# Your Thoughts??????



## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

Wow sorry for the mistakes -_- The big three green dots are #6


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

I would need to actually see the plants on it, but one thought, more dirt behind the wood on the left back corner. And Java Fern on the wood(#11) will be too exposed/close to light.


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

yea thats what im thinking as well with the java fern =/ i was hoping since i was using co2 that it would help out but i think java ferns almost pout of the pciture. The soil, yea i def need more and thats why i actually set it up and put it in so that i could see if i would need more. Im getting one more bag of the reg aqua soil, and i have one bag of the powder type but im saving that for the front and back and also want a little left ovber for a possible 12g tank.

Bump:


Raymond S. said:


> I would need to actually see the plants on it, but one thought, more dirt behind the wood on the left back corner. And Java Fern on the wood(#11) will be too exposed/close to light.


i didnt really have alot of time to put together the picture so i didnt want to go through cutting and pasting all the plants in, ill do that for you tomorrow=)


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## Sparklescale (Nov 22, 2013)

I would move the Crypto. wendtii to the back or mid-back. It gets quite thick and abou 7" tall. It will block the view of any of the smaller plants and the wood behind it. Go with something with a more open, airy growth structure in those spots, instead. Cardinal plants are nice and don't get too big and might work there, or, golden Lloydiella (creeping jenny) might look good, and, I'm sure there are other plants that might work better there, too, just can't think of any others off hand. Perhaps one of the dwarf Crinums would fit.


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

That wood is nice!

Fyi with good co2 and ferts, Java Fern can be just fine under high light. The ones in my sig pic are inches away from 4 T5HOs. Had them there for about 6 months. They grew like crazy and never had algae trouble. Anubias on the other hand...Ive never had much luck with under hi light.


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Thanks burr740. I never had my tank/w injected but did have higher light in it and the Ferns got GSA all over the leaves and almost died. And they were on the bottom of the tank.
I think that Sparklescale has a point about the Wendtii being large after it grows some.


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

Yea I haven't really looked into the crypt that much and from the pictures I have seen they show very short, but I have been told that now a couple times. I'll probably put it behind the stump then 


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

Raymond S. said:


> I would need to actually see the plants on it, but one thought, more dirt behind the wood on the left back corner. And Java Fern on the wood(#11) will be too exposed/close to light.


almost done with cutting and pasting the plants. SHould be done tomorrow =)


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## Naiad (Jun 20, 2014)

That's a really beautiful piece of driftwood. Good find!

Anyway, I think it'd be hard to have java fern in such direct sunlight. It can be done, but keeping algae off could be a pain. My personal favorite background plant is cyperus helferi--just another plant suggestion in case you're looking for a replacement. I don't know how tall your tank is, though. I think the plant gets about 15" maybe shorter (Mine was about that big, at least).

For the back left corner (with the "?"), I think bacopa looks lovely when filled in. Super easy to take care of and nice and bright and "happy" looking lol. Plus, it has a much different leaf shape to both pogostemon erectus and AR mini, so it would be a nice contrast. 

Make sure that anubias is tucked near a tall plant or under that stump so it doesn't get too much light. Even if there is practically no algae, they grow so slow the algae will find them lol. 

Good luck with your tank. I'm super excited to see what you decide on. It's going to be gorgeous!


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

Naiad said:


> That's a really beautiful piece of driftwood. Good find!
> 
> Anyway, I think it'd be hard to have java fern in such direct sunlight. It can be done, but keeping algae off could be a pain. My personal favorite background plant is cyperus helferi--just another plant suggestion in case you're looking for a replacement. I don't know how tall your tank is, though. I think the plant gets about 15" maybe shorter (Mine was about that big, at least).
> 
> ...


Thank you very much for your opinion on adding some plants! Actually bacopa is one of the plants i was told by a friend yesturday! Im going to find a good spot for it! I love the contrast from its leafs to the other rotala varieties! Yea idk if the needle leaf java fern is a goo yet but i really dont know what i could put behind that side of the driftwood?


