# First Attempt at Aquascaping



## medusae (Nov 13, 2012)

This is my new 5gal crescent tank for my betta. I thought I had a clear idea when I was starting this but it's just looking so bare! Any suggestions as to what I should do with the java moss? In the first picture it was just floating up front, and in the second I tucked in behind on the right. I really love the wood piece... I was thinking about maybe attaching the java moss to that.

I'm also having a really hard time getting the roots to my water sprite in the back left to stay down. They have super, super long roots so I just had to sort of ball them up to try to get them down. Could I prune the roots without hurting the plant?

Let me know how it looks upon first glance, and if you think any of the placement is a little off. I've been reading a lot about this but it's a lot harder then I thought!


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

I'm a planted tank newbie as well, but maybe you could put a taller plant behind the rock? IMO it already looks really good.


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## medusae (Nov 13, 2012)

Also reversed the heater and filter. They were backwards for the lid anyway, ahah


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

Very nice, yes, some tall plants that will grow to cover the heater & filter intake valve? What is the substrate, Eco-complete or gravel?


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## medusae (Nov 13, 2012)

It's floramax


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

medusae said:


> It's floramax


Thanks, does it hold the plants in well? My CaribSea Floramax, black color midnight fine grain does not hold the plants in well, hydrophilic becomes floaters after the snail bumps it.


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## medusae (Nov 13, 2012)

Doesn't hold well at ALL. It's very, very annoying. I've been havin gtrouble keeping the big roots of the sprite's down.


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

hmmm, i see, i am thinking of having an inch of gravel on top,maybe it will hold better...


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## Sparrowhawk (Nov 19, 2012)

I think it looks great as it is! More stems would be awesome though. If you wanted to, you could tie your java moss to your driftwood in bits, and make it tree-like? Just an idea, but it looks great at the moment.


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## Agility4fun (Nov 16, 2012)

medusae said:


> This is my new 5gal crescent tank for my betta. I thought I had a clear idea when I was starting this but it's just looking so bare! Any suggestions as to what I should do with the java moss? In the first picture it was just floating up front, and in the second I tucked in behind on the right. I really love the wood piece... I was thinking about maybe attaching the java moss to that.
> 
> I'm also having a really hard time getting the roots to my water sprite in the back left to stay down. They have super, super long roots so I just had to sort of ball them up to try to get them down. Could I prune the roots without hurting the plant?
> 
> Let me know how it looks upon first glance, and if you think any of the placement is a little off. I've been reading a lot about this but it's a lot harder then I thought!


Looks really nice!

It is hard to scape it isn't it? Stuff doesn't just stay as you want or look the way you intended. I think I spent an hour on my little 2.65g and stepped back and thought "wow, it looks so empty".

I like the structure of your tank, but I might attach a chunk of the fern to the main trunk of your branch, and swap the red plant with the plant in front of that cool rock. The red leaves will show nicely against the white background.


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## marktrc (Jun 6, 2012)

try some crypt parva in the front if you got close too high light. i never tried but saw some tanks with it. no need co2 makes nice ground cover. it might be one if those plants that dieswhen first planted thrn grows.


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