Help Me! Questions To Ask! Issues To Resolve!

[Ruskull]

I would lose the shipwreck, but that's just me.
 
Anubias & Java Fern are both very easy to grow and require no additional fertilizer, Co2 or even special lighting.  Even under those conditions you'll see like 2 or 3 new leaves a month.  There are some taller type Anubias with longer leaves that could be used for middle/background filler.  Another option is to get a big piece of wood & tie some Anubias or Java Fern to it with brown thread.  Eventually the thread isn't necessary since the new roots will attach and hold it there.
 
Wisteria is another easy to grow plant that grows fast & fills in nicely, depending on the size of your tank.
 
The first Ram pic looks like a male & the second looks like a female, but I never had the Germans so I don't know for sure.  You should probably pick one of the Barb types to keep & one type to re home.  Both do best in larger groups of at least 6.  I have 3 pair of Cherrys and they chase each other all the time.  It's what they do..........

 

[frapadoodle]

See, the squeeky wheel gets the grease.

 

[LiamGoodaire]

Wow woke up to to more replies overnight than the all the replies on the thread for the past few days haha
Cheers frappadoodle, It's not im too nice it's I try to explain everything as much as possible on here but maybe I sould be more blunt!
Cheers guys ill take all that into account regarding the scape, I'm not losing the ship wreck though! Haha
Background will be on next weekend hopefully when I'm not busy
As for plants the only reason I lead towards artificial is because of trimming! Is there any plants which shouldn't be an issue with this? Also SNAILS were a problem before with some live plants I acquired!
Ill leave the rams to mature a bit more then, they are only juries and they do act like a pair but well just have to see!
As for the barbs ill do the scape in the weekends and once it's done give them the chance to settle if not i may have to rehome them!

 

[frapadoodle]

Trimming? Sissy!
Trimming stem plants mean more plants on the cheap.
Besides there a plenty of plants that don't really need trimming.

 

[Ruskull]

Again, Anubias don't really grow that fast but you will sometimes have to take off a dead leaf here and there.  Stuff happens......
Live plants do so much for the ecosystem in the tank that I can't stress enough that you'll never see any fake plants in any of my tanks ever again.  I swear the fish seem to know the difference too, they lightly nip at the leaves sometimes, they never did that with the fake plants.  There's no point in getting silk or plastic plants when live plants are the same price if not less. And as I said before, there are many that don't require ferts, high lighhting or Co2.
 
If you def. have to keep the shipwreck then build your scape around it.  Use real wood though, not some fake plastic resin wood that looks cheap, like I used to have. 

 We've all been there.  Tie some Anubias & Java Fern to the wood & the plants should be closer to the light fixture.  By having the plants higher in the tank, you can create shady areas beneath the leaves that give the fish s sense of security and helps them establish individual territories.
 
Back on the Barbs, I'd probably keep the Cherrys and up their number to at least 3 pair.  This way they keep their chasing & nipping between themselves rather than bothering the other fish.  I'd keep the Cherry's because the males & females are so different in color that it's almost like having 2 different fish anyway.  Again, I can't stress enough how much schooling fish need to be kept in shoals.  They look best that way anyway.   

 

[LiamGoodaire]

May consider live I don't know, I'll do some research first as for now ill place some left over stones and some off cuts from a grass mat and a black background!
Will post pics eventfully and keep updated as regard to the live plants

Cheers guys

 

[frapadoodle]

Oh, be a man and go live.

Hee, hee.

 

[Ruskull]

Live plants rule, once you go live you'll never go back.  You'll laugh at old pictures of your tank knowing that your fish appreciate the new authentic feel of their world.