Gilraen Took

I know I need to reduce the water level, I just had it that high to start so the pennywort could get roots going(and it is thanking me by taking over. Yikes.) I've got some sort of sword plant in there(has spots on the leaves, but is un-id'd) a crypt wendtii, some sort of smaller crypt, some java fern(which is getting new leaves, but they don't seem to want to grow. . . ) and an anubias petite, which has already grown 2 new leaves in the month it's been set up(in comparison, the wendtii has JUST started putting up its first one) and I just tossed a tiny sprig of java moss in there to see what it does(hopefully that doesn't include taking over!) Since the other plants are growing well, could I try something like HM or HC instead of the pennywort, or when they start to grow will they try to choke out the other plants?

The plants have regular old potting soil with a layer of schultz aquasoil over it, and are just sitting on my windowsill for light. The other pic is of a poor abused amazon sword. When I gave all of mine away a while ago I missed one of them and so I put it in a pot with regular gravel instead of aquasoil, and in a tupperware bowl instead of a coverable tank, and a while back forgot to water it for about a month(eeks. . . ) but it's still alive and starting to grow a bit again.

NeonRob

If you already have some plants doing well, give HC and HM a try. These have been 2 of the easier plants that I've tried emersed. Moss will creep along the top of the substrate while growing up towards the light at the same time. It will eventually grow up the glass, but you can pull it out at any time.

Gilraen Took

Alright then I'll see if either of the local stores near my job have any today after I leave work. Could I just do like I did at first with the pennywort and cover them with a bit of water until they start to grow roots so it doesn't dry out too much?

NeonRob

I assume you are talking about clippings (no roots). If that's an approach that you are comfortable with and have had success at then I say go for it. Now if you obtain emersed plants, obviously you already have roots, but could still take the reduction of water level approach. Another option is just planting it in the current setup and mist it enough so that it doesn't dry out. This is where I've failed plenty of times. If you are going from submersed form to emersed, you'll have to be even more patient, because the plants will go through a transformation stage. Another planting option is to just throw pieces on top of the substrate and let nature take it's course. I've had success with this "planting" method with HM and E. triandra and others have too with Glosso. My vote would be to experiment with different planting methods and any other emersed setup variable (not all at the same time) as different plants have different needs and once you get them out of that high-tech, CO2 injected tank, out of water, you find this out pretty quickly.

Gilraen Took

An updated picture. I haven't gotten around to getting any sort of smaller stem yet, and I took out the pennywort(was getting too big
) and the anubias and java fern(were not doing well) and stuck in some moss. I also just(a day after this pic) put in a stem of Bacopa carolinia, to see if it'll work out at all.