Aquascapers… Assemble!!! Need Your Input!

[FLFishChik]

I am in no way talented when it comes to designing an aquarium scape. If my terrestrial gardening says anything about me, it’s half-hearted cottage style with chaotic overtones. 
 

 My 29g though ‘nice and functional’, gives more of a “eh, it’ll do” vibe.

 I found a very cool (at least I think it is) piece of Spider Wood that I want to use in the scape. I’m also considering changing the substrate to black as I did my 5g and love the way that looks. BUT, I’m not good at the design and need some help. Here is my current list of plants in the tank. Some are on the way from ACO as I type and will be noted by an asterisk.

Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus 

Vallisneria 

Argentine Sword 

Dwarf Aquarium Lily 

Aponogeton Crispus

*Scarlet Temple 

Pearlweed

Java Fern

Java Fern Windelov 

Anacharis

Anubias Barteri

Anubias Coffeefolia

*Anubias Gold Coin

*Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green

*Cryptocoryne Tropica

1) is there a black gravel that’s more rounded (like my current natural substrate) for my Cory’s or would they be ok with standard gravel.

2) there is about 4 inches of gravel currently. Should I remove some and cap the rest (wanna keep some of the BB) or should I try to go with a coarse black sand… biggest grain I can find.

3) being that I decided to do this AFTER purchasing more plants, with the crypts be ok staying in their pots for a few weeks until this project is finished?

 Any and all suggestions for plant placement, wood placement or ideas for different rocks would be very, very much appreciated! 
 

By all means, flood me with pics of your aquascsapes for inspiration!!

 pic of the tank and Spiderwood…and 5g tank with black substrate…

[Theplatymaster]

@FLFishChik i think the current gravel should be fine, ive done it 3 times, switching out substrates is a PAIN! Id cover the driftwood with anubiass creating a shaded area on/around the wood from the anubias leaves, i have a similar affect in my tank, and my fish love to hide there. (Here is a pic, not an aquascape at all just pointing out the plant on wood peice).

id put dwarf aquarium lily in the center of the tank, it does best when it can grow out in a 360 direction.

id use one of/2 of Vallisneria,  Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus ,  Aponogeton Crispus , Anacharis, to make a large plant wall in the background.

Possibly using crypts around the wood to fill in some space slowly, with using the pearl weed as a transition from the midground to the background.

i prefer to leave my foreground bare for ease of feeding sinking foods.

Im not an aquascaper but im trying to help. 😄

If this sounds horrible to you im sorry.

 

[FLFishChik]

On 2/6/2023 at 7:36 PM, Theplatymaster said:

@FLFishChik i think the current gravel should be fine, ive done it 3 times, switching out substrates is a PAIN! Id cover the driftwood with anubiass creating a shaded area on/around the wood from the anubias leaves, i have a similar affect in my tank, and my fish love to hide there. (Here is a pic, not an aquascape at all just pointing out the plant on wood peice).

id put dwarf aquarium lily in the center of the tank, it does best when it can grow out in a 360 direction.

id use one of/2 of Vallisneria,  Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus ,  Aponogeton Crispus , Anacharis, to make a large plant wall in the background.

Possibly using crypts around the wood to fill in some space slowly, with using the pearl weed as a transition from the midground to the background.

i prefer to leave my foreground bare for ease of feeding sinking foods.

Im not an aquascaper but im trying to help. 😄

If this sounds horrible to you im sorry.

 

I agree with leaving the foreground bare as I feed at the front of the tank and it makes cleaning much easier! I like the idea of the Anubias creating shade on the driftwood! I have one rather large Anubias already in the tank and not real certain where to place it

Edited February 7, 2023 by FLFishChik

[nabokovfan87]

On 2/6/2023 at 4:44 PM, FLFishChik said:

I agree with leaving the foreground bare as I feed at the front of the tank and it makes cleaning much easier! I like the idea of the Anubias creating shade on the driftwood! I have one rather large Anubias already in the tank and not real certain where to place it

I think some of Pecktec's Anubias videos might be a good place to get some inspiration. 

