I was called away from my computer before I could finfish my thought's.
I think if low tech,or low energy,low maint,is ones goal then they should choose that method and someones advice and follow it.
I chose Tom Barr's NON CO2 method and have no complaint's.
I also enjoyed Troi's tutorial on soil based tank's, particularly the CO2 he mentioned that can be generated from the soil.(So I added soil base).
This along with CO2 as by-product of fish respiration,is what it is in my tank's.I add dry fertizer's as per Tom's method and that leaves only the lighting to worry bout or adjust. Ten hour's of my present lighting bring's hair algae, Seven hour's is all I can use at present.
Plant's grow slowly and it took two year's for growth seen in my avatar.
Hardest part for me,,was waiting for the puny sprig's I purchased to fill out in 300 litre tank but it gave me more time to study/learn from folk's here.
I think many folk's grow tired of the waiting,but now,,when I need to place plant's in another tank or move plant's about to create new look,,I have mature specimen's to quickly fill in where i need them.No waiting for mature plant's to reach good size,,no melting from transistion from emmersed to submerged..and no constant battles with algae from desire to flood the tank with more light than the low energy method can tolerate.
I very much like the discussion's in these type thread's and have learned a great deal.
Am never as amazed by that which I don't know,,as I am by that which I thought I did know.