Awesome, then I'll be starting on this tank soon.
We used to have these guys at work so I'm not too surprised to hear that they're messy. My filtration system will be something pretty simple, with chemical (carbon) and biological (AC Biomax) filtration. Along with the live plants, I'm hoping that it's enough. Plus I already do water changes 2-3 days a week so I can always throw this tank in the rotation and change out the water a couple times a week if its really needed.