Attractive tanks that lack plants?

Hi everyone! I am getting increasingly frustrated with my planted tanks...it seems that no matter how much effort I put into them, they become algae infested (more specifically with the stringy, slimy algae everyone hates...I'd be fine if only green spot algae or diatoms showed up on the glass, but that has not been my lot with planted tanks), and the plants themselves are also expensive (and frustrating simply to acquire if they die in shipping or if they melt once placed in the tank). Thus, I am wondering...is it possible to make an attractive tank that lacks aquatic plants? I was thinking of using inert structures like rocks, driftwood, spawning mops, maybe fake plants...the only live plants that may be used would be hydroponic house plants (which I have had much more success with) or perhaps floating plants (which would be easier to incorporate than houseplants and would also provide cover for fry). Thanks

 

An amazon biotope with driftwood and leaf litter, or an African Lake witch rocks only are common choices. You could do the surface plants in a driftwood tank, since there won't be other plants for them to choke.

Of course, there is always the diver bubbler with the frog holding the "no swimming" sign type of setup

 

I saw a surprisingly attractive cave themed tank on Craigslist recently but can't find it now. Looked awesome, they did a cement coated foam, and the cave was immersive, not just a 3d background, the cave features covered the sides and upper portion of the front glass. This gave it a very organic shaped viewing window and I personally found it very attractive. I have also seen some full rock scape tanks that were impressive and attractive. I'm yet to truly love a tank with only fake plants that was for me but beauty is in the eye of the joshaeus

 

"witch" was unintentional but went quite well I meant "with".

 

Look for Malawi Biotopes and the blackest of blackwater with just botanicals. There are some really attractive tanks out there.

 

An amazon biotope with driftwood and leaf litter, or an African Lake witch rocks only are common choices. You could do the surface plants in a driftwood tank, since there won't be other plants for them to choke.

Of course, there is always the diver bubbler with the frog holding the "no swimming" sign type of setup

Heh heh...not going THAT far, my friend But yeah, those other two sound like good ideas. Also, I am setting up what will be a blackwater tank at the moment, and I may well skip plants other than floaters and rely on wood and leaves for the decor.

 

Here is an aquascape I thought looked good. Just imagine it without the like 3 plants it has. I think it looks pretty. Even without them. Don't worry there aren't many plants in there as it is, since it's a goldfish tank there is 1 species of plants and only like 3 separate ones.

 

You sure can! You just need some beautiful wood and rocks.
Check out this hardscape only tank gallery: Aquarium Design Group

I'd go for something like in that link and skip any fake plants, if you really want some plants try attaching anubias to branches, keep the lighting really low so they don't get algae, they will grow extremely slow but they'll still be better then fake plants.

Or hang pothos vine clippings on your wall and let the bottoms root in the tank (pothos roots will grow down to the tank bottom and fishies will interact with them), voila now you have live roots sucking up your nitrates etc.

 

Cool! Here's a thought...would there be any way to make an inverted spawning mop, with the individual strands floating at the top but what would usually be the top of the mop at the bottom? That would seem like a good simulation of a plant.