20 Gallon Rescape

[SamB]

Here is the tank as it is today:
 

 
I am pretty unhappy with it. It's my main tank in my room and I don't think it looks very nice - fake plants, plastic decorations.. some colored gravel mixed with black.. I've also recently discovered the magic of sand in my other tanks.  
 
The stocking in this tank is: 2 GBRs, 6 Harleyquin Rasboras, 2 Otos, 3 Corycats. 
 
I know I want to convert to sand. I've been using these rocks I find locally lately in my other tanks.. I might go that way. I'm not sure. What do you think?
 
Can anyone ID the long plants in the back for me?

 

[Robbo89]

Plant looks like ambulia, maybe cabomba though someone else might recognize it a bit better.
 
How do you find the GBR's go in a 20 gal? I was looking at getting a pair for my 25 but was advised against it... hmmm looking forward to your changes though!

 

[SamB]

Hm.. maybe cabomba looking at the pictures online.. My GBRs seem really happy! They're showing some breeding ready colors which is great!

 

[Robbo89]

That's awesome!

 

[SamB]

Well, my GBRs ended fighting and one killing the other. The cabomba alll melted all over the tank and messed it all up. The ornaments looked crappy. I've been staring at this tank for ages. I went to clean it today and it ended up turning the water brown / black and I just got kind of mad at it. So I decided to rescape it fully and finally! 
 
this was my last gravel tank - so that had to go. bought the same black sand and found a ton more of the rocks i use in all of my tanks and went to petco.  It was my last tank with plastic plants (besides my 3 gallon, but not enough light in there for plants) so I got anubis and amazon sword to go with the java fern i already had. I upped the corydoras to 8 juliis - still 1 albino . Eventually will get another gbr i think. 
 
Anyways! Here it is:
Before:

 
after:
 

 
It feels like it's missing something.. what is it?

 

[TallTree01]

It is missing.... Driftwood branches and plants. Lots of plants. So many plants that the fish almost become a compliment to the plants rather than the other round.

It looks much better now too.

 

[SamB]

Whats a good way to source branch-y wood, Petco doesn't sell any?

 

[TallTree01]

Is there a tree near you?
Just saw off a branch. Preferably a dead tree but live will work.be sure to bark strip it and soak it for weeks.

 

[Ny82]

That looks so much better now. I think there are too many rocks, but once you add some wood to it, it should take the attention away from them. I found my branch outside, the tree was dead, just soaked it for a little while and the bark started coming off easy.

 

[SamB]

Showed some other people the tank before realizing I didn't much like how the rocks were either. Someone suggested the golden ratio.. so I took that quite literally:
 

 
 

 
Results:
 

 
I definitely need more plants. the plants I have.. can I bury their roots? I know not anubis, but the others?

 

[TallTree01]

Yes you can bury their roots. I think it's only anubias and * maybe * java fern who need them above,

Your tank looks better now.

What is the ' golden ration ' ?

 

[daizeUK]

Amazon sword wants to be planted, the anubias and java fern prefer to be attached to rock or wood.
 
I feel your tank is missing height - a tall branch with java fern and moss attached would fix that.
 
The white rocks on black looks a bit stark to me.  The contrast looks unnatural and too much black makes the tank look dark, a lot of plants would fix that and they'd look great against the black though.

 

[Ny82]

I'm still not sure about those rocks

maybe stack them higher? Maybe it's the plants in amongst them that's putting me off? I just think somethings missing (sorry for being picky )

 

[SamB]

Ny82 - would it be better if I moved the plants to a separate area? I have the anubias trapped under the rocks so their roots are still uncovered, but they arent floating. Should I let them float up? Will be on the look out for branches, is pine suitable? What woods are a no-go?

 

[Ny82]

Ny82 - would it be better if I moved the plants to a separate area? I have the anubias trapped under the rocks so their roots are still uncovered, but they arent floating. Should I let them float up? Will be on the look out for branches, is pine suitable? What woods are a no-go?

 
Aww, I feel awful saying that to you now you will move things again, I don't know if it's because there are so many. I hope you don't mind me using your pic, it's easier to explain. 
 
Here is what I would do:
 
fig.1 Take the big rock out the middle of the small rocks, leave the small rocks in that position, as they are.
fig2. Take the plants and put them in the front right corner of the tank.
fig 3. I would put a big branch with twisty bits here OR tall plants like the cabomba you had OR amazon swords. 
 

 
I'm so sorry for being so picky, just tell me to shut up and stop talking rubbish if you like it the way you have done it!
 
I like branches, I found mines outside, the tree was dead so I took it.