# Aquascaping Advice



## fishenthusiast (11 May 2016)

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of how I could improve my scape. This tank is a 30 gallon (around 113 liters) long tank, and I utilize pressurized CO2, Eco-Complete, a Finnex Planted+ 24/7 dimmed to 40%, and PPS-Pro ferts. 










Note that the Narrow Leaf Java Fern is not there to stay. How could I improve my aquascape? What plants could I add? I'm open to all suggestions. 


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## Julian (11 May 2016)

I don't think there's any thing wrong with your choice of plants, but you've got so much space in the tank you could utilise with more hardscape.

If it were me, I'd go for big rocks all along the back, with wood creeping in between the gaps, sloping downwards towards the front. Might not look right with the bigger plants you have in there, but there aint no aquascape without hardscape.


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## chrismiller12341 (12 May 2016)

Interested in what it will look like as it grows in. Just the way it is.


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## fishenthusiast (12 May 2016)

Julian said:


> I don't think there's any thing wrong with your choice of plants, but you've got so much space in the tank you could utilise with more hardscape.
> 
> If it were me, I'd go for big rocks all along the back, with wood creeping in between the gaps, sloping downwards towards the front. Might not look right with the bigger plants you have in there, but there aint no aquascape without hardscape.



Do you happen to have a picture example? I'm interested in this idea. 



chrismiller12341 said:


> Interested in what it will look like as it grows in. Just the way it is.



Thank you! 

I might be too ambitious, but I'm thinking of trying Limnophila aromatica and AR mini in this tank. Do you guys think it would be plausible?


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## chrismiller12341 (12 May 2016)

Wish I could help on that one. I have no experience with plants. (Damn being broke  ).


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## Tim Harrison (12 May 2016)

Take a look through the planted tank gallery and some of the featured journals, pick a scape you like the look of and copy it. It's a great way to hone your aquascaping skills, and it'll end up different anyway and be your own creation
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/forums/planted-tank-gallery.49/
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/forums/featured-journals.79/
For advice about keeping plants healthy check out the tutorials section
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/forums/tutorials.34/


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## fishenthusiast (12 May 2016)

Thanks for the links Troi. I might go from low light to medium lighting so I can have some stem plants without worrying if they'll do well. I don't want to go to high light as that is too time consuming for what I have time for. Planning is always fun for me, so I'll just have to keep looking for what I want to do in the end. 


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## fishenthusiast (13 May 2016)

If I go to medium lighting, I'd like to add Limno aromatica, Downoi, Pogo of some variety, Rotala macrandra (or a different red plant), and AR 'mini'. Would medium lighting be sufficient enough for these plants? Flow rate would be around 8-10x. I don't want to do high lighting as I've found it to be too time consuming and a bother in terms of algae; although, I did have this tank set up as high light last year. I just miss the colorful stem plants, and I don't think my current PAR could support the stems that I listed. 




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## fishenthusiast (14 May 2016)

I decided to upgrade my lighting to medium. Tom Barr once said that nearly any plant can grown at 50 PAR, so I'm not going to do high lighting like I did last year for the sake of tank cleanliness (algae) and slower growth. I'm going to rescape the tank, add some height to the back, and make this tank more colorful! Limno aromatica, Blyxa, Ludwigia sp. red, etc. I'll be creating a new thread for this rescape soon. 


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## chrismiller12341 (15 May 2016)

Looks great.
Can't wait to see.


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## fishenthusiast (3 Jul 2016)

chrismiller12341 said:


> Looks great.
> Can't wait to see.



Well . . . I went high light for a month, but it's figuring to be too time consuming for my life. I thought I could fit it in again, but to no avail.  



The tank is healthy, but through all of this experience, I've figured out that low light, low maintenance suits me the best. I like it better too. I'm currently planning a rescape, and was wondering if you all had any suggestions for new hardscape or new driftwood positioning. I'd like to have the driftwood more towards a corner if possible, with Java Fern in the corner. I can keep the driftwood a little off center if that would look the best though. 


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## chrismiller12341 (3 Jul 2016)

I'm on the low light bus too  . I would have the hardscape on one side or the other.  I like the look of one side full and one side open for the fish to swim. While providing cover and hiding spots if needed. But I guess it's hard to say it all depends on the hardscape you are working with some pieces have a way of telling YOU were they want to be. Not to sound to crazy. Lol


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## fishenthusiast (4 Jul 2016)

chrismiller12341 said:


> I'm on the low light bus too  . I would have the hardscape on one side or the other.  I like the look of one side full and one side open for the fish to swim. While providing cover and hiding spots if needed. But I guess it's hard to say it all depends on the hardscape you are working with some pieces have a way of telling YOU were they want to be. Not to sound to crazy. Lol



I completely understand. If needed, I could always cut off some branches off of the spider wood. Personally, I like many of the low light aquascapes that have spider wood on one side, and then branching out to the other. I even like the scapes that have them on both sides. I'll have to search around for a seller that sells spider wood at a fair price in the USA, but I have a feeling that that shouldn't be too hard. 


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