Rescaping and Anubias Suggestions

[Jennifer V]

Hi All! 

I have some java ferns that line the back of my 5g shrimp/snail tank but they aren't doing well. I'm thinking of taking them all out and replacing with more Anubias, which are all doing very well in my tank. 

1. Will pulling out that much plant mass affect the tank parameters? 

2. Which Anubias varieties should I pick to use as background plants in my tank? Planning to get at least three good sized plants to line the back. 

Included is a very poor image of the tank. I'm not the best photographer! 

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by Jennifer V

[nabokovfan87]

If you haven't, be sure to check out pecktec. He makes most of his tanks using simple plants and they often look like yours above.

The coffeefolia you have is nice, would work well in the background.  I would opt for something small that can easily be trimmed. Nana might still be too large, but either nana or nana petite would be my choice for the background. It would look more like a wall of plant vines on the tank.

You could also take the moss and make a moss wall across the back or side of the tank.

On 5/26/2023 at 6:36 AM, Jennifer V said:

1. Will pulling out that much plant mass affect the tank parameters? 

It really depends. Pulling plants will impact the way the tank is handling nitrates and some other nutrients. Depending on how long and how much of the plants are removed will determine impact. You could always start with a trim and go from there. Trim the plants, give them a few days or a week and give the tank time to adjust.

[Jennifer V]

On 5/26/2023 at 10:02 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

If you haven't, be sure to check out pecktec. He makes most of his tanks using simple plants and they often look like yours above.

The coffeefolia you have is nice, would work well in the background.  I would opt for something small that can easily be trimmed. Nana might still be too large, but either nana or nana petite would be my choice for the background. It would look more like a wall of plant vines on the tank.

You could also take the moss and make a moss wall across the back or side of the tank.

It really depends. Pulling plants will impact the way the tank is handling nitrates and some other nutrients. Depending on how long and how much of the plants are removed will determine impact. You could always start with a trim and go from there. Trim the plants, give them a few days or a week and give the tank time to adjust.

Thank you so much for your suggestions! I started removing the dead java fern from the back and took out the moss from the front that was hiding the coffeefolia. I had no clue how big it's gotten! Makes me glad I chose anubias for the back. I think I'll try nana in the back and see how it does and some nana petite in place of the moss in the front under the coffeefolia. Pictures don't do it justice but here is the coffeefolia after round one of the new scape. 

[nabokovfan87]

Looks wonderful! It is one of my favorites.

If you're ever looking for a new anubias to try, another one of my favorites is Nangi. It's similar to nana size, but leaves are elongated as opposed to being as oval as they are on most anubias. It gives a slightly different look to break up the shapes.

I'm excited for you, I can't wait to see it all going wonderful for you.

[Jennifer V]

On 6/9/2023 at 10:29 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Looks wonderful! It is one of my favorites.

If you're ever looking for a new anubias to try, another one of my favorites is Nangi. It's similar to nana size, but leaves are elongated as opposed to being as oval as they are on most anubias. It gives a slightly different look to break up the shapes.

I'm excited for you, I can't wait to see it all going wonderful for you.

Fabulous suggestion! I'll look into Nangi to maybe change up the look a little bit. It's going to be a great little tank I can enjoy again when I'm finished. Yay! 

[nabokovfan87]

 

[Jennifer V]

@nabokovfan87 what a stunning tank! Thank you so much for sharing! I'm so excited to keep going with my rescaping. I couldn't find any Nangi to buy but I did find a few other varieties I'm curious about -- congensis, lanceolata and minima. Ever heard of them? 

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/11/2023 at 12:39 AM, Jennifer V said:

I'm curious about -- congensis, lanceolata and minima. Ever heard of them?

Minima and Congensis is similar to Nangi.  Lanceolata looks like a larger form compared to Nangi, Congensis, or Minima.  All very similar.

Anubias Nangi is a hybrid variant of Anubias created from crossing Anubias Nana and Anubias Gilletii.

[Jennifer V]

On 6/11/2023 at 1:57 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Minima and Congensis is similar to Nangi.  Lanceolata looks like a larger form compared to Nangi, Congensis, or Minima.  All very similar.

Anubias Nangi is a hybrid variant of Anubias created from crossing Anubias Nana and Anubias Gilletii.

Do you think I should stay away from lanceolata because it might get too big for a 5g? The coffeefolia is already kind of taking over the middle of the tank. But I do want a look similar to that in the video you shared. Kind of a jungle of anubias varieties. 

Edited June 11, 2023 by Jennifer V

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/11/2023 at 1:58 PM, Jennifer V said:

Do you think I should stay away from lanceolata because it might get too big for a 5g?

Nana is about the right size I think on a wall. Even the nana petite would look wonderful.  You can always fall back to those two as a reference.

Not fully grown, not really robust either due to recovery efforts, but here's an example of mine:

Nana and Nangi I believe. Then the last photo is petite.

 

Here's another, side by side of nana and nana petite.

 

Coffeefolia gets about double or triple what the nana can get. Nana can get bigger than what you see here.

There is some that get even bigger still but that range of coffeefolia and Nana is sort of the sweet spot.

Edited June 12, 2023 by nabokovfan87

[Jennifer V]

On 6/11/2023 at 6:10 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Nana is about the right size I think on a wall. Even the nana petite would look wonderful.  You can always fall back to those two as a reference.

Not fully grown, not really robust either due to recovery efforts, but here's an example of mine:

Nana and Nangi I believe. Then the last photo is petite.

 

Here's another, side by side of nana and nana petite.

 

Coffeefolia gets about double or triple what the nana can get. Nana can get bigger than what you see here.

There is some that get even bigger still but that range of coffeefolia and Nana is sort of the sweet spot.

Ok perfect! Cannot wait to show you. I appreciate you!