Ideas?

[doraemon213]

Hi! I am totally new to aquascaping, so any advice would be great!
 
Just got a piece of wood for my 20 gallon, which is going to house panda cories, and probably some kind of small gourami and guppies. Still thinking which placement looks better:
 

(1) 
(2) 

 
Basically I want to have the side with the wood touching the tank bottom planted, while the rest are free space for the fish.
 
So I am planning to cover the bottom of the wood with gravels suitable for both plants and panda cories, and then the rest of the ground space would be fine sand for the cories to dig. And I am thinking of separating the two types of substrates using some kind of rocks/stones.
 
Several questions:
 

1. Which wood placement do you think look better?
2. Is it a bad idea to have two different substrates? I heard sand wasn't good for plants, but good for cories so I thought I would use two different types.
3. Is there any kind of substrates that would be good for both plants and cories?
4. I want to use relatively low maintenance plants, not planning to use pressurized CO2, does that mean low tech..? What kind of plants would you suggest?

 
Thanks a lot!

 

[TallTree01]

1. I think 2 is better,

2. Plants can grow fine in sand or gravel. Both looks appealing in aquascapes when used well.

3. sand is fine.

4. Swords, crypts, anubias, vallis, fern and moss is all I can think of off the top of my head.

 

[mike455555]

i like the first one better it would look grate with some tall plants at the back maybe a little moss / small java fern on the wood and then some crypts infront of it 
 
 
plant list id suggest for this Barclaya longifolia  or Aponogeton Crispus at the back behind the wood to the left.
Microsorum pteropus "mini" on the wood on the thin end of the bulky bit 
crypt wendtii on the left hand side in front of the wood curving around a little to just under where it starts to arch 
and a small rock at the front right middleish 

 

[fm1978]

Hi there welcome to the forum.

I can't add much to what's already been said, already good advice you got there!

But, 1 is my fav for wood placement.

Be careful with your choice of gourami and guppies... male gourami (in my experience dwarf gourami) can see the guppies as a threat with their colorful markings and flowing fins and attack quite aggressively!

 

[HHH]

I like the second and tall tree answered most of your questions. Some plants are anubias crypts mosses and java fern the java fern and mosses would look really nice tied to the wood