Plant Placement

[Discomafia]

Anyone have any ideas? I think the plants are all fairly common, so I won't bother making a list. Please tell me if there is a plant that you do not know the name of, and I will post it...

Nov.24

Nov.29

Dec.20

Jan.18

Jan.23

Jan.31

Mar.1

 

[kenneth_kpe]

why are there two thermometers ? about the plance placement im finding it a bit too symetrical... altough i have not yet mastered how to make tanks look astonishing it looks a bit too man made ? something like that ?how about assigning a definite background plant ? the val(?) or the rotala ?

 

[Discomafia]

Thanks for the reply. Two themometers because I lost one, bought another one, and later found the old one. Might as well put it to use, and it lets me judge the temp. of the tank better...

Although I really like Amano styled tanks, I'm planting my tank heavily because of the hair/thread algae. The ludwigia is really starting to get infested with it, and same thing with the java fern on the top, and the vallis to some extent.

My hygro is simply not growing, thus its relegation to between the rotala and Brazilian pennywort. I think it's a nutrient deficency problem, because I'm beginning to see holes appear in some of the leaves. Sould I just chuck it out beause I don't really think it'll look good when it grows out.

I think I understand what you mean by looking man made"... If I assign a definite background plant, won't it look a bit empty at the back? What does definite mean in the first place? Eye catching? Dominating in terms of size? I got most of these plants off the local aquarium society for dirt cheap, thus the abundance of different types, so getting rid of a few won't be too bad. I just want to get my algae in check before(if) I do it though...

Also, a quick question to everyone, what caught your eye when you first looked at the tank?

 

[AndyTaylor]

My eye is drawn to the big block of plants in the back left corner......that's not to say that they don't work but they may be too much like that...
I have the same problem at the moment with an attempt at a forest of Vals on the left side of my tank...I thought it would look great and it probably should but i just can't see it anymore...
I can't figure out what to do with my background without making it look man-made either..

I'm beginning to think that too many varieties may be the problem....some of the best looking tanks are the ones with a few selected species....gf's, for example...
This was probably no help at all, was it!

 

[kenneth_kpe]

i agree, more of a few is waay easier to maintain hmmm how about this, i have not really tried it yet if it will work, try getting a nutrient sponge and dose more ferts, it might help combat the algae, nutrient sponges could be java moss or floating riccia, something that might overcome the algae...... somebody help me on this im not sure if its correct

 

[Dubby]

Anyone have any ideas? I think the plants are all fairly common, so I won't bother making a list. Please tell me if there is a plant that you do not know the name of, and I will post it...

That looks really nice. Once the dwarf sagittaria(?) and the crypts(?) in the front right side grow a bit more dense, that would look good.

I like the idea of the Ludwigia growing (sort of) behind the wood.

 

[pseud]

Also, a quick question to everyone, what caught your eye when you first looked at the tank?

The algae outbreak on the right hand side.

Also, at the back left, the small leaved plant. Is it Rotala Rotundifolia? I think so. anyway, I'd bring it forward. Use it as a midground plant. Push some of the bigger leaved plants to the back and put the rotala in front of it.

 

[Bloo]

Also, a quick question to everyone, what caught your eye when you first looked at the tank?

Far be it for me to criticise, but I have to agree - the first thing that grabbed my eye, was the green glass and algae on the right hand side.
But that aside, I'd have to say the slate. It might look better covered with some moss and tipped down at a 45 degree angle and moved slightly more to the left - or removed altogether.
I like the black background though - but then again, I'm partial to black !

 

[Discomafia]

My eye is drawn to the big block of plants in the back left corner......that's not to say that they don't work but they may be too much like that...
I have the same problem at the moment with an attempt at a forest of Vals on the left side of my tank...I thought it would look great and it probably should but i just can't see it anymore...
I can't figure out what to do with my background without making it look man-made either..

I'm beginning to think that too many varieties may be the problem....some of the best looking tanks are the ones with a few selected species....gf's, for example...

