Advice/Suggestions with my rescaping project?

[Oohitsae]

My sorority tank is getting so old. I want to re-do it to look like some of the amazing tanks I see online. I'm having a hard time figuring out where I should move things and what I should add and remove.
Any suggestions on what to move and add or remove would be absolutely amazing.

Whats in it right now.
Malaysian* Driftwood with java moss, and both regular and lace java ferns.
Anubias nana petit
rotala indica and wallichi
pennywort
wisteria
moneywort
bacopa carolinia
anarchis
2 amazon swords
frogbit and giant duckweed
1 banana plant that keeps floating everywhere
cabomba and hornwort
and 1 unknown plant.
(theres probably some other random plants in it)

Fish are:
7 bettas, a couple of endlers as a temp. holding, 5 cory's, and 4 ghost shrimp


I have a 15w t-8 6500k running at about 12-13hrs a day.
Aquaclear 50 filter
Dose with Seachem Flourish once a week.

What I plan to change already::
Turn it into an NPT. Soil with probably a regular tan sand cap.
Get a higher wattage light and/or another strip/lighting source
I also might add CO2 to this in April, but still have to decide if it should go to one of my 10's or to this tank.
I'd also like to get some more rooted plants, but dont know which ones would look good?
I also want to add some more hardscape. Maybe some rocks or a piece of manzanita covered in moss. Not sure

Here is the tank:: Sorry for it being cloudy, I'm treating with maracyn plus so I cant help it right now. Also, that male thats floating is only in there as QT before I move him into another tank. And there are some really gravid endlers in the net, its not usually there.

 

[Mrs.h2012]

What size tank is this? I think adding rocks would be good. I added rocks to my 55 and I love it! I made what I call my rock pile that creates little caves for my fish and they love it.

 

[Oohitsae]

Oops! I don't know how I could forget to add that! It's a 26 bowfront

 

[Mrs.h2012]

Oops! I don't know how I could forget to add that! It's a 26 bowfront

You may want to stay with smaller rocks, I got
Bigger ones since I had the room. But I don't think you could go wrong with rocks! Just be sure and scrub them down and boil them. You can also do the vinegar test and put a couple drops of white vinegar on the rock and as long as it doesn't bubble it's safe to use in your aquarium.

 

[Oohitsae]

I've never heard of the vinegar test. That is pretty interesting!

 

[Mrs.h2012]

I've never heard of the vinegar test. That is pretty interesting!

Yeah, you do it to make sure the rock won't mess with the water chemistry

 

[Oohitsae]

I'll have to try that once I get some then

 

[Oohitsae]

What do you guys think about doing something like this? It looks like they are all easy care plants and it looks doable to me. Just switching a few things around like making it a smaller scale and putting the highest point in a back corner instead of across the entire back of my tank?

 

[Mrs.h2012]

What do you guys think about doing something like this? It looks like they are all easy care plants and it looks doable to me. Just switching a few things around like making it a smaller scale and putting the highest point in a back corner instead of across the entire back of my tank?

I think it would be doable. I've seen that picture online in the past and loved it! I had saved tons of planted tank pictures intending to use them as a guide but it hasn't happened.. I ended up doing my own thing lol. I would just get a plant list of what's in the picture and if the plants aren't low light plants just find some similar that are low light plants and you should be good.

 

[New2me]

What do you guys think about doing something like this? It looks like they are all easy care plants and it looks doable to me. Just switching a few things around like making it a smaller scale and putting the highest point in a back corner instead of across the entire back of my tank?

This is beautiful!! I'm sure you could do it and add your own twist when you need to improvise

 

[Oohitsae]

Thanks for the optimism! If I can get to the store for my new substrate this weekend I'll probably start sunday

 

[New2me]

Thanks for the optimism! If I can get to the store for my new substrate this weekend I'll probably start sunday

Looking forward to seeing it's progress!

 

[Oohitsae]

I'll definitely update here

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Well I'm glad you decided to change that multi color gravel

I have a 26g bow front i just started in November. I'm using a 24" Finnex Ray 2 LED light fixture, aquatek co2 system, and dosing GLA dry ferts (PPS-Pro). I'm getting amazing growth from a 20w fixture... Check out my thread, it might inspire you or give you ideas.. LMK if there's anything i can help with.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...irst-dutch-inspired-scape-journal-235192.html

 

[Oohitsae]

Well I'm glad you decided to change that multi color gravel

I have a 26g bow front i just started in November. I'm using a 24" Finnex Ray 2 LED light fixture, aquatek co2 system, and dosing GLA dry ferts (PPS-Pro). I'm getting amazing growth from a 20w fixture... Check out my thread, it might inspire you or give you ideas.. LMK if there's anything i can help with.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...irst-dutch-inspired-scape-journal-235192.html

I forgot to reply to you till now. I checked out your thread and its amazing! How much do those finnex ray's cost? I'm a poor college student so my lighting upgrade either has to be cheap, or has to wait until I get my big check in april...



Now, for my update::
Got some rocks in today (along with MTS for when I change the substrate)
Decided that they would make a pretty awesome cave.
The coloring on them looks amazing to me as well. If I use black sand when I change the substrate I think it'll really "pop", but I was wanting to go for a natural look and I think that regular tan colored sand would give me more of that look....
I ordered a huge plant package this week. Tons of crypts! Ordered about 50 dwarf saggitaria, which I realize will be wayyy too many, but it was at a great price and I can always toss out, sell, or trade the rest. Also splitting a plant package with someone I know and am getting a bunch of ludwigia and more pennywort for the tank. I'll definitely be classified as "heavily planted' then!
Still havent got to change the substrate though, and it's driving me crazy. I cant find the time for it yet, praying I can get to it this weekend! I'm wondering if I should do it before I plant the new crypts? I know crypts will melt easily and I really dont want to disturb them more than I have to, but would they do okay without substrate in a QT tank or something for a little while?


Anyways, here are some pictures! I really apologize for all the water-marks! I havent even been able to make a trip for some windex yet!

Not sure if I like the placement yet, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Cave

The whole tank

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Well the Ray 2 in 24" it's about $100 on Amazon. Maybe you can get the Aqueon T5 24" from Petsmart. It comes with two bulbs... It's cheaper.

 

[Oohitsae]

Yeah that might be better.
The only strips at my local petsmart are t-8 single fixtures, but I'll look into it a bit

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

This video on YouTube might interest you. They have a 26g bow front with the equivalent fixture to the Aqueon t5NO sold at petsmart. It used to be coralife fixture until it became rebranded as Aqueon. Anyway, looks good enough for low tech planted which your crypts and dwarf sag would do fine.

Here's the fixture:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11248153&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

 

[Oohitsae]

That tank looks amazing! I'll definitely have to go purchase that

 

[Oohitsae]

Just got the crypts in today. I still have a ton of stems that I need to try and find room for, but I'll wait till I change substrate on sunday for that mess.

What do you guys think?

The plants in the background (left to right) amazon sword, vallisneria gigantae (tape), and crypt balansae. thinking about switching the val's and swords around when I change the substrate. but for now i was just wanting to see what everything looked like together.

I also think that they need trimmed badly, but I dont know how I should do it? I've never had to trim crypts?