From CO2 to non-CO2 / high tech to (s)lower tech?

[Virides]

Hi All,
I have been aquascaping for a few years now and have gone through quite a bit of 'phases' in the hobby in terms of investment (time and budget wise) and motivation.
The thing that's getting me is that while I do really enjoy the potential of a high-tech scape, the high maintenance is something that I struggle with more and more as I do not always have the time to keep things as perfect as I would want to.

I currently run a 150x50x30cm 'shallow' tank with a Chihiros 120 pro and Oase Biomaster 600. The tank is failry heavily planted and lightly stocked with corydoras, rasboras and other smaller species.

The main challenge in this tank is even CO2 distribution, which is now running through an in-line atomizer. I notice black beard algae on high-flow / high co2 areas.
Instead of 'doubling down' with even more equipment, I am considering to 'downgrade' instead.
I see many YouTube video's claiming to use no CO2 at all, while looking really great.

Does any one have experience 'converting' to a more low tech, low maintenance setup- coming from a 'high energy' system?
Would you recommend this, and what are the things to take into account?

 

[Connswater]

experience 'converting'

Great phrase. Yes and no, in that I have moved non CO2 tanks to CO2 and have once moved a high CO2 tank to a low CO2 tank, i.e. I went from cylinder high injection to low yeast and sugar. My biggest experience of the latter was that it was terribly easy to overdo lighting, I went down from two cheap LED bars to one, the extra light, I lost the bar with some blue LEDS, the blue just seemed to tip the balance, energy efficiency I guess. Two bars had been essential when injecting heavily with CO2 for stem plants, it was too much light energy without the 20+ ppm of CO2. On the 5-10 ppm of CO2 I also slowly saw a change in plant success, crypts came to dominate, stem plants, even the so-easy ones, gradually faded. I suspect that unless all you want is crypts and Vallis and some floating plants you will have to think hard about substrate. You may have already seen this link ref. substrate: 15.10. Hybrid Low Tech Planted Aquarium

 

[wearsbunnyslippers]

I see many YouTube video's claiming to use no CO2 at all, while looking really great.

Does any one have experience 'converting' to a more low tech, low maintenance setup- coming from a 'high energy' system?
Would you recommend this, and what are the things to take into account?

I have also seen this trend lately, @MDFishTanks comes to mind..

In my experience when my co2 would run out, I would try to decrease my lighting to compensate, but my plants always struggled without co2. Things like anubias, crypts, ferns, buces wouldn't mind too much, but my stems always took a knock. I don't know if I did not have enough carbon being generated in my substrate or what, but in densely planted stem tanks, I could not grow lush healthy bushes without co2. I was also mostly using T5's bulbs as well, and I am not sure if maybe modern led's help the plants a little more in a fuller spectrum way, that these newer LED lit scapes seem to do ok without co2..

Have you read Takashi Amano's story on how he struggled without co2?