This was probably no help at all, was it

So bad idea on the vals? Remove it or plant it more denser/compact instead of in a line like right now?
Yea, know what you mean about having a few select species. Right now I'm still in the "buy a few and see which one does well" stage. I also like Dutch styles aquascapes, and I guess that's the direction this tank is taking... And no, it did help, any info. is helpful, so thanks for taking the time to reply!

i agree, more of a few is waay easier to maintain hmmm how about this, i have not really tried it yet if it will work, try getting a nutrient sponge and dose more ferts, it might help combat the algae, nutrient sponges could be java moss or floating riccia, something that might overcome the algae...... somebody help me on this im not sure if its correct

Oh yea, forgot to mention earlier, I am not dosing ANY ferts. Small bioload of 7 harleqiun rasboras and a 2" BN pleco, and I've got 370gph of filtration. Is it maybe a lack of macronutrients as well?

The thing is, I don't like the look of the java moss unless it is tied down to something. Some riccia would be great, provided I can find some. A TTF member tried to send me some last summer, but it was stopped at customs. Been searching and asking around here too, but nothing. I wouldn't mind tying the java moss to the wood, but I 've already got that java fern so I think it'd be a bit of a conflict.

That looks really nice. Once the dwarf sagittaria(?) and the crypts(?) in the front right side grow a bit more dense, that would look good.

I like the idea of the Ludwigia growing (sort of) behind the wood.

Yea, that was one of my "goals", having the ludwigia grow all around the wood, sort of like a forest surrounding this big tree, if that makes any sense... I have planted it on both the background and more than 12 of the right side, also in an attempt to hide the CO2 ladder. The one thing with the ludwigia is I don't want it too near the tiger lotus, as I think it'd be hard to notice the lotus, because of the similar colour.

The algae outbreak on the right hand side.

Also, at the back left, the small leaved plant. Is it Rotala Rotundifolia? I think so. anyway, I'd bring it forward. Use it as a midground plant. Push some of the bigger leaved plants to the back and put the rotala in front of it.

Algae outbreak on the right is partly because sooner or later I know it'll grow back, a month the most. Secondly, I think it'd be a good source of algae for my BN pleco and also, I'm just lazy... Do you just mean the algae on the glass and CO2 ladder or is the alge on the jave fern and ludwigia really noticable as well?

You got it right, it's Rotala Rotundifolia. It was the second or third plant I ever bought, back in June last year, and it's still going strong. The plant basically was only 2 or 3 stems, but now I have more than 10 times that number due to propagations. I've always liked how the top of the plant would turn red as it grew longer and reaching to the light, I guess, so I've always kept it as a background plant, to get that effect... By bigger leaved plants, were you refering to the hygro? Never thought of the rotala as a midground plant to tell you the truth. What about the Brazilian pennywort?

Far be it for me to criticise, but I have to agree - the first thing that grabbed my eye, was the green glass and algae on the right hand side.
But that aside, I'd have to say the slate. It might look better covered with some moss and tipped down at a 45 degree angle and moved slightly more to the left - or removed altogether.
I like the black background though - but then again, I'm partial to black !

Please don't hesitate to criticise, that's what this thread is for, to listen to some criticism. Getting some replies from some yes men is not useful. The cave is for my BN pleco, and so I'm a bit hesitant to remove it, although I have heard before that it doesn't look good having wood and rocks in the same tank, is that the general consesus? And ditto in the carpeting of the slate, I'm always on the lookout for riccia for that very purpose.

OK, another question that propped up. Should I remove the driftwood? Should I remove the slate?

Thanks for all the replies!

 

[pseud]

Algae outbreak on the right is partly because sooner or later I know it'll grow back, a month the most. Secondly, I think it'd be a good source of algae for my BN pleco and also, I'm just lazy... Do you just mean the algae on the glass and CO2 ladder or is the alge on the jave fern and ludwigia really noticable as well?

You got it right, it's Rotala Rotundifolia. It was the second or third plant I ever bought, back in June last year, and it's still going strong. The plant basically was only 2 or 3 stems, but now I have more than 10 times that number due to propagations. I've always liked how the top of the plant would turn red as it grew longer and reaching to the light, I guess, so I've always kept it as a background plant, to get that effect... By bigger leaved plants, were you refering to the hygro? Never thought of the rotala as a midground plant to tell you the truth. What about the Brazilian pennywort?

OK, another question that propped up. Should I remove the driftwood? Should I remove the slate?

Thanks for all the replies!

Well, I noticed it first on the java fern and ludwigia, and then secondly on the glass, so it's most noticable to me there than the glass.

