Jump to content

Plant ideas for small 5 gallon tank


Recommended Posts

I would place some Scarlet Temple Alternanthera reineckii behind the rock in the very back on the left, some Brazilian Pennywort Hydrocotyle leucocephala behind the tall rock on the right in the back, some Cryptocoryne parva on the left behind the rock behind the lantern, and some also in front of it. behind the front rock on the right I would plant a Cryptocoryne wendtii, on top of the rocks  I would glue a mix of Anubias nana petite, and Anubias nana Golden Coin, and I would also plant some Cryptocoryne parva in front and to the right of the front rock on the right so that it is sort of a half moon shape around it.

All of these are available here:

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/collections/live-plants

For a carpet plant I would use Staurogyne repens, but I would leave the dark path and the front and a bit on the side of the substrate clean and would probably use some accent pebbles as well as a mix of the same shade of the substrate and just slightly darker.

Takes me back to my days when I used to do strict Japanese style aquascapes. I hope this can serve as an inspiration to come up with your own design, of course you can use any and all I typed if you like it,

 

Edited by Jungle Fan
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, ScottEsh said:

Wish there was an app to play with ideas.

Plants in particular are hard to plan, I think. And any useful software would need to be rather well thought out. Come to think of it, it could actually be doable to have it simulate X months of growth, that would be quite cool...

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ScottEshIt helps to print out some pictures of the species you are considering, draw a diagram of your hardscape, and then fill in the plants on the diagram while looking at the pictures, that way you get a better idea of what it might look like. The longer you'll deal with planted tanks the easier it will get.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A mix in size, color, and texture makes for a more interesting aquascape. Generally planting in groups makes for a less "chaotic" look. Too many different kinds of red plants take away from the big statement a single, or just two red plant species can make. However it is always best to get a guidebook on plants like those by Christel Kasselmann, Peter Hiscock, or Karen Randall so you can get plants that have at least approximately the same requirements when it comes to substrate, water quality, temperature, fertilizer, and lighting.

Edited by Jungle Fan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, darkG said:

Plants in particular are hard to plan, I think. And any useful software would need to be rather well thought out. Come to think of it, it could actually be doable to have it simulate X months of growth, that would be quite cool...

This sounds similar to the app some websites have for furniture/room design (HGTV has one). You tell it the room type and size, it selects the appropriate furnishings,  and you drag and drop wherever you want. It allows you to make furniture different shapes and sizes too. Replace the "room" selections (living, dining, bed, etc) with "scaping materials" (wood, stone, substrate, plants, etc.). Then within each "scaping materials" section, make different choices available for sizes/shapes/colors/plant types, etc. What a fun app that would be.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...