Scale

[Phlegethon]

The trickiest thing I've found about aquascaping a smaller tank is finding plants of proper scale. Most are too big.

What are the best "miniature" plants/plant combinations?

 

[TankGirl]

I like to use java fern and java moss (it needs to be pruned to keep it small) and there are some crypto varieties that have relatively small leaves. Micro sword, dwarf sag, baby's tears and aquatic mint stay pretty small, but you need to have adequate lighting for them. Dwarf lillies sometimes stay small, and my ozelot sword stays very small, but I know someone with a huge one.

 

[Phlegethon]

Thanks tankGirl I'd never heard of aquatic mint or baby's tears, I'll look into those. The first three or four tanks in "Nature Aquarium World" are incredible, hard to believe they are all <5 gallons...

 

[gheitman]

In addition to what TankGirl has already mentioned I would suggest Cryptocoryne wendtii and dwarf rosette sword (aka Echinodorus parviflorus "Tropica"). I have a 5 gallon planted Hex 5 acrylic tank with Elodea densa, Cryptocoryne wendtii and Hygrophila polysperma although the Elodea has to be trimmed every week or so.

 

[TankGirl]

As a matter of fact, I have c. walkerii in my 5gal, and in there it is staying small (larger in my larger tank) so I don't know why I failed to mention it

Marimo balls would be nifty also, come to think of it - they take forever to get any size on them.

 

[travis simonson]

I would also recommend Anubias nana 'petite' if you want a good non-CO2 plant with tiny leaves. It's a little on the expensive side right now, but it seems to grow about like regular A. nana, maybe a little faster, and is very attractive. I got mine at www.aquariumlandscapes.net.

For grass plants, you might check out any of the varieties of Ranalisma (rostrata, humile, etc.). They're a lot like E. tenellus (Chain Sword) and spread via runners, but only grow to about 1-1.5" in height. They still require good light but you could probably get away without CO2. I've got some R. humile and love the color of it - pinkish-red new leaves, sometimes turning green, sometimes staying that way when mature. Sort of a slow grower in my tank, but I've got pretty hard water.

And, if you've got good light and CO2, check out Micranthemum umbrosum. It's one of the smallest stem plants I know of and, in bunches, grows a lot like a bush. It's got a beautiful bright yellow color with tiny leaves and grows quickly, so you'll have a lot in no time.

 

[gheitman]

I don't think I've ever seen Ranalisma before. I use dwarf sags in one of my 10g tanks.