My new 180 gal tank

At the moment, I feel that your layout lacks a sense of focus. The whole layout looks a bit wild with far too many species represented by a few individual stems. Creating a layout with larger groupings of fewer species would be much better, IMO.

The huge, homogeneous grouping of Eriocaulon setaceum makes a sharp contrast with the hodge podge of stems surrounding it.

It also looks a bit flat at the moment (trying to make a more pronounced opening to the back would be one solution).

There is some nice driftwood in there. Prune the plants to allow the wood to make a stronger impression.

I would either remove the red Ludwigia sp. on the left or prune it so that the bases of the stems are not so obvious.

Hopefully, others will chime in.

Carlos

You might arrange the wood differently.
You may like to see a long line or "street" of plants starting from the front left and cutting over and up high to the background for perhaps 1/2-4/5" of the tank's length.

That will break up the similar sized bunches.
The E. setaceum would be ideal and nice show case plant for this.

Another idea that builds on this design, you can layer another plant behind it like the Ammannia, or A reineckii, or the wood following this same line behind it.

The Riccia or Gloss can grow together to form a nice non planned foreground which looks nice with Crypts poking up through it. Carefulm to allow the right amount of Crypts in there. Too many will ruin the effect.

The Eustralis looks a lot like the E setaceum, so you will want it either separated by a line(row) of disimilar plants. I'd keep a good sized bunch of both of these plants and perhaps remove some of the other species or condense them into one bunch area while allowing the other plants to fill out and try different shapes for your groupings.


That will help you branch out on your aquascaping and then you can look back and decide if you like the look yourself.

Most do.

Piling the wood up on one side and keeping the other well trimmed and lower also makes a decent design. You can do the plant street on that design as well as it follows the line of the tank.

Think in terms of diagonals and longer lines of planting.

Regards,
Tom Barr