gravel & plant suggestions for my 30 hex

[Tostada]

Here's my 30 hex:

1.5 WPG (two Aqua-Glo and one Sun-Glo bulb)
eco-complete substrate with a little gravel on top
a lot of anacharis (no other plants)
no CO2
an 8" bubble wand that is restricted to fairly low flow
dosing 3 mL Flourish Comprehensive every week after PWC (0.1 ppm Iron)
dosing 22 mL Flourish Potassium every week after PWC (10 ppm Potassium)



So, it currently just has a bunch of Anacharis, but I'd like to add more plants. I was thinking Water Sprite might be good, but I'm not too sure. The Anacharis looks really good in the tall tank, so maybe I should just stick with mostly that.

I was thinking of maybe getting some Java Moss and trying to stick it to the rock and/or driftwood.

I don't really like the blue gravel. The substrate is 20 lbs. of Eco-Complete with 5 lbs. of gravel on top. I was thinking of either replacing it with more natural gravel or just removing it altogether.

I have 5 panda cories who like to dig around in the gravel, though, and I'm not sure how it would affect them if I just took the gravel out. I also think removing the gravel altogether might make my weekly gravel vac pretty messy, just stirring up the dirt.

It might be cool to have some carpeting plants, but I'm not sure (and it might hide stuff when I go to vacuum).

I have 4 swords and 4 shrimp which eat the anacharis, but it grows much faster than they can eat it. I'm a little worried that other plants (like slow-growing Java Moss) might also get eaten, but not be able to grow back fast enough.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[newfound77951]

I'd somehow try to get the blue gravel out and just leave the Eco....that might not be a fun task, though. Maybe remove what you can and then add some more Eco on top?

With 1.5 wpg and a deep tank you're not likely to be able to grow too many carpet plants. Although some Anubias nana would stay low and doesn't need much light. Java fern, particularly the narrow-leaved variety, might look nice attached to the driftwood you have, or maybe get a taller, more branchy piece and then you could attach several clumps of Java fern with some moss mixed in. The darker colors would be a nice contrast to the lighter Anacharis in the background (which looks quite nice, by the way!).

OK, there are my suggestions, let's see what else folks can come up with.

 

[Zezmo]

I am setting up the same aquarium this weekend. A guy from work gave me his old one as he is moving.

It is going to be set up for my breeding pair of angels to live in. I was going to use a natural gravel sustrate. HOB filter (AC-70). I have 2x 32 watt power compact lighting. For decor, I was going to use a small pice of drifwood, a firebrick (for the angels to spawn on), and for plants, I an not decided fully, but I am thinking that som vals would look nice (it is a tall thin tank). I am planning to let the vals basicly fill the tank providing nice cover for the angels.
The tank will have no CO2, and I am planning to use no ferts.