Aquascaping suggestions/additional plants for newly planted 125L

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nobo

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Planting (and any other) suggestions please for my first tank (well, save for an inherited 19L)!

New low tech 125L setup. Plants have been in for between 1 and 7 days: frog bit, java moss on rocks and driftwood, straight vallis (along the back- save for gap in the middle - and covering filter), anubias bateri, java fern, indian fern (aka ceratopteris./ indian fern - some of which is floating) and water wisteria (hygrophila difformis). Oh and 3 marimo moss balls (not sure these will stay - may move to shrimp tank). I'm planning to take out what I think is the anacharis (it was just in there to help with cycling/ammonia uptake).

It's got a lot of growing in to do, but I'm wondering whether it makes sense to wait or get a few extra plants now. I'm thinking begginer-suitable, low-tech/fairly low light/no special fertilisers (save for weekly Seachem Flourish). Sand over Tropical aquarium soil substrate. Perhaps some red or brown cryptocorynes (Cryptocoryne Albida Brown, perhaps) - maybe for the bottom right, and something red to go just to the right of the vertical driftwood on the left. And more small foreground plants.

Easy-ish red plants seem to include:
Echinodorus Ozelot
Tiger Lotus Bulb (perhaps a good accent plant for the back - contrasting leaf pattern and colours to what's already in there)
Ludwigia Repens Rubin (ditto)
Echinodorus Hadi Red Pearl

Any recommendations? Other suggestions?

Juwel Rio 125 litre, with "pimped" biogravel filter; fluorescent lights (T5s I think - not sure which), plus a cheap 78cm multicolour LED light from ebay. Kept at 25'C. Water fairly hard at around DH14... pH 7-7.6.

(Oh yes - and the improvised straw diffusers will go as soon as I'm allowed back to work to pick up the real thing!)

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Your tank is beautiful. It will look even better once it fills out! :)
 
Very nice looking driftwood, you could always leave the anacharis in as a background plant. The one thing I would change is the white sand due to it reflecting the light.
 
Thanks both!

I spent an unhealthy amount of time in the Aquatic Design Centre choosing the driftwood (3 pieces). I think subconsciously I was trying to find a bit (the tallest bit on the left) that looked like part of this...!

derelict.jpg


(One for fellow Alien fans!)

The reflection of the light off the sand's not too bad in the flesh - I'm stuck with some kind of sand in any case because of the corys, but will see how I go. I have a few loose bits of soil substrate that came up during the planting - going to be fun trying to tidy those up (or maybe I should just accept them!). I may add a couple of indian almond leaves too.

Maybe I should wait a few months before deciding on further plants...? As with most things with this hobby: patience; patience; and ... patience!
 

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