Heavily Potted tanks

[TearsTurnToAshes]

ok so im new to this site, so howdy. 8)

I have serveral smaller tanks and two 55/g tanks, one of them i set up w/ african chiclids and the other has a very tempermental oscar. but my question is, im about to set up a 40/g tank for a few of my more peaceful fish, such as a freshwater flounder, farowella, peacock eel, yellow finned eel, leaf fish, and a few wood shrimp, all of which are being housed in smaller seperate tanks. Because of the reclusive nature of many of them i intend on making the tank a heavily potted one so as to keep them in a stress free enviroment. DOes anyone know how to keep the tank clean? since the plants rule out undergravel filters, and it would make suctioning the gravel impossible, is there some other way to clean the tank?
im only 16 so bear with me.

Mike

 

[bgraber]

Well from what I've been reading, careful gravel vac'ing where possible is your best bet.. I'd put down a bed of that gravel like nutrient(starts with an l?) and gravel over top that.. I also wouldn't use dirt in the pots as it will probably just get messy.. And hope your fish aren't diggers!
And read as much of this forum as possible.. Your questions will be answered..

 

[Alien Anna]

You don't worry about keeping a planted tank clean since the mulm is essential to keep the plants healthy. It's kind of like composting.

 

[Lateral Line]

Spiny eels have a habit of uprooting everything in a tank. Just a heads up.

 

[bgraber]

Hehehe, a "Digger"

 

[TearsTurnToAshes]

thanks for everyone who helped me out

 

[spanky_pp_]

Well if your keeping your tank quite natural, then the best way to keep your tank clean of dying leaves and decomposing stuff is to have snails, and other small animals that eat that kind of stuff.
When setting up tanks and gardens etc, the best way to keep everything low effort, is to think of food chains.
First you have fish, they need oxygen, (from plants) food (from you and plants), and then they pooh! The plants eat the pooh, and then eat the Co2 that the fish give off.
Plants die and regrow, snails eat the dying stuff, and then pooh. Plants then eat the snail pooh.
The other way to reduce the amount of work you have to do is to spend that little extra on the plants you buy. Buy ones which look healthy aswelllll as nice looking. But most of all, ones with roots!!!
Ones in the little black pots are the best and easiest to look after, more so than the ones will the lead weight tied around the bottom of them. This is becuase the roots are protected from the force you put againts the plants roots when you insert them into the gravel. the weighted plants are not protected, and therefore, roots become damaged, and plant dies. wasting money and effort.
Another good thing to have is to buy lighting which feeds plants, and sometimes add nutrients to the tank also.