and dont get me wrong... there are some VERY nice looking ... what some would call "minimalistic" tanks out there. But just seeing a tank with 2 rocks in it, and thats it? Boring. Half of the fun in my tanks, is watching the life on, and in the rocks. Plus... there is NO way that 10lbs of rock in a 55 gallon tank could be adequate filtration. no way. i dont care how much sand there is, its not the same.
now... money issues are a different story. if you dont have the extra $$ to buy a ton of rock, thats completely understandable, and i know what its like to work on a budget.