Scaping thoughts/help

[Behold]

Ok im getting to the point where i need to organise my tank. can you help me.

I have in there 2 amazon swords at either end. Vallis (Im sure you will find it!!) a large echindorus (Mixed is the only name i have) i have another echindorus that is hidden and not growing well. (Hopefully with the CO2 and salts this will change) Some java fern and 2 types of anubias.

As to the wood there is 2 bits of bog on the left some mopian in the missle and 2 bits of drift making up the larger middle right bit and some more on the far right which i hate as it floats and its annoying!!!

I have some frogbit but this is just living there ready for my breading tank later.

Please be honest and straight i will ignore the nasy comments and tank on board the constructive critisim.

I thought at first i wanted to go higher at the back then work it lower but im now not sure. im tempted with maybe an Island style.... although all thoughts welcome. I will need to have about 3 -4 hiding places for my pictus/gibb and RTBS.

Thanks

 

[Ed Seeley]

There are a couple of things I would say straight away. If you simply want to improve what's there then I'd make a few changes. The first is the vallis; it looks strange cropped off like that and spread along the whole tank. I'd have one large group to the left side and remove it from the rest of the tank. You can then allow the leaves to reach along the surface a short distance.
Then I'd have some group/s of stem plants in the centre back area and off to the right. Use the sword as focal plant along with the hump-backed piece of wood. I'd plant that with some moss/ferns/anubias too and then I'd lose the stone as it sticks out from the rest. Stick a carpet of glosso all along the front (if it will survive your large fish!) and it'd look a lot better.

The other thing is to change it all completely! To do this you really want to think about what you want to do and how you want it to look and then come back for some advice!

 

[Thomas McMillan]

I think it'll be hard to get a good island style going with the plants you have. How about a jungle-style scape? e.g. get more anubias/federns/mosses/crypts/swords/vallis, maybe a few stems? A few bits of nice branchy Redmoor?

 

[Behold]

The only reason its cropped is the rate of growth. it will be at the top of the tank in a week. I crop it once a month and by then its right across the top. I also removed it from the middle recently and mived it to the left (the short bit) removing the chewed up bits.

What bit are you calling a rock??? there is no rock.... the middle bit of wood? if so i agree but the other half loves it and will not let it go...

so you suggest moving the right hand side of vallis to the left and remove whats not needed then what to do on the right to remove it from being bare.

As to what i want... Good question im really open to ideas on layout styles. I like the jungle style and my gouramis and balas enjoy swimming aroun in all my vallis and echindorus.

So i want the thick look to the planted tank with room for the fish to move within.

 

[Mark Evans]

The only reason its cropped is the rate of growth. it will be at the top of the tank in a week

i found by cutting half way up the leaf, the loewr parts die and look shabby, i ended up strimming right at the base of the plant.time consuming if you have loads but worth it for aesthetics.

if you were to keep your current layout, i'd personly move vallis from left to right and remove what looks like a stone across to the right.

firstly if your looking to rescape, decide on a style, then decide the shape, i.e triangular, u-shaped mound shaped. this will help with your plant choices to some degree.

investigate plant sizes, growing speed requirments etc...this will make life easier in the long run. the jungle style, from what i can gather is crypt and fern heavy , vallis nana across the back (long on top )

anyway, i'd recommend nature aquarium book one for some awesome crypt, ferns anubias (longterm scapes) amano in his innocent, not yet commercial(almost) days

 

[Behold]

Thanks Saintly. Ill mock up a few pics and post some thoughts and layouts..