[frenchaquaman]

Hello,

Here's my new hardscape. I'm looking for plant suggestions.

I'm pretty set on using rotala rotundofolia, Rotala H'ra in the background. With some Proserpinaca palustris in the middle to break the color with another tint. I might be missing some green though?

Otherwise, I'm stuck with what plants to use in the midground, right now I'm thinking of:

Staurogyne repens mixed in with Alternanthera reineckii 'mini', & Eriocaulon King Crimson mixed in with Eriocaulon Hainan Island.

As you can see in the hardscape, on the right there's lots of rooms, but near the wooden structure I would need a plant that can fit within the crack of the wood. Maybe the reineckii?

I'M OPEN TO ANY PLANT SUGGESTIONS AS WELL

 

[mistergreen]

Are you going to supply CO2?

 

[hoppycalif]

Welcome to APC, and thank you for letting us all experience the fun of starting a new tank with you.

What size tank is this - what are it's dimensions? What light fixture are you going to use?

 

[frenchaquaman]

thanks! yes with co2 inject rgb 60 light, very powerful for this tank I heard.

60x30x36 cm. ADA 60p it's called

 

[mistergreen]

ok, with CO2, you can grow any plants.
For mid-ground, go with some colorful rosette plant. Try a red, bronze crypt.

 

[Duckweed Hunter]

ok I've been staring at this for a few days now. This is just my two cents and take it for what it's worth and if you like it it's your tank. The three small stones in the front right first off and to close together and don't match the rest of the rock. The rocks in the back left seem to close to the glass. Like I said just my two cents. Other than that I think you have a great start. You could always put a nice red tiger lotus in just off-center to the left for a good focal point.

 

[hoppycalif]

You really have very little area for plants. Aquascapes similar to yours usually have mostly carpet plants, with few taller plants. You also have a very steep slope in the substrate, which can be hard to keep intact. The substrate always tries to flatten - the particles have nothing holding them in place, so the movement of the water tends to cause the substrate to migrate towards a level plane. Are you planning to add more substrate, so you have at least 25 mm of substrate depth at the front?

 

[frenchaquaman]

ok I've been staring at this for a few days now. This is just my two cents and take it for what it's worth and if you like it it's your tank. The three small stones in the front right first off and to close together and don't match the rest of the rock. The rocks in the back left seem to close to the glass. Like I said just my two cents. Other than that I think you have a great start. You could always put a nice red tiger lotus in just off-center to the left for a good focal point.

Hey, great feedback! I actually love to hear ways how I can change the scape.

Yeah agreed for three stones, wasn't sure if it would feel natural or not. for the back left, I'm not sure if it's just the illusion on the camera, but here's the top view. Do you still find there's little room?

The hardscape does feel more 3d with my eyes in-person a little less with a camera I find.

If you have any other notes let me know. (going to see if I can find red tiger lotus).

Here's a photo of the top view.

 

[frenchaquaman]

ok, with CO2, you can grow any plants.
For mid-ground, go with some colorful rosette plant. Try a red, bronze crypt.

thanks! going to add these to the list!

 

[frenchaquaman]

You really have very little area for plants. Aquascapes similar to yours usually have mostly carpet plants, with few taller plants. You also have a very steep slope in the substrate, which can be hard to keep intact. The substrate always tries to flatten - the particles have nothing holding them in place, so the movement of the water tends to cause the substrate to migrate towards a level plane. Are you planning to add more substrate, so you have at least 25 mm of substrate depth at the front?

great observation. I was worried about that Do you know if it's the same with Ada Amazonia soil? I find it's quite heavyish. Also planning on putting aesthetic white sand in the front at the very end. And didn't want it to mix with the slope. It's only going to be 1-2cm(1inch). not even. very thin.

So really don't want to much more height in the front for that reason.

Regarding holding the slope, do you think carpet plants, heavily planted, + some of my hardscape pieces like the rocks and wood will hold the slope from moving down?

For the small area for plants, here's the top view, do you still think it is quite limited? I was thinking I had quite a bit of space for background plants like rotundofolia, but lacking space in midground.

 

[frenchaquaman]

great observation. I was worried about that Do you know if it's the same with Ada Amazonia soil? I find it's quite heavyish. Also planning on putting aesthetic white sand in the front at the very end. And didn't want it to mix with the slope. It's only going to be 1-2cm(1inch). not even. very thin.

So really don't want to much more height in the front for that reason.

Regarding holding the slope, do you think carpet plants, heavily planted, + some of my hardscape pieces like the rocks and wood will hold the slope from moving down?

For the small area for plants, here's the top view, do you still think it is quite limited? I was thinking I had quite a bit of space for background plants like rotundofolia, but lacking space in midground.

Would substrate supports help? such as plastic pieces.

 

[hoppycalif]

You can fit plants in the available areas, but it can be hard to keep the background plants from overgrowing and dominating the hardscape. If you want to try it go ahead - the goal we all have is to have what we think looks best. I found that ADA Aquasoil was pretty good at holding a slope, but I never tried it with that much of a slope. The problem is that it is natural for slopes to level out when moving water is there. I'm sure it would be fun to watch what the tank does when it has growing plants in it.

 

[Duckweed Hunter]

No that looks fine. You just want to be able to get some water movement back there so it can carry nutrients back there.

 

[hoppycalif]

Many of us never expect an aquascape to last more than a year or so, because we always want to try something, and our "person who shares our house" doesn't want another aquarium in the house. So, it is entirely possible that even a steep slope will last that long with Aquasoil.

 

[barongan]

ok I've been staring at this for a few days now. This is just my two cents and take it for what it's worth and if you like it it's your tank. The three small stones in the front right first off and to close together and don't match the rest of the rock. The rocks in the back left seem to close to the glass. Like I said just my two cents. Other than that I think you have a great start. You could always put a nice red tiger lotus in just off-center to the left for a good focal point.

nice