help me plant my tank!

[Pezzep]

Need help finding a plant for the top left of my tank, well really more for all along the back I guess. I was thinking of some sort of crypt to add some nice red and browns to it, but the branches and rocks are already brown/orangish so I dunno and don't crypts get big?...anyway, I need help finding some nice leafy/bushy plants that fish can swim in between and explore cause I plan on replacing those neons with two dwarf puffers so I want the back to be loaded with plants for them to break line of sight and have place to explore/call their own. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
finally got this photo to post the right way up! My goodness lol.

 

[Fishperson]

What size tank and what lighting? It looks like a smaller tank, in which case the only crypts that would be a good size that I know of are parva and nevilli. If it is moderate or high, than rotala rotundifolia, if it is lower light, then ludwigia or hygrophila polysperma.

 

[Pezzep]

He tank is a 8 gallon tank a little over a foot tall, the back has about 6 or more inches of room, I don't mind trimming plants that get to big. The light is a 13w I'm assuming compact fluorescent, the fluval brand came with the tank. I have two crypts in there right now they are of a smaller variety I believe called pygmaea. The steam plant i have in there right now are some sort of hygrophila too, at least that's what they were called at the pet store I got me from not sure on the exact name. Ill look up the ones you named right now. Do you think I should get another light to hang on there? I dose with seachem flourish excel daily too.

 

[Pezzep]

The hygrophila polysperma broadleaf looks nice, same with certain ludwigia. Maybe ludwigia in front of the hygrophila might look nice, hard to get a mental picture tho I haven't owned many plants just started the hobby like 2 months ago aha, don't got much experience with plants yet.

 

[Pezzep]

No one else?

 

[Rivercats]

I think the light you have is fine and your not having any algae issue so I'd leave things alone. Have you thought about maybe getting a delicate moss like Fissidens Fontanus to drape and attach on a couple of the branching? You have larger leaved plants so I'd go with something with a more delicate leaf structure. You could do Water Sprite (which would require trimming) or Ambulia would look nice. I've got Ambulia growing in 2 Fluval Edge tanks with low light LED's and because I use liquid carbon and ferts weekly after my WC they grow nice. Plus they have such a delicate structure. Either plant would do good in your setup with Water Sprite giving a fuller lacy look and the Ambulia a vertical focal point.

 

[Pezzep]

I really like the water sprite, not quite sure if I like the ambulia or not tho. Yeah I've been trying to think of a moss to use on the branches but just not quite sure yet, the fissidens looks good but not sure where I could get it from ill have to start looking around, my lfs doesnt have that big of a variety. And does fissidens spread fast? cause i dont want the whole branches covered id like to keep some brown in there. Most the plants in there right now I found at my cottage so I'm surprised they are even alive still aha. Also what do you dose weekly, what ferts?

 

[Fishperson]

Take a look at this hygrophila polysperma 'sunset'. I really love the look of it.

 

[Fishperson]

No one else?

I don't want to be a pain in the butt, and I'm not a mod, but this is called bumping threads, and I got warned about it once, and you can get kicked out if you do it a lot. Don't want to be mean, I'm just warning you.

 

[Pezzep]

I don't want to be a pain in the butt, and I'm not a mod, but this is called bumping threads, and I got warned about it once, and you can get kicked out if you do it a lot. Don't want to be mean, I'm just warning you.

Not mean at all! Didn't know, my bad. Thanks for letting me know
Edit: yeah that plant looks nice I could probably use a little more red in the tank, I think that might look nice in behind some water sprite hmmm, the possibilities are starting to spark my imagination. Now to look a little more and decide aha, decisions decisions.

 

[Pezzep]

Would a plant like that need any sort of supplement (iron) to help keep its red though?

