# Advice/Layout Help



## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

So I just started my live plant journey, and I figured out the basics. So far I have this setup:










It's a 5.5 gallon, with one crypt, one moss ball, and two small java ferns. I have plain gravel substrate, and I have a desk lamp with a 25watt Daylight (6500k) bulb *I could NOT find anything lower in wattage for a 6500k

I have Flourish on hand as well.

In about a week or two, I will be getting a nice piece of Cholla wood (pictured) and some other branches with it.








Coming in the same batch will be some java moss and some subwassertang (all from RusselTheShihZu's tanks). 

I also have a WHOLE bunch of fake plants coming Friday (10 of em)
3x syngoniums (2x 8" and 1x 4")










2x 6" chlorophytum









1x 8" hydrocotyle









PLUS the whole combo pack on the left









I just wanted some advice on how you all would arrange what I have. I want my tank to look nice and cozy, but not as... amatuer as I always end up making them look. I want to attach the java moss to one of the cholla wood branches, but other than that I have no idea on layout or even WHICH plants I should use. I even kind of want to take out the current ornament I have in there, because it looks kinda dinky?

Any help is appreciated. I do eventually want to have shrimp, so heavily planted is ideal, but I'd like some more experienced opinions on what I should do. The silk plants I can always leave out and save for another tank in the future.
Edit: I'm not expecting anyone to plan it all out, but I would like any general rules of thumb/schemes to keeping the tank looking nice and natural.

Thank you


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## dannifluff (Jul 5, 2015)

Um... usually taller at the back, shorter at the front is a good rule of thumb. Cholla in the middle with the java moss would look nice. What I do is fold a lead plant weight into a circle and tie it loosely around the bottom stem of plants with thread, that way they're weighted but not smothered, and while they're settling in you can just push them around and try out different positions. Once they are putting roots out and new growth, you can plant them in the positions you're happy with. Most of us with live plants are constantly moving things around lol, because you tend to get everything looking perfect and then they go ahead and grow five inches in a week and you have to trim everything back down again!


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## Soriel (Jun 26, 2015)

Since you already have 2 pieces of wood, I wonder if you can do something like this:










I love the "trail" look in aquariums..


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## Soriel (Jun 26, 2015)

Here is another smaller layout for your inspiration!


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## Soriel (Jun 26, 2015)

Some more! Sorry..lol.. i've been taking on an interest on nano tank aqua-scaping.


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## lilyrazen (Oct 25, 2009)

I found out the rocks I used to weight my Java fern are messing with my PH so I'm probably going to let those float instead until I get the new wood. It might go well on one of those extra branches, then I can use the Java moss and subwassertang on the big piece or the other branches.


I'm kind of considering attaching the Java Fern to my centerpiece and then the moss to a branch and the the subwassertang somewhere else


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