Aquascaping composition advice

[Rnbwfimmy]

So my plants have recently grown like crazy. Most all of them have grown to the top of the tank, which is awfsome, but I tried to rearrange them recently but like the new layout even less than the old. My five gallon isnt looking perfect to me either. Any composition advice?
I have rotala indica, wisteria, amazon sword, Anubias, water sprite, hydrophilic, pennywort, mondo grass and valisneria.
The first one is the new layout the second is the old.
The third is my 5 gallon

 

[Rivercats]

On the larger tank maybe part of the problem is most of your plants are the same height. You don't have little, med, big plants from front to back giving your tank more depth. Maybe try moving your DW over little, not to the center tho. Then you can put alittle more plants on the left side. On the little tank it's the rock placement IMO that is off. Could you use the larger rock on the left, lay it down where it looks good and push it towards the back right to raise that area like a rise (substrate and plants even with the top of the rock). Then play with the other rock till you find somewhere it looks more natural and try laying it different ways, at different angles, and maybe even against the other rock. Plus the left side looks to be one big plant. If you want to just have one big plant you can trim it so it's shorter in the front getting taller to the back. You can check out my scaping if you want at.... http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f70/220g-planted-newly-rescaped-231568.html. Plus check out other members tanks on the Members Freshwater Tanks Forum.

 

[Rnbwfimmy]

Wow! Your tank is really beautiful.
Youre right, I think I should be trying to add more depth. This is my attempt from earlier today, but I'm unhappy with the area to the center front of the dw and the placements of my pennywort and Val on the sides. That pennywort is massive and has such great directional potential that I don't like sequestering them over there on the side.
I'll try playing around with the rocks, I may need better foreground and nano plants.

 

[Rivercats]

Crypt Parva and Pygmy Anubia Petite Nana are great in Nano's. I have some Petite Nana on order and crypt parva only gets about 2" tall and will slowly spread. Also on the big tank think about getting a non green plant. Thanks for the compliment, but even it is still a work in progress.

 

[rkilling1]

Mondo grass? Are you aware that it is not an aquatic plant?

 

[Rnbwfimmy]

Thanks, I have Anubias nana in the 5, I'll try the crypt parva. I put in some java moss in the hope of getting some coverage on the bottom. I've been curious for a while about trying red plants.
I forgot to post a pic earlier

 

[Rnbwfimmy]

News to me since it's been doing great in my tank for many months now, it may have been mislabeled

 

[Rnbwfimmy]

I took your advice on the 5 gallon and it really opened it up! I love it so much more this way, I hope I can figure out a way to bring this kind of depth back to the main tank.
The water hasn't cleared yet, I'll post a better pic later

 

[Rivercats]

WOW, what a difference! I really like it! The Petite Nana is tiny, like the size of a Kennedy half dollar full grown. Not the same as the regular Nana.

 

[Rnbwfimmy]

Thanks! It really did help! I'll have to keep an eye out for those plants. I'm gonna have to do some thinks on what might help the 55, I'm proud of how densely my plants have grown but I want depth

 

[Rivercats]

I had to really pare down on my stem plants and do some re-scaping because of lack of depth issue and the fact is cut down on water flow too much. You'll really be happy once you get depth to the tank. Be sure to post a pic on this thread once you re-do the 55. I want to see if it looks as different as the reworked nano did.

 

[Rnbwfimmy]

This is the best I've gotten so far, I think I'm getting closer. I'm not sure what I would trim or where. I'm liking the right corner, not sure about the left so far. Also not many ways to situate the driftwood because of its size

 

[Rivercats]

The right side is good but I would tie the anubia on the lower brach close to the end so it compliments the crypt? below and to the left. The issue with the left is still all the tall plants right up to the front of the tank. No depth. I'd put the pennywort? in the back left corner and let it finish growing up and across the surface alittle. Then spread the anarachis stems out just enough they can barely touch the one next to it and make a little patch from where it starts now going towards the center. Next cut them down to just below the nob of the DW and plant the cut tops to make a fuller slightly larger strand. By keeping the stems shorter your adding depth and the ability to see and appreicate the back plants. I keep some stem plants only a couple inches tall and use them to accentuate.

 

[Rnbwfimmy]

That sounds good, I think I'll try that. The hardest thing is squeezing those back there, I'll try to manipulate the driftwood. I really appreciate the input

 

[Rivercats]

Glad I can help some but adding just a tiny area of a red plant would just finish setting the tank off.

 

[Rnbwfimmy]

How's this looking?

 

[Rivercats]

Much better! Showing some substrate is good, It adds dimention and depth to the tank. I'd leave it alone for awhile and see how the tank grows on you (no pun intended). It does look soooo much better than before and now you know what height your plants need to be trimmed to.

 

[Rnbwfimmy]

Thanks for the advice!