50g Re-scape help

[mbsqw1d]

Hi - I've let this overgrow into a bit of a mess now and not sure what to do with it. The vallis is going mad, dunno whether to completely remove it? And replace with Cryptocoryne crispatula var. balansae?

I've tried to summarise what's going on:

A: Echinodorus Impai thats been struggling despite having plenty of root tabs. This has some larges pebbles around the base, not really visible.
B: alternanthera reineckii, is growing well and probably the only bit I'm liking.
C: Vallis... this is where its meant to live but its shot runners out all over the place
D: Clinopodium Brownei.. its sent out a lot of shoots, not really sure how this is meant to grow, @Wills do you have some of this?
E: alternanthera rosefolia
(i might have B and E mixed up?)
F: couple of pieces of bogwood
G: couple of branches of oak
H: dwarf sag and hygrophila lancea

Any advice and recommendations are very welcome! Thanks.

 

[CassCats]

I think the vals are perfect.

To me I think its some hardscape that needs some work.
I'm thinking another driftwood piece... right here at this angle and length

 

[mcordelia]

so disclaimer up front: my aquascaping experience is limited to looking at other peoples aquascapes

That being said, I think you might benefit from some more hardscape, I'm wondering if rocks in the foreground might help anchor the gaze down a little instead of following the vallis shoots up all the way to the top of the tank. that being said, I like the lushness generated by the vals, but I understand how they have turned into a bit of a maintenance nightmare. I agree with you about the red plant, very pretty, and maybe try and accentuate that in your rescape.

what I have really liked looking at recently are scapes that have a pile of rocks and driftwood leaning into the rock pile. you could use an arrangement like that to frame your red plant, and the rocks themselves could form a forced border with the vallis to prevent it from spreading god knows where. I'm not even going to try and draw out my thoughts because that would be a fail from the get-go

 

[mbsqw1d]

I'd love something like a big tree root to plant in and around but I'm not up for uprooting everything and starting again. Agree though, definitely need some hardscape to break up the plants as other than the red of the a.reineckii, its just a lot of green. Will have a run out to the lfs and see what theyve got.
@NCaquatics how do you go about positioning pieces so they don't tumble over of their own accord? Do you bury portions of the wood into the sand?

 

[mbsqw1d]

so disclaimer up front: my aquascaping experience is limited to looking at other peoples aquascapes

That being said, I think you might benefit from some more hardscape, I'm wondering if rocks in the foreground might help anchor the gaze down a little instead of following the vallis shoots up all the way to the top of the tank. that being said, I like the lushness generated by the vals, but I understand how they have turned into a bit of a maintenance nightmare. I agree with you about the red plant, very pretty, and maybe try and accentuate that in your rescape.

what I have really liked looking at recently are scapes that have a pile of rocks and driftwood leaning into the rock pile. you could use an arrangement like that to frame your red plant, and the rocks themselves could form a forced border with the vallis to prevent it from spreading god knows where. I'm not even going to try and draw out my thoughts because that would be a fail from the get-go

I think a lot of it comes down to hardscape but I kind of think its too late to add stuff without starting from scratch if you know what I mean?
I've got some pieces of bogwood in my other tank that I could rob and try and see how they look ?

 

[mcordelia]

that makes sense, I wasn't sure from your first post how much of a project you wanted this to be. I'd been following your other tank thread where you completely redid the whole thing, so I wasn't sure if this was going to be along the same lines or a more gentle approach. Still, tossing some rocks in the foreground could help anchor the sightlines lower. Easy to take away at least if it doesn't work

 

[CassCats]

I'd love something like a big tree root to plant in and around but I'm not up for uprooting everything and starting again. Agree though, definitely need some hardscape to break up the plants as other than the red of the a.reineckii, its just a lot of green. Will have a run out to the lfs and see what theyve got.
@NCaquatics how do you go about positioning pieces so they don't tumble over of their own accord? Do you bury portions of the wood into the sand?

I often either lean it up against glass, or anchor it with rocks
A lot of it comes down to finding the right shape of wood.

 

[Wills]

No Ive not kept that plant before looks interesting though.

I would do something like this with wood - placed roughly where you have F and D

To try and achieve a low tech version of this - maybe with some moss covered stones to the front and small crypts in the corners

 

[mbsqw1d]

No Ive not kept that plant before looks interesting though.

I would do something like this with wood - placed roughly where you have F and D

View attachment 124014

To try and achieve a low tech version of this - maybe with some moss covered stones to the front and small crypts in the corners

View attachment 124012

Got somewhere close to getting the shape you suggested @Wills , might move the pieces on the right in towards the centre an inch.

Wills have you grown crypt crispulata before? I've decided to put some in place of the vallis, back right.. hoping crypts won't take over as fast as the vallis did. Do they fill out quite well?

 

[Wills]

Sorry I missed the tag for some reason.

I can really see the shape you are going to make and with that AR in the middle its going to look really good. Are you going to keep the money wort growing low? If you push the stem into the sand it should creep rather than grow up.

The Crypts will grow and fill out, they get really long but are slow to grow. Did you buy an invitro one or was it potted? If it was potted you might find it melts to start with, I've seen them planted alongside Crinium which is a bulb plant and also Cyperus Helferi which is a bit like Valis but harder to grow - just wondering if that could help fill out?

Wills

 

[mbsqw1d]

Sorry I missed the tag for some reason.

I can really see the shape you are going to make and with that AR in the middle its going to look really good. Are you going to keep the money wort growing low? If you push the stem into the sand it should creep rather than grow up.

The Crypts will grow and fill out, they get really long but are slow to grow. Did you buy an invitro one or was it potted? If it was potted you might find it melts to start with, I've seen them planted alongside Crinium which is a bulb plant and also Cyperus Helferi which is a bit like Valis but harder to grow - just wondering if that could help fill out?

Wills

Thanks Wills. I need to learn how to trim the AR.. and, it has sent lots of white shoots out from the leaf nodes which looks a bit messy, can they just be trimmed off with no damage done?
Yes I've been trying to train the moneywort to grow along the substrate, not exactly carpet like, as there are 20+ corydoras in there and wouldn't want to block access to the sand. Also.. I need a bit of height from it unless I find something to go between that and the AR.

Yes, the crpyt came as potted plants. With wendtii ive had different experiences.. ive moved it an inch and its melted. Ive moved it completely to another tank and its been fine.. who knows?! Lol
Will check out crinum and helferi thank you

 

[Wills]

Have you thought about trying Blyxa Japonica? Its got a reputation as a tough plant but I've heard good things about the new tropica 1-2-grow ones, its a true aquatic plant which people previously tried to grow aquaponicaly and then when it went back in water it just melted as it had already died but the invitro ones seem to be doing really well. I'm considering it for my small tank. Think it would work here as its got a big mix of colours from greens through to browny reds. Crypt Alibida Brown might be a good one between the AR and the Hydrocotyle too.

I think you can trim water roots but would be a bit tedious. Can you not just trim the stem and let it regrow?

Wills