So what are the new plants names? Not that I don't like playing "spot the differences", but might be better if you tell us

I see you also whacked the tulu and replanted a small stem. What's up with that?
I am always amazed at the level of detail that people pick out of my tank pics. Right now I have a bunch of new plants that are just sprinkled in amongst the regulars. Joe Harvey sent me a nice mix and it will take some time to see how they do and find them permanent homes.
Most are not all that “exciting”. There has been a trend of people wanting to find and keep “rares”. I have found that many times the rares are not that great to scape with. I am actually going back in the other direction and putting back in some tried and true favorites of mine.
What I try to do is mix a variety of colors and leaf shapes to create something that draws your eye around the tank. Sometimes I am more successful than others, and I have found that some folks love it and some folks hate it. In the end matters little as I pretty much just do whatever is pleasing to my eye. If I can sit for a long time staring at the tank and not lose interest then it’s what I set out to do.
So let’s take the Tulu you mentioned. I’ve kept it for a while but it has a similar color and leaf shape as other species that I keep. With everything else that I have I just don’t have a good spot to place it where it adds a lot to the presentation. That being said I kept a single stem just until I see how everything shapes up. Same for Macranda Variegated. I’ve kept the same batch going for about 8 years now. In my tank very similar color to Rotala Blood Red SG. I can only have so many red/pink plants or it could get overwhelming, so it might be time to phase it out. I feel like you need a balance with greens and other colors. I’ve seen some tanks where it's almost all reds and it doesn’t work for me. Of course in the meantime I did keep one stem just in case I change my mind!
Here is the list of what’s new.
Blyxa octandra, Hygrophila corymbosa 'Compact', Ludwigia Repens 'Rubin', Physostegia Purpurea, Rotala Mexicana Goias, Isoetes lacustris, Staurogyne spatulate, Lobelia cardinalis Mini.
I needed something grassy in the mix and the Blyxa Octandra should work well. Larger grassy plant stays green/yellow. Brings a nice contrast to other species. I wanted to add a large leaved red plant so added Ludwigia “Rubin”. I am going to keep it medium height as I like the way it is framed by the L. Cuba and Bacopa behind it.
Added back Hygro Cory Compact. Nothing special, easy to grow, but adds a burst of green at the foreground with a nice leaf shape. Same for L. Cardinalis mini. Common plant but should be nice in the foreground once it spreads and fills in.
Right now the R. Mexicana Goias is just sitting to the right of the Barclaya. The next step will be moving it to the foreground once it settles in a bit.
So right or wrong that is how my thought process works. These pics are really of a tank in transition. I have a vision of where I want it to be. Less species with fuller groups. A bit more “Dutch” like if you will.
But heck I could probably always say it’s a work in progress. Funny thing is some people see my tank and think it’s always the same. But rarely do I take a pic where everything is in the same place as the previous one. Subtle changes that few would notice but I do.
Now are your sorry you asked?
