it full of low light plants but at 75 cm waterheight it's not that easy. See my journal.


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## Jose (26 Nov 2014)

Edvet said:


> I am not where i want to be yet but my tank is 1500lit. Maintaining this as a high light/CO2 tank is not only expensive but takes a lot of time too. If i had wanted to stay in the high light side i would have had to change a lot (plumbing/filtering) as it was designed for discus. For now i reduced the light and try to get it full of low light plants but at 75 cm waterheight it's not that easy. See my journal.



I think for this kind of tanks is when most things we just overlook become crucial. Like the question of: What if I dont do 50% wc weekly. Ive got to the conclusion that if you want to do less water changes all you can do is make your plants grow slower and this is not what we want specially in such a big tank.

By the way keep it up and posting on that big tank. If I have my own house one day Im sure Ill do something alike.

Good luck.


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## dw1305 (26 Nov 2014)

Hi all,
Low tech would be possible, this one is cheating, because it is at Kew Gardens.


 

There is also this thread on PlanetCatfish <"*Building a ........."*>.


 

cheers Darrel


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## Edvet (26 Nov 2014)

One of my dreams for after my pension still is a large greenhouse with orchids (i once had almost all Cattleya spp) and a large south american tank. Somewhere to sit and enjoy when it's cold outside, I love large greenhouses.


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## Alastair (26 Nov 2014)

I too have had a pretty big tank, and also a new one built too which I'll be starting a journal shortly, plus this time next year......I'm hoping I save VERY hard to have my whopper


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## parotet (26 Nov 2014)

As far as I have seen in the above links, monster size doesn't necessarily mean better or more beautiful. I also dream of a large tank but to be honest I'm afraid of getting tired of a very demanding maintenance. 

Jordi


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## Jose (26 Nov 2014)

parotet said:


> I also dream of a large tank but to be honest I'm afraid of getting tired of a very demanding maintenance.



I think an alternative method to keeping very big planted tanks with fewer water changes is still to appear. I know you can just keep a low tech tank with little water changes but I mean a method with a bit of injected CO2.
 And everything explained in detail. I know this can be done now but there is a bit of testing and iteration involved.


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## RynoParsons (28 Dec 2014)

Had a 240x60cm tank and trimming a 2.4m carpet takes a looooong time. Never mind the costs of ferts and lights also substrate was aquasoil costs quite alot of money and maintenance on a high light fast growing tank like this just takes the fun out of it


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## drodgers (1 Jan 2015)

From my own experience with a 125 gallon ...
First would be cost if you wanted a nice looking high tech
second would be maintenance.
When a Giant planted tank goes of balance. For example  if you had a algae outbreak, it could take a complete tear down to fix and start over.
Another is I have to use Liquid carbon to combat algae and supplement the injected co2,this is because of poor water conditions and it takes massive amount of injected co2 to get my tank balance .
If I had a 1000 gallon tank the costs to add the chemicals Co2 and power for the massive filter and water exchange system would be the same as my mortgage  and surely my wife wouldn't be  to pleased.
Ive had larger tanks with predator fish(member of MFK for over a decade) and they are so easy compared to my planted tanks


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## Filip Krupa (5 Apr 2018)

You guys have almost put me off my plan to build a 2000 L (1.7x1.7x0.75m) high tech planted tank! I've built the stand already, getting the acrylic soon.
I'm still going ahead with it, if the maintenance becomes a chore, I have alternative plans that will keep me busy for years!


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## Edvet (5 Apr 2018)

Be prepared to go through CO2 at a rate of 10 kg/month.


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## Zeus. (5 Apr 2018)

Edvet said:


> Be prepared to go through CO2 at a rate of 10 kg/month.



My 500l high tech tank uses 6.5Kg a month, but big pH drop with DC light yellow to clear


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## HiNtZ (10 Apr 2018)

ian_m said:


> Why don't we not seeing massive planted tanks on this forum ?



Friend of mine has an 800L that's about a meter deep - I look at it in one light and think "damn! That would make a brilliant planted tank" then on the other I visualise myself having to aquascape and maintain it. I'm 6'3" so have the reach to get to the bottom of most tanks, but this one would be so inconvenient it wouldn't be worth it as I'm in my tank doing something most days.


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## HiNtZ (10 Apr 2018)

Zeus. said:


> My 500l high tech tank uses 6.5Kg a month, but big pH drop with DC light yellow to clear



Dude! 6.5Kg A MONTH?!

I do 5kg in 4-6 months in my 155. How much light are you running?!


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