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## All4Fish (Jun 23, 2014)

Looks great! What size tank is this? Love the wood, where did you find it? Do you need hiding places for fish? Did you want something taller in back left corner where the ? is? Maybe Hydrocotyle leucocephala (pennywort)?


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

All4Fish said:


> Looks great! What size tank is this? Love the wood, where did you find it? Do you need hiding places for fish? Did you want something taller in back left corner where the ? is? Maybe Hydrocotyle leucocephala (pennywort)?


Its a 60 gallons =). I actually got the wood from my grandma in Gainesville Florida, she had found it 40 years back in a spring in Florida and ever since then it had sat outside her from yard. I don't need hiding places for the fish but im sure they would like them and that why i really like the driftwood, because it has all the holes and what not. Im not a real big fan of the penny wort but i will be using the dwarf variety. I will have a more detailed picture with actual pictures of the plants in the layout here in about 4hours so around 9 since its 6 right now


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

alright well i went all out for you Raymond S.! lol just kidding im glad i did it gave me a better perspective! Plz give me feed back guys and girls! 
I decided to do a little corel paint and add in some different plant layouts. Now the first one looks like a crazy rainbow, but thats because its very hard to find a good picture that will work for what im doing. Honestly i like the last two, the one with java fern as the main back ground plant, and the one with cyperus helferi as the main back ground plant. Which won would you guys like the best =) Any additions you might think would look good please do tell me! This is my first aqua scape so im trying to understand contrast from front to back and also just plant placement and how long certain plants get or big they get. Its been pretty hard but i think i can do this!!! 
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List of plants is...
Blyxa japonica
Ammannia bonsia
Pogostemon stellata(back of picture number 1)
Rotala rotundifolia(semi back of picture 1)
Hygrophila pinnatifida( on right side of stump kinda hard to see)
Pogostemon erectus( behind the AR mini)
AR Mini(behind drftwood root on left and right)
Dwarf pennywort(coming out of the driftwood middle and draping down)
Pogostemon helferi(the plant on each end of the driftwood)
Narrow leaf java fern
Anubias nana petite
Fissidens mini(the green stuff on the driftwood)
Sorry that i didnt label the plants in the pictures, its really late =/! If you have any questions about which plant is which just let me know =) HOpe you guys like them or one layout! Changes may happen(might add wendtii green) Not sure yet.


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## kzeller (Dec 31, 2014)

Number 3/4


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

I'll go/w 3/4 also. Nice job on the cut & paste also. I wouldn't have that much patience.
Lots of plants, and yes I do have list of them, have some kind of chemical that hinders algae. AR is not one of them. So it gets GSA on the leaves quickly if not surrounded by those plants which do have those chemicals. For that reason I would cut down on the amount of them in there. So they would be "Accents" rather than "sections of".
This next one is strictly...to each his own, so your tank your viewing. Please you not me on this one. I think that when you plant you might mingle each type of plant at the edges of where they come together/w the next type. Hard to explain but here's a picture that says it. Notice the randomness of the plants. Nature seldom makes perfect rows.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/picture.php?albumid=14289&pictureid=56610
I don't mean that random, but you can see what I mean from it.


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## All4Fish (Jun 23, 2014)

Looks good! I like keeping the main focus piece a bit off center, so your design is pleasing and shows off the wood without looking forced. Tall thin plants in the background also keep the wood interesting, yet help soften and hide equipment.

I did the same, drew out layout, colored in and labeled (80 gallon tank) which really helped with first plant order. But, I found that I changed things out once I got the plants, and then again, and again after the plants started growing!! Size, shapes and colors and growth all changed from what I expected, even after all my research! I guess just need to be prepared to adjust as you go. It seems it is an ongoing process. Have fun and keep us posted!


