# Iwagumi style tank without plants?



## Willamette (Jun 19, 2012)

Bchen7106 said:


> Has anyone ever done a "planted tank" without plants?


Nope. Nobody ever has. Literally. :icon_smil


----------



## KenRC51 (Oct 13, 2011)

Bchen7106 said:


> Hey all,
> 
> So I have a random question. Has anyone ever done a "planted tank" without plants?


It would not be called a "planted tank" if you don't have plants in it. It just be a normal tank with rocks and substrate.

If you want low maintenance tank then just try slower growing plants and go low tech. My CRS/CBS tank is low tech and all the plants grow really slow. I have some fissiden, DHG, and mixed moss. The only thing that grows fast are the moss (except fissiden).


----------



## Willamette (Jun 19, 2012)

Honestly, I consider the plants the things that keep the maintenance levels down. They are good for the water chemistry, they defeat algae, and they are important for the wellbeing of fish such as cardinal tetras. 

That said, you don't strictly need plants for iwagumi. Technically, all Iwagumi is is a method of rock placement. It can be argued that pure iwagumi has nothing but rocks by default.


----------



## FriendsNotFood (Sep 21, 2010)

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/freshwater-fish-pictures-videos/my-20-gallon-hardscape-56474/

http://www.tfhmagazine.com/blogs/2011/11/01/the-creation-of-a-hardscape-only-aquascape/

I think these look awesome and modern even if it's blasphemous to admit it on this forum


----------



## Bchen7106 (Jun 17, 2012)

I realize that its not planted. Just trying to think outside of the box. I've already done the low tech planted tank and even with that, I had to do a fair amount of trimming to prevent it from growing out of control.


----------



## FriendsNotFood (Sep 21, 2010)

There's this too, someone did a white cloud mountain minnow biotope that I absolutely love...http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/custom/images/large/4c232f9eb296f.jpg


----------



## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I don't have any pictures but I have a tank that is heavily inspired by Iwagumi without any foreground. It was not on purpose, my foreground hasn't worked out (pretty low tech) but the background plants thrived. Don't have any pictures but it looks really nice IMO. I can easily picture mine without plants.


----------



## Willamette (Jun 19, 2012)

I've seen some extremely nice hardscape only ciclid tanks as well.


----------



## aznartist34 (Nov 19, 2010)

Yes, you can set up an iwagumi style tank with rocks and substrate.

No, you can't have a ''planted'' tank without plants. That's like saying you have hair but you're actually bald.


----------



## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

Honestly, if I were to go that route, I would go a step further and make it a black water biotope kind of tank. The idea of just rocks and roots, and a sandy bottom just begs for some nice tea colored water with something like a big school of cardinals and maybe a little leaf litter on the bottom.
Damnit, I'm looking at my 10 gallon now getting ideas XD


----------



## fusiongt (Nov 7, 2011)

It's called a hardscape and while they look pretty, they aren't as beneficial as a planted tank. Also, they aren't as interesting in the long run since the tank is one dimension - fauna with obstacles, nothing growing except algae. I think over time you'd want to add in plants, even if it's a low tech setup without co2 it's still interesting. A piece of brandwood around the rocks with java ferns on it could work.


----------



## FriendsNotFood (Sep 21, 2010)

HybridHerp said:


> Honestly, if I were to go that route, I would go a step further and make it a black water biotope kind of tank. The idea of just rocks and roots, and a sandy bottom just begs for some nice tea colored water with something like a big school of cardinals and maybe a little leaf litter on the bottom.
> Damnit, I'm looking at my 10 gallon now getting ideas XD


Always been tempted to do this. But what would the maintenance on this thing be like without plants sucking up nitrates?


----------



## LB79 (Nov 18, 2011)

FriendsNotFood said:


> http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/freshwater-fish-pictures-videos/my-20-gallon-hardscape-56474/
> 
> http://www.tfhmagazine.com/blogs/2011/11/01/the-creation-of-a-hardscape-only-aquascape/
> 
> I think these look awesome and modern even if it's blasphemous to admit it on this forum


Nothing is blasphemous on this forum. 

Iwagumi tanks without plants are totally epic.


----------



## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

I'd imagine the same as a fish only tank
Water changes once a week probably
I originally was a fish only person so I'm used to that lol


----------



## kuni (May 7, 2010)

I have a fish-only hardscape tank with some nice rocks and a school of tetras and cories.

To avoid nitrate problems between water changes, I have two large Pothos vines growing out of my hang-on-back filters.


----------



## Williak (Jun 26, 2012)

So another idea just got added to the prospective tank line up.... Really like the idea of hardscape only, under roots w sand bottom, as HybridHerp said.... :icon_neut

I'm planning tanks one a week on average now! When will this end?? :biggrin:


----------



## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

If you want cleaner water but no plants in the tank you could try floaters to keep the water cleaner and suck up nitrate, etc. 
Red Root or Dwarf Water Lettuce or something


----------

