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I am the WORST aquarium planter in the world, my plants usually die or get eaten by my tanks inhabitants. I want to make a planted 6g but have no clue where to start, as for lighting, its probably about 2watts per gallon. Id really like to make one that looks really stunning, a show tank. Fish are optional.
-Thanks in advance
Andrew

Alright, well first you would have to decide what kind of planted tank you wanted. A nature aquarium (a.k.a. asian style. organized yet natural looking) , or a organized setup (a.k.a European, characterized by a strict organization of species into "blocks" ) or you like perhaps a biotope(using plants from only one portion of the earth).

After you decide what style you'd like we can begin talking about plant selection, which will in turn be a result of style and technical limits(light, tank size, substrate choice, etc.)

Also if you have a budget, it would definetly be something to keep in consideration. HTH for a beginning

Megil

P.S. Sorry I couldn't consolidate it in one post, but I find this process to be easier if you divide it into parts first. Prevents information overload .

Last edited by Megil Tel'Zeke at 30-May-2005 18:58

Small crypts and anubias. Easy enough. Just plant them and leave them alone... the best types of plants for those who aren't good with plants. Crypts especially, once you plant them, they're best off if you just leave them be.

There's many many other types of plants, but I figured I'd go with the easy to take care of types, unless you indicate that you want to get into more depth. *shrugs*

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Not to forget the lazy man's planting method: jungle (just kidding, ben ), which, as it sounds, is to "haphazardly" bury the plants with minimal emphasis on structure. However, they actually require a great deal of thought and are arguably more difficult to put together than your standard Dutch aquascape.

I would assume that lack of space already confines the number of species he could plant. Good choices include:

Hemianthus
Eleocharis
Glossostigma
Moss
miniature cryptocornes, such as parva

Realistically, stem plants just aren't going to cut it in such a tiny tank, as mainentance will be hell, and commonplace plants such as microsorium and anubias just get too large.

True, but we now have a few miniature cultivar's that would do in such a small tank. That is of course if he'd be willing to spend a little extra on the mini varieties which can be quite hardy just a bit pricier. So budget is of most importance in deciding what to aquascape this tank with.

And I entirely agree, stem plants should be avoided in most aquascapes if the intent is on creating a stable scape that has longevity. They grow far too fast, and absorb a lot of nutrients. Unless the tank is very large, or the owner is willing to do constant trimmings I would recommend against stem plants.

Last edited by Megil Tel'Zeke at 30-May-2005 19:10

True, cultivated plants have gone a long way. If you want specialized plants like Megil mentioned, I would seek out a good specialty dealer. Aquabid also has some good stuff. However, they are going to be pricier, as most of these plants are cultivated in SE Asia, meaning shipping will be a bit extra.

EDIT: Wow, triple post. o.o

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 30-May-2005 19:22

Fishyandrew45

I personally think the smaller the tank the more difficult it can become. You have to be very carefull with the aquacape, live plants, driftwood, and rocks. please note I did not include any artifical bits and pieces.

I have just finished planning my 10Gal Betta tank. It took a lot of research/planning, including asking lots of questions.

With a small tank you can basically go two ways, extremly simple as in a display window, or the more natural well planned effect.

Cost certainly comes into it.
I started of with deciding what fish I wanted, then proceded on to driftwood, substrate, filtration etc, and plants. I made a plan drawing full size of the base of the tank and worked out where I wanted to place the selected plants,etc.

Plants again two methods.
The "Garden Salad" just a mix of plants no set idea of shape, colour, size or even growth habits.
The well "Structed" selected minium species of plants all carefully selected for their shape, size, and colour. These carefully selected plants are planted to give the best effect you can get when the tank is established.

I also have a large 5ft full of Anubias (jungle) style I prefer to call it a natural setting. That can take years to collect all the plants but the final result is fantastic.

Over the years there has been some excellent small tanks entered in the Aquscape contest. One I can remember had the very bare minium required but looked stunning.