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

thanks for your thoughts =) Those are the two that im really liking right now. Im also liking 5with the blyxa japonica but maybe instead of moving the pogo helferi in the last one to put the blyxa in its place, ,aybe io will leave that and just put it on the right side of the driftwood. I really have a wide amount of options and i really just need to start with one and change as needed i guess. I was also thinking, what would you think if i added wendtii to the front left corner and the back right corners to give it a good contrast possibly since there isnt much on those corners.

Bump: yea i under stand what you guys are saying. Its def going to be a change here and there since it is my first time, but im trying to prepare bet i can and learn as much as possible from algae problems people have to even the chemistry of it all and how complicated it actually is. Raymond, that is good to know about the ar and how certain plants actually produce something to deal with the algae, never new that. One thing i can say though, and correct me if im wrong please. I will be having a pretty large about of clean up crew in the tank. What i mean by this is i "hope" to have about 8 or so otto's in the tank and also i am going to be striving for blue dream shrimp and CRS. Now i know how the crs can be hard to take care of, and in the research i found that the more lower grade or more of the ones that have not been inbred to make these perfect shrimp are the ones that are very hard almost as hard as the neos shrimp. Now that being said im hoping that with all the cleaner that i will be able to over some issue like that with the ar mini being more susceptible to algae


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

this is what i was talking about with the which one should i do it like for the java fern in the back with the other plants 








as you can see in this first picture the java fern is cut off from the stump.




and as you can see in the scond picture it cuts down the middle from the stump to the back.










which one is going to give me the best results In your opinions?


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Crypt Wendtii Bronze would be a different color besides green if substituted for the Java Fern.


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

So you think putting pure wendtii in the back instead of the Java fern? Or are you saying do like wendtii around the Java fern and just have the Java fern in the back corner and put the wendtii behind the driftwood and sides, or I can just do the Java fern behind the driftwood and do the back with the wendtii green and brown 


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

So I think I have thought of a good Aqua scape for the plants in the back. The scape is going to be like number 3/5 without the helfer or the large amounts of narrow leaf java fern as show in those two.Instead i am going to have wendtii green as the large portion of space behind the AR mini and the pogostemon erectus with some wendtii brown mixed in with the wendtii green so probably for every 3 wendtii green one brown for some good contrast, its eather i do the wentii in the back or i do the pogostemon in the back and have the wendtii infront of it and the ar infront the wendtii let me know what one sounds better plzzzzzzzzz, And for close to the back of the stump im going to put narrow leaf java fern! This to me feels like the best option and i cant wait to see it come to life and hope it comes to life the way i plan it to! Plz plz plz let me know your thoughts on this everyone!!!! 


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## masscolder (May 29, 2014)

Mix of 4/5 would be great. Looking really neat!


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

What about my last thought  


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## Krispyplants (Apr 15, 2014)

Trident java fern would be nice and also a few anubias nana stardust would look nice in contrast with the petites. You can also go with hydrocotyle sp. Japan if the hair grass don't work out too well.


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

Thanks yea I'll look into other Anubias to see! Still I don't know if what I said above is going to work or if the wendtii doesn't grow tall enough for it to work so I'm just wait to see if someone can say it will or won't 


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## Krispyplants (Apr 15, 2014)

I know that my bronze/tropica crypt. wen. grows pretty tall. Half of my 50 gallon.


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

well we will see what happens i guess! I will make a little corel draw image with it in the background to see how i like it first.


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## Krispyplants (Apr 15, 2014)

treyLcham said:


> well we will see what happens i guess! I will make a little corel draw image with it in the background to see how i like it first.


Remember though, like all crypts they spread often but once the leaves reach a certain length it will slow it's growth. The long leaves take time no matter how good you supply lights and fertz.


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

ahh ok. omne question, might sem like a dumn question lol. Is it easy to keep them smaller?


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## Krispyplants (Apr 15, 2014)

If you want to keep them low, just trim the longer leaves. They grow like java fern's rate.


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## treyLcham (Sep 9, 2014)

O ok yea that's what I thought! Great to know thanks! 


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