I keep flip flopping on whether or not to use real plants in my upcoming 12 gallon freshwater setup (either Nanocube or Marineland 12). I've been reading about easy-to-care plants species like Anubias, Cryptocoryne, Java Moss, etc. that require low light.
Is it possible, with these types of plants (or others), to grow without the extra expense of CO2 injection, upgraded lighting and fertilizers? Or is it just a waste of time to try it otherwise? Will they live on just well-maintained water, "standard" lighting with pruning as needed? I also read that most plants won't live for more than a year in a aqarium and will signficantly degrade over time, because they are accustomed to the seasonal drop in water level that occurs in nature.
Is it possible, with these types of plants (or others), to grow without the extra expense of CO2 injection, upgraded lighting and fertilizers? Or is it just a waste of time to try it otherwise? Will they live on just well-maintained water, "standard" lighting with pruning as needed? I also read that most plants won't live for more than a year in a aqarium and will signficantly degrade over time, because they are accustomed to the seasonal drop in water level that occurs in nature.