Need plant arranging tips

[fish_4_all]

If this belongs in aquascaping please move it there.

Now I need some real advice about aquascaping. Here are the plants that I will be trying to arrange in 2 10 gallon tanks. I know some of them grow fast but trimming is part of the fun. I also want wisteria and or water sprite in each tank for nitrate and phosphate uptake.
Hygrophila polysperma 'Rosanervig' Tropical Sunset (6 stems)
Rotala Rotundifolia (4 stems not healthy yet) thinking of putting it in a rockwool cube to help it out a little
Hemianthus Callitrichoides Cuba, getting rockwool for carpet starting
Crypt Becketti 2 plants
Crypt Red Wendtii (in my hand made ceramic planter) 4 plants
Crypt Lucens 1 large plant probably 5 plants but I want to keep them together
Java fern On a rock. baseball size
Red Melon Sword, could trim completely down and put in a planter to keep it smaller. Have in a 3rd tank for now and not needed if it won't fit a good land scape.
Rosetta Sword Echinodorus parviflorus "tropica" 5 smaller rooted plants and the mother plant.
Anubias barteri Nana, 1 plant 3 inch rhizome 9 leaves in driftwood, will move or whatever to fit landscape
Wisteria
Water Sprite
Corkscrew Vals

I just need to know how to try and start to arrange them. My becketti are in the back so they would have to be moved if needed in front. The Lucens is in front corner. Bechetti in a large ceramic planter. Cuba is going to be planted into rockwool 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 tall but pyramid shaped cubes toward the bottom so the HC can try and form a carpet in my gravel or in the rockwool.

Any ideas?

I need an idea for a layout for 2 tanks. 80 watts divided over both. 78-80 regular temp. Dose whatever is needed, will be switching to EI. What plants would you put where? My rockwool doesn't show until Monday so I have some time.

Main plot for tanks, lots of plants with room for the fish to swim. I will even set up a light on my third 10 gallon if I have enough plants. I just can't find 20 watt bulbs, just 65 watt bulbs and I think 130 watts of spiral compact fluorecent at 6500K over a 10 gallon might be a little much. Although that woud give me enough for my 26 gallon bow front high with a black painted back.

Fish in tanks:
Tank1: 8 corys, 2 BN pleco, 1 betta
Tank 2: 3 adult and 20 baby Swords, 5 corys, and 1 small tetra type

Will post pics later

 

[malkore]

The only 'problem' i see is keeping those swords a managible size...but it sounds like you're fully aware of that.

As far as arranging plants...that's all personal preference. Its like painting...I can teach you how to hold the brush, and how to blend colors...but you're the only one that can decide on the subject of the painting. By teh same token, we can tell you how to plant, and when to fertilize...but the layout is all on you.

General tips...use red plants in small sections...too much red clumped together in big tanks detracts from teh fact you have these vivid red colors...spread em out a little.

Tall plants in the back, short plants in front.

plant stems in a checkerboard fashion, and let them fill in, rather than trying to plant the whole area from the onset.

my best recommendation is to just browse all the photos posted in the aquascaping section. some will look bad to you, others you'll like. go with what feels well.

remember that most of us re-scape to some degree every couple of months, so your first scape doesn't have to be perfect. Mine sure wasn't!

 

[Zezmo]

For me, aquascaping is a weekly adventure. I look at the tank all week long, by Saturday, i have some ideas for small (or large) changes. So the aquascape evolves from week to week. Some weeks look great, some not so great.

Of course, you invariably get company on the not so great weeks.

 

[czcz]

Try floating some R. rotundifolia (and other stems you are propogating) for a week or so while you figure out the 'scape. Then you'll have lots of branching for the grow out period.

 

[fish_4_all]

I really like the idea is it trial and error, probably more error than trial for me but if I can't get it right by error then I am really in trouble.

The rosetta swords, will they still get too large? As in leaves that are 15 inches long or just getting large with a whole bunch of smaller leaves?

Well I will try floating the rotundafolia and see if it does better. The stems in the gravel are doing ok but growing really slow, only about 1/2 inch in 3 weeks or so. The hygro is better growing but still slower than I have heard. All will change when i can get to dosing the good stuff for them.

Any ideas for placement would still be appreciated. Like what is the best plant to put in front of the intake of the AC HOB.

 

[rich311k]

The sunset will grow quickly and is great for putting in the back to cover equipment. The wisteria will do that job very well as well. Plant them the way you like. Let everything grow in a bit and start playing with your aquascape. I rearrange frequently to try and find the best look. Do what you like it is your tank. Some plants will grow well, some wont. You will find your favorites and aquire new ones. It is like painting a picture except that you get to erase it and try again whenever you get the whim.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

One thing that is really nice is having the corkscrew vals in front of some larger-leaved plants. It really brings out the depth. And remember, the corkscrew vals, once they get going, they will spread rather quickly if given enough light. I like having mine in the front-to-mid left side of the tank, with a sword or 2 behind it.

 

[hashbaz]

I second the idea of putting the hygro sunset in front of the filter. It is dense enough to hide the filter, but has larger leaves making it less likely to get sucked around the intake.

I would start by putting all plants of a given type into one bunch, excluding anubias HC and the mother sword. I just put all of my baby swords in a group and love the way it looks. Does trimming the roots of a sword keep it stunted (smaller)?

It's also a good idea to give some shape to the horizon: Slant up to the left (or right), taller plants in the middle (or outsides) etc.