Is there a "scape my tank" service? lost

[TracyRee]

So I've been using plastic plants and traditional gravel for years. Got inspired and was trying my hand at planted tank with rock hardscapes. Well, my hand fell off or something because it is pitiful. I don't think I have the creative ability to actually set it up.

I have a 15 gallon AIO Aqua Japan. I think some of my issue is I didn't envision the black background.

I have Manten stone and Controsoil. I emptied tank, put a light layer of soil then placed the rocks. More soil then filled. Hated placement and moved rocks. What a mess. So now that it's cleared enough to even see in, I need help. Ignore the lighthing. I can'r bare to look at it fully lit right now.


What can I do here? I'm in massive need of help. I have tall hairgrass I can plant in back, more petite ANubias, there are a few wavy buce in there.....

Would you start over? Different rock placement? More rock? Less? How about soil?

 

[Fresh2o]

Rock placement looks fine. I would not mess with the soil. The thing with planted tanks is that removal and replanting plants is an eventual occurrence. Plants will need to be thinned out at some point. Slowly pulling them up is about all you can do. You can shut off the filter and let things settle or leave it on and let the filter attempt to clear the water. Some substrate will be messier than others (why I was never a fan of soil despite its effectiveness).
I believe anubias and nice do fine planted directly onto stones and driftwood as opposed to directly in the substrate (someone correct me please).
Bacopa caroliniana would work well as a background plant and dwarf sag as a mid ground plant.

 

[goatnad]

it really depends on what kind of look you are wanting to go for with a rock scape. you can do something like this https://www.theaquariumguide.com/articles/understanding-iwagumi-aquascaping-style which is called an iwagumi scape or you can go with a more randomly laid out setup like this http://thefishdoctor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/aquascape-bedding-plants-rocks-s.jpg


personally i like more rocks that have points to them vs. ones that can come out more squared. also when doing a rockscape have something like 3-5 times more rock than you will actually use so you have a variety of rocks and can try many many setups. one major thing that really helps rockscapes to look better is always do sloping substrate. it adds alot more depth to the tank and will let the rocks at certain points stand out more above your plants.



one thing that really helped me to be better at rockscapes( which im still not good at) is trying to mimic someone elses scape. look at pictures of google and try to lay out stones similar to the way someone else did. after awhile you will get a hang for it. the one things i have learned is the rule of thirds and having 1 larger stone that is your main focal point. i also learned to play, play, play! spend hours moving stones around before you put any soil or substrate into the tank to get an idea of how you want it setup. some people even make a wooden box to play around in to setup rockscapes. fresh2o is right, anubias will do just fine being tied to stone. they do not have to be planted into soil. some other plants that do fine this way is alternanthera reineckii and creeping jenny although these don't really look all that great in a rockscape like that. usually in rockscapes people are going to use things like anubias nana petite or moss to grow on or around rocks.

 

[Fresh2o]

I found these hardscape centric layouts interesting. For me, covering an area with plants was much easier and more forgiving than arranging rocks.