How many species

[Wills]

Hi, I'm about to order all the plants for my new 100ltr. I can't decide how many species of plant I want to have in there and I was wondering what your preferences were?

Do you prefer tanks with a range of leaf types and sizes, lots of textures and sizes in each zone or do you prefer a more minimalistic approach?

I'm currently airing on the side of more species to create contrast. I'm planning to do a mixed carpet of Monte Carlo and Marsilea Hirsuta with some Ranunculus Inundatus mixed in with more fearny and fine texures at the back with Myriophyllum Mattrogrossense and Eleocharis to create depth with bigger leaves towards the front. In the midground I've got a mix of textures and colours with some reds and purple/browns.

But I do like the idea of the cutting right down on species? What do you think and why?

Wills

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I suggest Anacharis for the background plant. It grows fast and it looks great.

I prefer plants with lush, “soft” leaves. Ex. Broad leaved Anacharis.

I also like Java Moss.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Hey, Wills. What kind of substrate, lighting, CO2, and current are you using? That can affect plant options. I personally tend to plant a wide number of species (I think I originally had 14 species in my 55g and around 20 in my 150g), knowing that, over time, some will come to dominate and others will die out.

 

[AquaBarb]

Im one for variety myself, i feel the minimalistic setup's always seem uncomplete and a scape with more textures and sizes etc makes a better natural looking tank.

My favourite species is crypts which i have 12 or so different types of but all my tanks have variety of different species.

Your plan sounds very nice indeed whats your stocking ideas for this tank Wills?

 

[mbsqw1d]

Inspiration for aquascapes and planted tanks - Tropica Aquarium Plants

inspirational layouts and aquascapes, ideas for planted tanks

tropica.com

I think this is a great site for inspiration - it (a) allows you to get an idea of a look and what plants are used and why. And (b) suggests the 'difficulty' for the plants used. You're obviously free to swap out plants for you're own choosing. Your fish should of course come first, so for example I wouldnt be looking to create a carpet as much as I'd like to because I have corydoras. Also consider how the background plants such as Valis, will eventually grow to create a canopy, and how this will reduce the amount of light the mid-ground plants are likely to receive..

 

[Wills]

I suggest Anacharis for the background plant. It grows fast and it looks great.

I prefer plants with lush, “soft” leaves. Ex. Broad leaved Anacharis.

I also like Java Moss.

I'm going with high light and Co2 in here so I think Anarcharis would go a bit nuts haha!

Hey, Wills. What kind of substrate, lighting, CO2, and current are you using? That can affect plant options. I personally tend to plant a wide number of species (I think I originally had 14 species in my 55g and around 20 in my 150g), knowing that, over time, some will come to dominate and others will die out.

Hi I'm going quite high tech with this, its an Aquascaper 600 tank with a Twinstar SM II light. I have a Co2 set up planned with a Co2 Art regulator and planning to use a 2kg fire extinguisher, I've got one of the stainless steel diffusers with a ceramic plate (to match my lilly pipes) bit concerned it might be a bit form over function though... Planning to use the Tropica all in one fertiliser and I've got a mix of Tropica Aquasoil and Aquasoil Powder

My water is very hard so aware it could cause some issues with plants but trying to research enough to pick inteligently. My shopping list is -

Foreground
Micranthium ‘Monte Carlo’
Eleocharis Acicularis Mini
Ranunculus Inundatus

Midground
Micranthemum Umbrosum
Hygrophila Araguaia
Myriophyllum Guyana
Hydrocotyle Tripartita
Cryptocoryne Albida ‘Brown’

Background
Eleocahris Aciccularis
Myriophyllum Mattogrossense

Moss and epiphytes
Anubias Petite
Taxiphyllum ‘Flame’
Vescularia Ferriei ‘Weeping’
(I also want some nice Bucephalandra)

Floating
Limnobium Laevigatum

Im one for variety myself, i feel the minimalistic setup's always seem uncomplete and a scape with more textures and sizes etc makes a better natural looking tank.

My favourite species is crypts which i have 12 or so different types of but all my tanks have variety of different species.

Your plan sounds very nice indeed whats your stocking ideas for this tank Wills?

I'd really love to see a Crypt only tank - Parva at the front with some nice mix of species in the mid and then some of the big ones like Crispulata at the back. Would be such an easy tank too. Stock wise, I thought I knew 100% what I wanted to do but keep changing my mind. My original plan was Red Eye Red Tail Puffers with Galaxy Rasboras but I'm looking at possibly going for Microdevario Kubotai instead. Also wobbling on the puffers as worried the open top could end badly (but I do want to get a glass lid soon) and sand would be a better substrate for them but with all the plants it might not matter... If I didnt do the puffers I would probably do a bigger school and maybe add some Tiger Badis and Dwarf Moth Catfish which I've always wanted to keep.

Inspiration for aquascapes and planted tanks - Tropica Aquarium Plants

inspirational layouts and aquascapes, ideas for planted tanks

tropica.com

I think this is a great site for inspiration - it (a) allows you to get an idea of a look and what plants are used and why. And (b) suggests the 'difficulty' for the plants used. You're obviously free to swap out plants for you're own choosing. Your fish should of course come first, so for example I wouldnt be looking to create a carpet as much as I'd like to because I have corydoras. Also consider how the background plants such as Valis, will eventually grow to create a canopy, and how this will reduce the amount of light the mid-ground plants are likely to receive..

I love the Tropica website - really good resource, been watching a lot of George Farmer and Juris Jutjajevs videos on youtube who do all the Tropica content too.

Thanks guys, really great responses

Wills

 

[PheonixKingZ]

That looks like a really good list so far.

 

[mbsqw1d]

'Myriophyllum Mattogrossense' tempted go get some of this myself, great texture against some ferns or anubias

 

[seangee]

Just to give a contrarian view I'm more of a minimalist guy. With that many species in a 100 litre I wouldn't know where to look

 

[EllRog]

I get the ones that I can't pronounce, can't keep alive, but look good. Hope that helps

 

[WhistlingBadger]

According to Diane Walstad (peace be upon her) hard-ish water is actually good for most plants. That's contrary to some of the popular wisdom, but I believe her.

 

[Wills]

Just to give a contrarian view I'm more of a minimalist guy. With that many species in a 100 litre I wouldn't know where to look

Thats what Im worried about - when you look at Amanos tanks its a really small selection of plants. My hope is that with what I've picked is there are enough similar textures just different sized leaves it should blend. I can see over time though as it all grows in that it becomes simplified.

According to Diane Walstad (peace be upon her) hard-ish water is actually good for most plants. That's contrary to some of the popular wisdom, but I believe her.

I've seen some references to this but it just seems like an area of the hobby where there is a lot of conflicting advice. I think it might be that some plants go more red in softwater which is one of the bigger trends at the moment so people could be advising it to achieve this. Don't think I've picked anything that fits in that category - the Myriphyllum maybe?