scape help

[Cliffz]

Folks,
I have a had a planted tank for 1 year but never really considered the art of aquascaping. I spent the last year stabilizing the tank. Attached are a few pictures that I would appreciate any advice as to what would be next steps to start aquascaping. After you see the pics, any suggestions as too what I can do from here to make the tank nicer is appreciated!
Cliff-NY
55gal
dry ferts
injected co2
eco complete

 

[mom2reds]

I would add some driftwood, your plants look great. I am not very good with all of the scaping stuff. Good luck

 

[Purrbox]

A black background would help add some depth and make your plants really pop.

Right now you have a background and foreground, but not much of a midground. Adding some more plants of a medium height between your background and forground plants would help to create some additional depth.

Adding some driftwood could help to create some more structure to your aquarium. Make sure to yous a large enough peice that it doesn't get lost in the plants. Rocks would work as well, but I tend to prefer the effect of driftwood.

I would try adding more of the plants that you already have, and maybe even removing a few species. I really like the overall look and layout, I just want it to feel more filled in. Denser growth of your existing plants would help to achieve this.

 

[Zezmo]

Dividing the tank into 1/5ths can help to define the scape. If you look at the image above (I hope you don't mind my taking liberties with your image). It can be divided into two major zones, the left 3/5 and the right 2/5.

On the right, the very nice Red Sword can be placed on the light blue line, with the tall grassy plants (Vals? Sag?) placed in a semi circle around it. No other plants over there.

A distinct dividor can go on the dark blue line, a large rock, some driftwood, or even a dense clump of one species of stemplants.

On the left, try to put a focal point on each of the green lines. The red stem plant would do nicely. A large clump on the left most green line, and a smaller clump on the inner most green line. Between the green lines try to have the center of the forground area. After that, it is a matter of filling in groups of stem plants in the back. The red plants, and the green leafy plant (sword?) can fill in the midground.

 

[Cliffz]

Folks,
Thanks so much for the time taken to hand walk me through scaping a better tank! Some clarification please. The lite blue line on right there is a piece of driftwood overgrown with java fern and xmas moss-(thanks Rich311K)-the driftwood goes from front glass to rear glass about 3 inches wide. The darn red sword takes up about a diameter of about 12 inches!! thats alot of ground space! I have been toying with the ide of getting rid of it but it has the most color in the tank. The suggestion to add more driftwwod is great-I just dont have the ground area to place it now. Maybe something thin and orientate it vertical? Lean it on back glass 3/4 up glass and start its base at front glass? Maybe go horizontal with it from mid tank to 3/4 up on right or left side glass? Tie some glosso to it or baby tears since it will be closer to the light at top? Newbie trying to sort this out!! I have a piece that measures 16 inches long an looks just like a human thigh bone (sorry for the visual) Thanks again!

 

[Zezmo]

That is a nice sword, that is why it will really look nice showcased on the right.

The existing driftwood can go on the dark blue line dividing the sections. It can start on the blue line, and angle back to form part of the border to the forground area on the left.

The rest of the border to the forground (on the left) formed by the red plants and the crypts. These midground plants can be placed in groups. Try for 2-3 groups of each plant type (midground) with one group (of each plant type) larger than the rest.

 

[bra_van_drakh]

awhh. . .. u should deffinettely take some banana lilies. . .. put them at the back of your tank to cover a bit, they're just great. . .

 

[Cliffz]

That is a nice sword, that is why it will really look nice showcased on the right.

The existing driftwood can go on the dark blue line dividing the sections. It can start on the blue line, and angle back to form part of the border to the forground area on the left.

The rest of the border to the forground (on the left) formed by the red plants and the crypts. These midground plants can be placed in groups. Try for 2-3 groups of each plant type (midground) with one group (of each plant type) larger than the rest.

Zezmo-I understand angling the "y"shaped small piece of driftwood to the left of the sword (blue line) I dont understand what you suggest for the red plants I have in background. Those red plants have large leaves that if i bunch them will block other leaves from getting light? I thought I needed to space out those plants needing lots of lite to retain their color? Crypts? I dont have any currently. Right now there is almost no substrate space left in tank. The ground cover takes up the left side of tank--sword and java fern take up right side. Thanks for your assistance!!

 

[Zezmo]

Right now the red plants are in one large group. I am simply suggesting to break them into two distinct groups, one larger than the other. The spacing between individual plants still has to be maintained for those (Alternanthera reinecki?). If it is an Alternanthera, IMO it will look better if kept trimmed and short, rather than growing all the way up like a traditional stem plant.

So one green line might get 3 plants arranged in a triangle pattern. And the other green line might get 1 or 2 plants together. With a gap (with another different plant) in between. This idea is based on a presentation I saw last year by Luis Navarro. He showed how making 2-3 separate groups per plant type really made a difference to how "scaped" a tank looks.

 

[Cliffz]

Zezmo
thanks --I will tak you suggestions and impliment!!