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1. Nitrates up to 80 ppm in a planted tank is the least of your wories. BUT Nitrates are relatively easy to test and raising or consistently high Nitrates is one indicator that other compounds are also accumulating.
2. You can certainly keep a planted tank that needs very little maintenance, including water changes. BUT can does not mean you should. Low maintenance tanks are specialty tanks that need to be designed with a forethought: specific choice of plants and fish, substrate, lighting, circulation. You do not see many of them running because a) not easy to set up correctly for the long term b) most people don't find them attractive.
3. Once your tank parameters start deviating too far from the local norm, introducing new fish becomes harder and riskier. Ever flew from, say, N. Dakota to Hawaii in winter? Then you can relate how the new fish feels. Some make it, most dont. Drastic differences in temperature, co2 / o2 levels, TDS, chemical concentrations, etc. are like multiple blows, all at once.
In short, start your water changes and keep them on a relatively consistent basis, as per posts above. Planted tanks present multiple challanges - no need to make your life interesting by skipping a basic step.
2. You can certainly keep a planted tank that needs very little maintenance, including water changes. BUT can does not mean you should. Low maintenance tanks are specialty tanks that need to be designed with a forethought: specific choice of plants and fish, substrate, lighting, circulation. You do not see many of them running because a) not easy to set up correctly for the long term b) most people don't find them attractive.
3. Once your tank parameters start deviating too far from the local norm, introducing new fish becomes harder and riskier. Ever flew from, say, N. Dakota to Hawaii in winter? Then you can relate how the new fish feels. Some make it, most dont. Drastic differences in temperature, co2 / o2 levels, TDS, chemical concentrations, etc. are like multiple blows, all at once.
In short, start your water changes and keep them on a relatively consistent basis, as per posts above. Planted tanks present multiple challanges - no need to make your life interesting by skipping a basic step.
