sallyjano
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I am considering planting my tank but am not sure how much extra work it would be. It seems that many of them grow quickly (going by people's before/after pics) so do you have to prune on a regular basis?
Depending on the type of setup, light intensity, species and everything variability is high. Assuming you just want to get some plants in there with no specifics, low light setup with adecuate plants you could trim every 3-4 weeks. Maybe vals or elodeas more often, but those just need a quick snap at water surface level.
Always remember kids are never too young to help with house chores! (Tank chores count too ) Hope you do go planted, you'll enjoy it!
You might want to consider a medium light system with dry ferts and glut.
It will grow fast enough to be a quickly changing system to keep it from getting boring but will grow slow enough that it isnt a big deal to keep it trimmed. My 55g needs trimming every week or else everything just gets overgrown. It is however a high tech high light tank.
Dry ferts:
PPS-Pro | Aquarium Fertilizer | Green Leaf Aquariums
Newbie Guide to PPS-Pro - PPS Analysis and Feedback - Aquatic Plant Central
This pack will last you a long long long long time.
Glut:
Complex carbon molecule that plants can use for a source of carbon. Increases speed of growth.
Dose 1ml / 10 gallons daily to start. Increase slowly up to 1 ml every 2 gallons daily if needed. Algae growth will show how much more you need. Throw out the activator bottle.
Cidex Metricide Omnicide 14 Day Sterilization Gallon | eBay