 

[Rivercats]

Non green plants need higher light, CO2 or liquid carbon, and dosing of dry ferts to give it all the macro and micro nutrients it needs. I use tons of non green plants in all my tanks and I get the best color by keeping nitrates low, phosphates high as plants need phosphate to go through the chemical change that allows them to color up under higher light. Plants color up like this to protect them from high light the same way we use sunscreen. I dose normal amounts of micro mix which has iron it in. I don't add any extra iron in my tanks. Here is a look at the color I get....

Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - Rivercats's Album: 220g 8-9-13 - Picture

Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - Rivercats's Album: 5-12-13 update/new plants - Picture

 

[Pezzep]

Oh wow, your plants are amazing looking! Is that micro mix safe to use with snails/shrimp? So I'm assuming if I get more colourful plants I'm going to need higher light?

 

[Rivercats]

If you want good color you have to have medium to high light. I have non green plants in other tanks that have medium light, CO2, but all use dry ferts PPS-Pro and run with low nitrates 10ppm and high phosphates 5-10ppm.

The micro mix is safe for shrimp. This is what I use... Estimative Index | Aquarium Fertilizer | Green Leaf Aquariums and 3 of these dosing bottles... Fertilizer Dispenser | 500 mL (16 oz) | Green Leaf Aquariums

Then I dose PPS-Pro regime... Newbie Guide to PPS-Pro - PPS Analysis and Feedback - Aquatic Plant Central. Only read the opening thread not all the after comments.

 

[Pezzep]

Thank for the links, they ship to the states only though can still use that newbie guide in the futuere for sure, gunna book mark it. In such a small tank I feel like I may overdose so ill have to make sure my dosing is spot on, I'm defiantly going to look into it more though and try it out sometime. I want me some badass plants like yours aha.

 

[Rivercats]

I have 3 small tanks, 2- 6g and 1- 12 g and what I do for the 6g's is figure out a weekly dose. I round it down to 5g and that would mean at a dosing rate of 1ml per 10g I dose 3.5 ml of each solution 1x a week. I do my WC, then the next day I dose the phosphate/potassium mix, the next day I dose the micro mix, and before I dose the nitrates on the next day I take a nitrate reading and if it is at least 10ppm I don't dose nitrates for that week but if the reading is below 10ppm then I dose the 3.5ml of nitrates. Does this make sense? On the 12g tank I round the water down to 10g for dosing.

 

[Pezzep]

So you dose what they would need for a week rather then each day? Cause didn't in the guide say you wanna do just what they need daily? If I were putting it in my 8 gallon should I round it down like you do to 5 or just try and get exactly what it needs for 8? Or would even up to 10 be okay.

Got some water sprite today my LFS had some random bits floating round so it wasnt considered a bunch, got like 4-5 clippings for 2 dollars.

 

[CatoeSc]

I really like your tank. As is, it has a very natural realistic look. Don't overdo it, you already have a cool thing going.

Other than that, there is a lot of great advice to get here. Rivercats advice helped me go from being frustrated and ready to give up on plants all together to a pretty successful hobby. I've still got a ton to learn, but she knows her stuff!

 

[Pezzep]

Thanks! I'm going to leave the front completely open with all the low growing moss like it is, I just want Julie in the back to help keep the puffers busy and so they don't fight when I get them. Also it hides the equipment and wires. The plants I plan on getting or going to be planted behind the rocks at the rear where it's just a dead open space.

Yeah I see Rivercats posting all over the place, she's defiantly helping me understand these micro and macro nutrients aha.

 

[CatoeSc]

Thanks! I'm going to leave the front completely open with all the low growing moss like it is, I just want Julie in the back to help keep the puffers busy and so they don't fight when I get them. Also it hides the equipment and wires. The plants I plan on getting or going to be planted behind the rocks at the rear where it's just a dead open space.

Yeah I see Rivercats posting all over the place, she's defiantly helping me understand these micro and macro nutrients aha.

I use the ferts she recommended. They last forever!

Have you considered painting the back of your tank? Lots of folks paint the outside/back. It's what I do now. I use black.