Now I have totally confused you.
The best advice I can offer is plan well, do lots of research, and ask a lot of questions. Finally dont be in a hurry.

PM me you E/m address and I will send you more info on Aquacape

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Not to forget the lazy man's planting method: jungle (just kidding, ben )

OUCH !

However, they actually require a great deal of thought and are arguably more difficult to put together than your standard Dutch aquascape.

Umm...phew...redemption


The definition of style ? Something that looks good while at the same time giving the appearance that no effort was made to make it look good.

Anyway, back on topic. The small tank has a number of dis-advantages and advatages over the bigger tank.

It is a bit more of a challenge to 'scape as there is much less wiggle room and the lack of space severely limits the number of species that can be used.
On the plus side some species seem to do better in a smaller tank then the larger one. I have Riccia tied to rock in a large o2 tank and in a small 5 gal non co2 tank. It does much much better in the smaller tank, for the simple reason that the shallower depth has it closer to the light source.

The use of hardscape (rocks and wood) is often over looked in the smaller tank. The trick with a small tank is making it look bigger then it actually is. Use of nice but small pieces of wood and smallish but interesting rocks can work wonders in this regard.

A small interesting piece of wood ( you can always get a bigger bit and cut off a small branchy section - think Bonsai !), 2 or 3 interesting rocks (something that look like miniature boulders)a large quantity of Anubias Nana Petite and a Wendelov fern and you can whip up a great attractive natural looking aquascape in no time that requires no maintenance and is almost impossible to kill. Neither of these plants need to be rooted so you can create slopes and valleys by combining with the wood and rocks. Want a bit more variety? - add a crypt or two and a few sprigs/top cuttings of Wisteria , not much more in the way of attention or maintence required. A Tennellus or 2 in front of the wood or rocks would be do-able.

Create the basic shape/structure with the hardscape (lay it out , step back , study for a bit to see if you've got a shape and depth you like, adjust if neccessary) then "fill in the blanks" with the plants.

---

Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.

I currently have a gal planted...its sort of jam packed with different types of plants. The only problem is it needs pruning almost every 2 weeks! With co2, liquid ferts and root tablets the plants are growing crazy. IMO planting a small tank is very challenging. Trying to achieve the aquascape of a large tank into a small tank. But once its all over, you will feel proud. I got small internal filter, that takes up some space...so im thinking another type of filtration. Internals are nice, but take up some space in the tank.

Here is a pic of my 6gal...it looks big, but its actually tiny.

6gal Planted)

I have a small planted tank with 2 wpg that I personally think looks stunning. Pick a centeripiece like a rock, piece of bogwood, or other decoration. I made a small cave out of florida "moon rock" from CaribSea and covered it with christmas moss and a small java fern. I hid the heater in one corner behind a bunch of Rotala Indica, and the filter in the other corner is hidden behind some pink Alternanthera and a large-leaved aponogeton (bulbs from wal-mart). Along the back, I have Didiplis diandra, egeria densa, and Limnophila sesiliflora. I also have some Heteranthera Stargrass growing next to the cave along with a few more aponogeton bulbs (one tall one and two more compact ones). In front of the cave I've started some glossostigma. The only inhabitants of my tank are three otocinclus and about 8 red cherry shrimp, and everyone has spawned in there at least once, so I don't actually know how many of each I have anymore. It's still a very young tank (and I wish I had pictures of it to post) and it should fill out a lot more in the next few months. I also havn't packed the plants very densely; there's quite a bit of space between the stems, but you still can't see much of the substrate under the lush leaves. I'm not using anything special for substrate: just a small, smooth natural gravel, and there's no CO2 injection. I dose with SeaChem ferts (Flourish trace, Iron, Potassium, and Excel) and a bit of iodine for the shrimp and that's it. It's not the fastest growing aquascape, but it will fill out in time and keep looking better and better.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...