no Ethan i just assume a lack of algae means nitrates are not to high , if i start to see excessive algae i know there's a problem ......... i had one unplanted tank over the winter , it was temporary . it doesn't work without plants , if you don't have plants you'll get algae , and do need partial water changes .......as far as dumbing it down , i think learning starts by not understanding ......... Markw had a post describing his filtration , and he talked about rooting plants in your filter , there are lots of plants that will grow with just their roots in water ............ i kept 7 blandings turtles in the house over the winter and one wood turtle , that one wood turtle kept in a bin with a water dish was way more work than those 7 blandings kept in a 75 gallon fully cycled tank ............
here's a nitrogen cycle diagram that is about as simple as your gonna get . water changes can be , for the most part , replaced with plants ....... the plants in my basement pond easily suck up 15-20 gallons of water a week , if not more
the problem is solved now, thank you so much!
