[TrueDeep]

Hi
This is my first real attempt at aquascaping- well, doing it with C02 and decent substrate anyway! So I have my 300litre aquarium, 7x 5kg bags Azoo plant grower bed, and my C02 unit up and running, and a few bits of Mopani wood (slightly too small but all I could find!) The Golden section layout plan has me deeply confused, and I'm sure that the wood could be arranged better but I think as I have started planting already I will leave it! Now the tricky part- the planting. I have made some progress with a few types of plant......
Micranthemum micranthemoides
Cabomba Caroliniana
Eleocharis Acicularis
Bacopa Myriophylloides
Ammania Gracilis
Myriophyllum (not sure which one)

........but I have now come to a standstill. I am unsure if I have now introduced too many varieties of plant already, if I should be trying and balance out the red of the Ammania, etc. My plan is to add more plants at this stage (like taller background plants) and then to carpet the foreground with Riccia ( I have a bagfull waiting) and blend the hairgrass into it, this is proving difficult (I'm sure there is a method to planting hairgrass but I don't know it!)
Basically, I would just love some input on this layout and planting scheme, any suggestions on good plants to use, and how to improve this. I order plants for an aquatic company I work for so I can get hold of most plants. (I would love to use Laceplant and/or Red Tiger Lotus but I'm not sure if they would work with this aquascape) All the plants in there already certainly need to do some growing before I see any results!

Any advice on the planting of Riccia would be welcome, I understand you need to use something like a soft mesh, but do you use the mesh on the whole area you want to carpet, or just in patches and then wait for the Riccia to spread?

Thanks in advance!

ps. The tuft of hairgrass in the middle of the tank is not staying, just left it there while I had a think!!!

 

[Paul Higashikawa]

Wow, do I smell Dutch style? Very very clean and neat look. Good start. "Add oil"(A chinese expression meaning 'Go for it!') Look forward to seeing it develop

Recently some people have tried growing Riccia amongst Eleocaris acicularis or parvula; also known as the dwarf grass. The grass will grow and in turn anchor Riccia. This is a more natural approach to holding it down, without all the fuss with hairnet, mesh, what not. Amano uses a naturally disintegrating nylon(?)thread that will dissolve over time. I don't know if we have it here in the States, though. Betcha can bring some back if you know someone who will go to Japan or Taiwan Connection is a great thing, haha, at least in terms of having a green thumb!



Paul

 

[TrueDeep]

Thanks Paul,
great to get feedback on the project! I will 'add plenty of oil'-with this weeks plant list in front of me I cannot help but go a bit mad! Helpful advice with the hairgrass and Riccia, the elocharis seem to have a mind of its own and just floats off as soon as my back is turned.....

 

[Sir_BlackhOle]

Looks very good! Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[depthc]

Looks good and i love the clean look the tank has to it.

Keep us updated on the progress of the tank. Ive just got myself some parvulus and ive been told you should trim it to 1/4 an inch to induce new growth and to prevent it from becoming algae filled because its not always sold in submerged form. So just a tip maybe youd like to use or not. Good luck.

.depthc

 

[tsunami]

TrueDeep,

First of all, you've got a great start with the use of healthy plant bunches. However, I am not entirely sure if the way these plants will grow out in this system will be what you are looking for. One thing I believe your tank will lack, at this point, is a midground. I forsee a sharp division between the riccia/hairgrass foreground and the wall of stem plants in the back. Second of all, I feel that you have way too many small/needle leaved specimens. Riccia, hairgrass, Bacopa myriophylloides, Cabomba, Myriophyllum... the plant with the largest leaves in that tank will be the Ammania. Try incorporating some Anubias nanas, Hygrophila corymbosa, crypts, or even Saururus cernuus. Lastly, I don't feel that the wood on the left hand side is really contributing to the aquascape. Rather, it is just taking up valuable planting space at this point and will probably be totally covered by all the intense growth of the other plants.

Keep us updated!

Carlos

 

[TrueDeep]

Thanks for all the advice- I know the aquarium is lacking somthing, but having looked at it so much it becomes hard to define! I will certainly look into getting larger leaved specimens, I had though of Anubius and possibly Lobelia. I also like Crytpocoryne pontederifolia and becketii. I have been unsure about the mopani wood, and will probably lose the piece on the left hand side, but I am not sure how to create more of a mid-ground?

 

[tsunami]

Easy. You trim the background plants taller in the back and shorter toward the front of the tank (one way of creating a midground). The other is to place plants intermediate in height between the background plants and the foreground plants.

Hope this helps,

Carlos

 

[ShaneSmith]

First off i think you made the right choice in planting so densly back there. I like it a lot. Second off nice start

 

[MiamiAG]

TD,

What look is it that you are going for?