[fishfry]

I am setting up a small 5 gallon aquarium...10" cube. The hardscape will consist of branchy driftwood and a sandy foreground. I am planning on planting Elatine in the front to creep from the driftwood over the sand but I need to find something to use as the background. The tank will get Flourish excel and other ferts. added daily. I am looking for something bushy or something grassy. It needs to not be too difficult to grow and must not require tons of maintenance. What do you all think?

Some ideas I have thrown around were a Rotala, Hygrophila c. var "compact" (maybe too big?)? Maybe a cool crypt? I have never made a small aquascape before.

Thanks!!

 

[Jdinh04]

I would do hairgrass, I don't know many background plants.

 

[buddha_red]

how tall are you looking for in this background piece?

 

[dennis]

what about H. micranthmoides or M. umbrosuim. Maybe some Rotala wallachii or somehtingsimilar for color. Mermaid weed, while it might be a little big, would make an excellent plant for the very back, background and its slow grower with nice color and interesting leaf texture.

 

[turtlehead]

H. micranthmoides great for small tanks, seen a lot of nanos use this.

 

[Raul-7]

Other than H. micranthmoides(which is a great choice), you can try D. diandra, Rotala sp. 'Nanjenshan' and R. macrandra 'narrow leaf' for some color.

 

[Jeff Kropp]

Rotala indica, bacopa australis and contortion val.

HM is much too similar to elantine.

 

[cS]

I vote for any Isoetes sp.. It will adapt to most any size tanks, especially open top ones. If not, then the heat from your lamps will kill the emersed quills. Those below the water line will still be green, so no worries. It is low maintenance, grassy but non-invasive, and very attractive. [smilie=k:

 

[fishfry]

Thanks for the help guys!! H. micranthmoides sounds like the big winner, but I am going to research Isoetes because the tall grass might make the tank look much bigger than it really is.

 

[lorba]

if you have good lighting, try rotala sp green which crawls a little, bends and not upright like most rotala.