Yeah, R. Rotundifolia is a nice plant. It looks great in dense patches. I have some with some ludwigia arcuata and they look real nice together. I have mine in the background but I'm bringing it forward, it will definitely look better in the midground. Yeah, I'd switch it with the hygro... or... You could pick up some more plants. You might try some Heterantera Zesterfolia (Star Grass) in the background, with R. Rotuindifolia in front. Or maybe even Limnophila Aromatica. Those leaves also get a red tint to them in good light.

I'm not sure about the Pennywort, I'm struggling myself to place some of this in my tank....

Keep the driftwood (just fix that algae issue!). Remove the slate.

Good luck!

 

[Jen]

I was first drawn to the plants in the back left corner. Too much of a line for me. I think they should be in more of a clump, and at different heights.

 

[pseud]

Yeah, definitely snip some of that Rotala down (feel free to send me your trimmings by the way )

 

[Discomafia]

Well, I noticed it first on the java fern and ludwigia, and then secondly on the glass, so it's most noticable to me there than the glass.

Yeah, R. Rotundifolia is a nice plant. It looks great in dense patches. I have some with some ludwigia arcuata and they look real nice together. I have mine in the background but I'm bringing it forward, it will definitely look better in the midground. Yeah, I'd switch it with the hygro... or... You could pick up some more plants. You might try some Heterantera Zesterfolia (Star Grass) in the background, with R. Rotuindifolia in front. Or maybe even Limnophila Aromatica. Those leaves also get a red tint to them in good light.

I'm not sure about the Pennywort, I'm struggling myself to place some of this in my tank....

Keep the driftwood (just fix that algae issue!). Remove the slate.

Good luck!

Will try to look around for some info on Heterantera Zesterfolia, thanks for the tip. I like plants with a bit of red in them, and that's why I got the Hygrophila polysperma as well. It's supposed to be a good beginners plant, but it's not growing well in my tank, plus, I think I've no space to plant it, so I've gotten rid of it.

Any idea as to what to do with the space? I like leaving it unplanted, as I think it looks different. Anyone think I should plant some of the hairgrass there? A reason I can see for doing this would be to provide a clearer view of the tiger lotus.

As for the slate, I've removed it as well, so there's a big empty spot in the left of my tank where the hygro and slate used to be. I've kept the slate hidden behind the driftwood, and its barely noticable now. I think I want to try use the java fern to completely hide the slate, or perhaps attach some to the slate itself. Maybe I'll use the java fern that's planted on the right, that's the highest. And maybe that's a reason why the java fern is getting algae, it may be too near the light?

Algae issue can be taken care of with enough CO2 and a ferts regime, neither of which I think I'm on top of at the moment. Using the Nutrafin CO2 system and I'm not confident it's supplying enough CO2. Am thinking of using a different method for diffusing, should make up my mind by the end of the week. And as for ferts, as mentioned before, I am not adding any, and I'm sure the small bioload isn't helping either...

I was first drawn to the plants in the back left corner. Too much of a line for me. I think they should be in more of a clump, and at different heights.

Do you mean the ludwigia? They are planted in a 'L' shape around the right corner, not sure if its obvious or not. I think giving it some time to fill out should be a good idea, and then maybe I'll see what I should do with it. Also, do you think I should make it sloped, and plant some in the front near the crypts?

Yeah, definitely snip some of that Rotala down (feel free to send me your trimmings by the way)

No problem at all! Just as long as you are sure it won't get stopped/confisicated/destroyed) at the border, and you're willing to pay S&H. If you're willing to wait a month, I'll gladly send you some.

QUESTION: Should I plant the val more densly, sort of hiding the filter intake, or leave it in a line as it is now? I'm also thinking of shifting the tiger lotus a few inches to the left, so it really stands out... Nay or yay you guys?

 

[pseud]

I'd spread some of that Rotala out, fill in the gap in front of it. And then trim the stems from front to back, short to high, and have a sloping rotala corner....

 

[Discomafia]

I'd spread some of that Rotala out, fill in the gap in front of it. And then trim the stems from front to back, short to high, and have a sloping rotala corner....

I like that idea of having the sloping rotala corner, except for the fact that if I don't let the Rotala grow longer, I can't see its tips turn red, which is a big reason I really like this plant. I'll move some of the Rotala from the left hidden by the pennywort to the right though, and some more to fill out the gap where the slate used to be...