New Tank In Progress - Plant Advice Appreciated

[GrumpyJohn]

OK, so I'm into setting up my tank (its currently cycling) and what I'm trying to achieve is this:

At one end I want to create a shady area based around a good piece of bogwood. In the images below (excuse the quality) the wood looks pretty solid when in fact it isn't, it is pretty much hollow. I've also drilled larger holes in it to create swim-throughs (if that's a good word to use) but at an angle so they can't be seen from the front of the tank. The reason for this is that I want the tank to look as hardware free as possible and have hidden my internal filter and heater behind the wood. At the base of the wood I have gravel/pebbles from which I want plants that will eventually cover holes in the lower part of the wood and totally mask the filter/heater. The other end of the tank I want free for an open swim area.
 
In the images below you can see the start of my plans. The external filter intake to the right will be replaced by a glass one to minimise its aesthetic impact, whilst the return (that can be seen as a piece of pipe on the left) will also be replaced by a nicer, glass variety.
 
I've added a couple of plants (haven't a clue what they are) to show the type I'm after - grassy type at the front (which will be in the flow of the external filter return) and bushier type at the rear (which are in the flow of the internal filter output). I'll also want something smaller around the base to bring in from the sand/gravel upwards to the plants. I'm also thinking of maybe a small piece of bogwood complete with a plant at the right-hand end.
 
The images aren't very good but take a look; what would you do plant wise?
 
Thanks
 
John
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

 

 

[Madjonny]

Iv got no advice for you, but I think that looks like a great start very nice...

 

[SarahMarie]

I think it looks really great so far!! Maybe some dwarf hair grass on the right hand side just so it doesn't look as bare? Then it could still be a free swimming area. I'm only a beginner but that's just what I would do personally

 

[stanleo]

I would put a blue background and maybe a small driftwood on the right with an anubias surrounded by dwarf grass. That being said, it doesn't look like you need any advise cause it looks like you are doing great on your own. I can't wait to see what this will end up looking like.

What size is the tank?

 

[GrumpyJohn]

Thanks for the nice comments. I like the idea of small driftwood in the right-hand end/corner with some planting - I will check out the dwarf grass. The tank is relatively shallow back to front at just 12-inches which is why I frosted the back (and left hand side but you can't see that well in the pics). You can't see from the images but the effect is of a deeper tank as the background is kind of out of focus and not so hard (if that makes sense). The tank is 36-inches long by 20-inches high which I think equates to about 150-litres. I aim to only have small fish such as Salt & Pepper cories as my bottom cleaners, green neons and micro rasboras (for example) as my swimmers and ottos as my algae eaters. I'm not actually sure yet on the final stocking as its pretty much see how things go but I want to stick to the smaller types.
 
Any ideas on plants around the main bogwood or are those types I've got suitable - as in will they grow taller? I've been told that it if I prune and replant the cuttings of the plant at the back it will thicken, whereas the grass at the front will grow new shoots and spread on its own accord although I'm not sure if that's correct?
 
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the tank coming on and will post pics as it does so.
 
Thanks again
 
John

 

[DrRob]

The vallis you have in the front should probably hit the top of that tank, and will propagate itself with runners if it's happy. The bacopa you have at the back will indeed root from pruning, which is the traditional way to bush out groups of that plant. That one I've grown to 2 feet before.