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Overhead costs of pet stores aside, I've spent more than 5K within the setup period of my 90G and the cost of maintainance for the plants only is about $40 to $50 per month, including CO2 injection. I'm frustrated because most of my years of aquarium experience was from 13 to 20 years ago when things were very different and a "dirt" tank or "nature aquarium" were concepts I never heard of (of course planted aquariums and Dutch planted aquariums existed). I could've just picked branches from a creek in Hope or even just in North Burnaby. I should've picked river pebbles and stones from there. A lot of pebbles in the region are inert and do not release any unwanted minerals or chemicals to harden water. If branches risk toxins leaching into the water, I can guarantee that if you buy branches designed for birds to perch on at pet stores, they are safe and less than 75% of the cost. I wish I wasn't so uninformed re-entering the hobby. Of course, some types of hardscape cannot simply be picked up for free off the side of a creek, but there's more.
Now with YouTube and learning of aquarists, especially outside of Canada, saying they've spent very little money on lighting and ferts, I'm wondering if I've been throwing money away on Kessil lights, Tropica soil, and Tropica ferts when others are using garden variety dirt and dry ferts and clamp on desk lamps with CFL's or LED panels you can get for $70.
I'm curous how many planted aquarium hobbyist willingly spend money on products exclusively designed and marketed just for aquarium plants, and how many just go to Home Depot to get most of what they need. ADA may at times, be an exception because I not only see the quality of their equipment and their aquariums, but some of their supplies, additives, stones and wood, are so unique, they can only be found and imported from select places in the world. That being said I would be tempted to cut costs in areas where I find it is practical to do so. I think ferts is a good example. Dry ferts anyone?
Cheers.
Now with YouTube and learning of aquarists, especially outside of Canada, saying they've spent very little money on lighting and ferts, I'm wondering if I've been throwing money away on Kessil lights, Tropica soil, and Tropica ferts when others are using garden variety dirt and dry ferts and clamp on desk lamps with CFL's or LED panels you can get for $70.
I'm curous how many planted aquarium hobbyist willingly spend money on products exclusively designed and marketed just for aquarium plants, and how many just go to Home Depot to get most of what they need. ADA may at times, be an exception because I not only see the quality of their equipment and their aquariums, but some of their supplies, additives, stones and wood, are so unique, they can only be found and imported from select places in the world. That being said I would be tempted to cut costs in areas where I find it is practical to do so. I think ferts is a good example. Dry ferts anyone?
Cheers.