# Help Aquascaping !



## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

I have had my edge tank for a while but now I have no idea what to do with it the plants are kinda taking over and nothing looks good as it used to. I have no idea what I want to do with it but it needs to change. Right now it has what I think is mondo grass, a lilly bulb of some sort, a crpt in the background thats regrowing from a crazy otto that ate it, an anubias on a log, and some sort of cryt that randomly sprouted in the tank, it also has issue with java moss I cant get all of it out and it grows in the corners and where ever else lol. Stock wise there are 3 glass cats and 4 white clouds. Help my tank needs direction DX


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

First thing I'd do is pull out all that Mondo grass - it's not a true aquatic and will eventually die off, leaving nasties in your tank. 

The anubias/wood looks rather nice where it is. If you cleared the substrate around it in front and planted a low-growing ground cover like dwarf baby tears or mosses, it would help it stand out as a feature maybe. 

Crypts are nice and pretty hardy. They do grow slowly, but can get quit big in time, so maybe those would look good near the back of the tank close to the wood (ah, I see you have one there already, I think anubias & crypts look great together..). You have height (with the wood) on that side.. so perhaps consider either some taller stems in the opposite corner to balance it and give contrast to the shape, or leave it high where the wood is, put the crypts and maybe some dwarf swords there to make it a bit jungly and then have some flatter but interesting rocks on the other side with some clumps of lower-growing plants. 

The lily is too close to the front. They are such lovely plants - maybe put it closer to the wood, or by that large rock on the left as a feature with some low plants around it, but close to the back so it can be seen at a 'distance'. Large at back, small at front is a good basic rule. 

I have been googling fluval nano scapes for ideas on composition.. lots of great pics out there - maybe check out a similar search for inspiration? Once you have the general shape in mind, it'd be easier to suggest plants to help make that look good.


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

Well if mondo isnt a true aquatic then its not mondo sense this stuff has been there for a few years and its a weed in this tank. I like the baby tears idea and moving the lilly.....


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

You're welcome.


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Hate to somewhat rain on this but baby tears are a high maintenance plant.  Being low-growing, they need really high light and usually C02 as well. I'd suggest cryptocoryne parva as a foreground plant. It can be trimmed to stay low and it's a low-light plant.

Otherwise, I think that tank looks really nice. Very natural.


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

Thanks I have baby tears on a log in another aquarium its fertilized but no C02 this tank is also fertilized. But it is super high maintenance agreed. I will have to look into that crypt the tank is just so gosh darn short...


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

I'm not finding it high maintenance? Mine's sprouting like a weed.. doubled in size in a couple of weeks, though it is a tiny bit leggy.

Maybe I'm just.. green thumbed. Or something. 

If the tank is short you could do a moss carpet? I know they aren't that hard.. moss will grow about anywhere.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

That doesn't look likemondo grass.. maybe dwarf...micro... sword... saggitaria... oO no idea


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Agreed. After looking at the up close pic, it's not mondo grass. Mondo is dark green and looks kind of like a reed/rush grass.


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

Then what is in my tank... moss sounds fun never done it though


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## Sakura8 (May 12, 2011)

Looks like possibly dwarf sagittaria or pygmy chain sword. Either way, full aquatic so you don't need to worry.


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

That would explain why they're doing so well! :-D


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

Im going to go with chain sword it acts like it.


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

Creat said:


> Well if mondo isnt a true aquatic then its not mondo sense this stuff has been there for a few years and its a weed in this tank. I like the baby tears idea and moving the lilly.....


I think you have dwarf sag. Not Mondo grass


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## Fasht (Oct 26, 2011)

Oo, can I get some insights too? I have had my NPT for awhile now and when I started them out they grew like weeds, but now everything just stops growing like literally. and some of my plants are dying, I have a Co2 and highlighting on it but it just fails now =(


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

It only i s growing about 5 inches high on average and its spreading via runners. It looks like dwarf sag. but acts like chain sword


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## Creat (Dec 6, 2010)

My edge is npt style I put a lot of work into my substrate thia was the first time I actually collected substrate from a river to use without sterilizing it. Its a mix of fine sand and gravel. I dont use C02 injection I use a liquid organic form. And I would look into fertilizing I am adicted too the Flourish line of fert. products but I dont use it as often as I should.


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## laoshun (Apr 3, 2012)

Well think of it this way, ur hardscape should follow some sort of rule of thirds meaning 

| _____ #__ | 

the placement of the hardscape should be in this general area of the tank (whether it is left or right)

Begin by bunching the tall background plants bunched behind or slightly left or right of the driftwood or rocks. If you have rocks you can place them coming out from the main piece of the tank.


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