Long Post but advice is needed!!

[aloaring]

Okay you guys i hope you can help me :
This is my tank:

Been set up like this for a month, i can't remember off the top of my head but the dimensions are something like 18" L, 12"w and 24"h making it a very tall tank! and about 18 Uk gallons/ 21 US gallons, with an enheim aquaball 2210 for filtration, a heater(?) and a 15w fluorescent bulb. It used to be that plants didn't grow very well in it but hair algae loved it. But when i moved i decided to try something new on my tank and i set up like this last month and added a reflector to the bulb and then put in the plants and some root balls:
Flora:
-Green Cambomba,
-anubias nana,
-Inidian fern (thats what the shop called it i can't find anything that looks like it on the net)
-NORMAPHILA CORYMBOSA
- and another tall green leafy plant , that is currently dying
-and i had a red tiger lotus lily but that quickly died
and theres no algae...so far!!
Fauna:
2 Sparkling Gourami
5 Pencil Fish
3 Amano shrimp
1 Golden Apple snail
1 Medusa Plec
1 Whiptail Catfish
1 Tiny bumblebee catfish.
MTS

So i now want your advice should i redo the tank and add laterite to the gravel and a better lighting system if so what?
The first four plants on the list are thriving ( i'm not sure why) so can anyone recommend any other plants to add as i want it heavily planted for all my small fishies to hide in as they love it ?
Thanks for your help!!

 

[waterwatereverywhere]

Not sure your cabomba will survive for long as it usually likes higher lighting. I haven't got very high light, and plants that are doing particularly well in mine are Hygrophilia polysperma, Java fern, a couple of species of Anubias and an Amazon sword. Good luck

 

[Silly me]

first off dont change anything, just increase the ligths a bit and add some CO2.. get the plant growth under control and then add some grass over the gravel.

the enheim aquaball takes a lot of space in a small tank, but the tank is set to be a good looking tank if just matured a bit more..

 

[Dubby]

aloaring,

looks like you've got the balance right. So dont rock the boat yet. You could try adding dwarf sagittaria, crypts to fill the gaps.

 

[aloaring]

Thanks for the advice guys, i realised last night its not cambomba but hornwart i've got , its just growing bushy as well as growing up. I'm thinking of adding hygrophilia Polysperma, cryt. ponterderifolia and and some floating plants if i can find them. i v'e considered getting compact lights for the tank but am worried i would just get a complete algae infestation so just going to get a new bulb to replace the one in there (cause its over a year old!) I'll keep you updated on what i do!!