That PSO is going to overtake that tank pretty hard.  I would....
A.  Move the rock in the middle directly in front of the sponge / heater.
B.  Move the PSO to one of the back corners, not directly under the light.
C.  Move all anubias or java fern

 

to the outside somewhere, slower / smaller ones can go up front on the front face of the rock like this:


 

On 2/6/2023 at 4:15 PM, FLFishChik said:

 

Flip the wood so that the spot that is directly up in this photo is directly facing down on the top surface of that rock, see how that looks visually to you in the tank. 

That plant in the back left is nice, will be cool when it grows.  The plant on the far right  (big sword?) Might be a nice focal plant directly under the light.... meaning just in the middle of the tank as opposed to the edge.

 

 

On 2/6/2023 at 4:15 PM, FLFishChik said:

Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus 

Vallisneria 

Argentine Sword 

Dwarf Aquarium Lily 

Aponogeton Crispus

*Scarlet Temple 

Pearlweed

Java Fern

Java Fern Windelov 

Anacharis

Anubias Barteri

Anubias Coffeefolia

*Anubias Gold Coin

*Cryptocoryne Wendtii Green

*Cryptocoryne Tropica

PSO - Back right corner, I'd remove it from the betta tank in lieu of other plants
Val - Center back
Sword - Slightly right of center, middle of the tank
Anachris - Left side in front of the bulb (maybe move it a little forward, placement looks good if I am seeing it right.
Crispus - Right side in front of the PSO, give it some space away from the PSO). When you have some to propogate, good for th e 5g tank
Scarlet Temple - Right behind the rock (once moved) to the right of the bulb plant but to the left of the val
Java Fern - Front of the sword, front edge of the tank
Pearlweed - Middle / front and center of the tank, under the wood in the middle (let it carpet where the wood touches the ground)
Anubias Coffeefolia - THE BEST of Anubias for me, hm... In front of the scarlet temple would really make it pop, similar to the photo above, use the rock as a background and let the texture of the anubias in particular show off.
Crypts would go in the front/middle-right of the tank, smaller is better. Larger ones I would move to the 5g tank.
Gold coin - Betta tank
Barteri - Betta tank
STD Java Fern - Betta tank

 

 

On 2/6/2023 at 4:15 PM, FLFishChik said:

1) is there a black gravel that’s more rounded (like my current natural substrate) for my Cory’s or would they be ok with standard gravel.

I'd recommend looking at the Seachem Flourite black.  It's what I use. It isn't rounded, but it definitely is not sharp.  I got it for mine because it has a good CEC number.  They have a few different porosities available as well, I use the standard black size (not black sand)

 

 

On 2/6/2023 at 4:15 PM, FLFishChik said:

2) there is about 4 inches of gravel currently. Should I remove some and cap the rest (wanna keep some of the BB) or should I try to go with a coarse black sand… biggest grain I can find.

3) being that I decided to do this AFTER purchasing more plants, with the crypts be ok staying in their pots for a few weeks until this project is finished?

3" is good, adequate.  If you are using gravel, you could add some planted stuff on the base, then cap it with gravel.  Again, look up some of pecktec's videos when it comes to setting up tanks.  You can pull some, but not mandatory at all.   I change substrate when need be and I don't really ever care about the BB in the substrate.  I rely on the filtration itself and the biological media in the filter moreso than anything else.  Even that rock alone should have enough BB to keep that tank happy.

Crypts can stay in the pots, absolutely fine.  When you get them, add a root tab to the pot and let them melt / convert to your water.

[PineSong]

On 2/6/2023 at 7:15 PM, FLFishChik said:

Whoa, I know this is not the focus of your post, but what is that growing on that branch? Is that a moss? It looks great!