What Defines A Planted Tank?

[SJ2K]

Pritty obvious question, what exactly would be defined as a planted tank? One which has solely live plants, or one that atleast encorporates a few? As my set up will soon be mostly fake plants but with a few species of fern thrown in.

All contributions welcome.

 

[joecoral]

i cant remember the exact figure, but im sure i read somewhere a planted tank is when more than either 50% or 75% of the substrate is planted with live plants?

 

[Underwurlde]

IMO, if you add one single live plant and want it to thrive, then the tank is considered planted.

Andy

 

[Themuleous]

A 'true' planted tank in my books is any tank where the plants are given as much if not more attention than the fish. The fish are there to add to the scape created by the plants, rather than the plants being there for the benefit of the fish.

Sam

 

[SJ2K]

Seems like there may be a few different views on this

 

[George Farmer]

I wrote this recently for a publication -

So what is a planted aquarium? Put simply it is an aquarium that contains predominately live aquatic plants. The plants are often the main feature, along with the fish that provide essential movement, colour and interest. An easier way to put it – a “planted tank” has plants with fish and conversely, a “fish tank” has fish with (a few or artificial) plants. Planted aquariums provide many advantages over their non-planted counterparts. Plant growth uses up harmful toxins such as ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and heavy metals, through a process known as nutrient-uptake. Through photosynthesis the plants convert light and CO2 into oxygen, the most important element for all aquarium life. The plants themselves provide a sense of security and shelter to the fish. Finally a well-planted tank can look stunning and provide a beautiful slice of nature to any living space. Aquascaping, the art of decorating the aquarium with plants and décor is recently becoming very popular in the UK.