Plant Suggestions for Small Tank

[PygmyMitch]

especially the tallest one (lobelia? or Hydrocotyle of some kind maybe?)

Yeah i’m not sure what its called. and its definitely thriving well. I do really like the look of it, I just had the initial worry of the fish being stressed out, during water changes as it falls down. But after yesterday's discussion i’m not to worried about that now, and will more than likely keep it.

But you need to lift it enough to uncover the rhizome, the thick stem that all the little roots are growing from? That part must not be planted in the substrate, or it will begin to rot and kill the plant.

I have noticed some of the leaves rotting a bit, so i will go ahead and lift them up. Thanks!

Most of the plants you've shown as possible ones, I don't think are great for beginners or low tech tanks...

yeah i will avoid those then. I definitely need plants that are easy to grow without the requirement of C02.

Yeah I have used pro-shrimp before. I think that might be where I actually got my current plants from.

I have tried using wood before, when I first set the tank up, but it gave off a lot of tannin and I couldn’t get it to work so gave up in the end.
I may try a piece of wood again, If I can get it right.

 

[PygmyMitch]

I prefer the look of wood personally, so when planning a new tank, I go to a store and see what wood pieces they have, same applies to stone. If you find a great piece that you love, it often helps to build the scape from that.
Like this one from Tropica as an example:
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So they either bought one wood piece that looked like that, or more likely, attached a few pieces together to make this shape. The wood and stones are the 'skeleton' of the scape, and they built the plant plans around this skeleton, make sense?
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They've used a lot of easy to grow, low maintenance rhizome plants that can be attached to the wood and stone, rather than planted. I see anubius, buces and bolbitis (I have bolbitis too, love it) so while this tank took some planning, the plants don't grow fast and need frequent trimming or anything, and the cave shape and dense planting suits the ram or apisto species you can see in the photo.

In one scape I did, not my favourite of mine, but it has the most progress photos to help me explain.

I started with this wood piece I'd found, because I had plecos and cories that I knew would love the wooden cave to hide in and around. So I saw that piece as essential, and played around with other hardscape pieces to try to build a scape that would be designed mainly to suit the plecos and school of corydoras I planned to put in this tank. Cories need soft sand, so that was an easy choice to make too.
View attachment 313527

Since I had dark sand and a cave like piece of bogwood as essential to the scape, and cories like some open space to feed and potter about, I used this Tropica layout as inspiration for my own, wanting to do something with a similar mood, which I think of as "gloomy sunken underwater forest":
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The hardscape and planting provide plenty of hiding space, but also left some open room for large cories to explore, feed and play.

I tried so many arrangements using different pieces! It's worth taking photos of the different arrangements you try, so you can look at them more objectively, and re-create a previous arrangment if you find you preferred a previous attempt, but have forgotten how you did it! Photos mean you can see how you had it before and recreate it.
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I actually liked this look... but it's a LOT of wood, and I'm a plant nut, so I knew I'd end up removing a lot of pieces to make room for more plants. But I could just have easily kept this arangement, and stuck with slow growing, rhizome having plants like the buce/anubius/java ferns/mosses etc. But since I like a variety of plants, for it to grow a bit wild, and some fast growing plants too, I didn't go with this one below:
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Next two photos, you need to decide if you want a central arrangement, or to the left or right, and what you decide to do might depend on what hardscape pieces you find and like!
View attachment 313531View attachment 313532

Once you have an arrangement of the hardscape you like, then you can look at what plants would suit it, and suit what you want. Whether you want something easy that doesn't require weekly trimming, or a mix of both, or high tech with CO2 and delicate, deeply coloured plants!

I had some plants from my other tanks, but bought a lot too. In the next photo you'll see most of the plants are still in their pots, because I was arranging them without planting or attaching them yet, to check I liked how it would look:
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After I'd planted it up and plants like the amazon frogbit on the surface were growing in:

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In the end I didn't end up keeping this scape for very long because I decided I wanted a much longer and bigger tank, upgrading them from this 36g to a 63g with a bigger footprint. But the plecos and cories did and still do love that main wooden cave piece that I built this tank around, so that piece is going to be central in the 63g too!

I'd recommend having a floating plant - all fish feel safer with some overhead cover like that, and they're good for water quality. NOT duckweed though. That stuff is evil. But any other floating plant is easy to maintain and great for water quality too.

You can also mix real and fake! Some of those tanks with themes and fake decor can be some of the most fun and beautiful, and ignore anyone who gets snobby about only having real decor. Real plants are definitely beneficial for sure, but there's no law against mixing in some fake ones for a pop of brighter colour, or having a lord of the rings theme tank with a hobbit hole, real plants and some fake decor for fun! I love my real wood, stone and live plants, but I still fully intend to make some themed tanks that include some fake decor in the future. I have some decor in the cupboard for that project! As long as the fake stuff is tank safe.

From the Tropica Inspirations page:
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Another easy scape idea that might suit your current tank! Low maintenance and low tech plants that don't require huge maintenance, I'd move your two current plants more towards the back, as background plants, then shorter plants in the foreground.


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This one has more difficult, advanced plants that require CO2, but it's easy to just mimic the style of a layout you like, but adapt it how you like. It wouldn't be too hard to create a lower maintenance, easier version of the scape with less demanding plants:
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Hope this is making sense and isn't bombarding you with too much stuff!

That first one is an amazing aquascape, I like how it leaves the centre open for the fish!

Your post has really inspired me to want to get some wood now and give it another go. I really like how yours turned out. the cave is a really good touch. I do really like that.

The second to last one I really do like. I like how its open around the edges and at the top, but also It looks as though it has a lot if hiding spaces in the middle. I think my pgmys would really benefit from something like that.

Thanks for the input, its gave me a lot to think about and a have good look about. I can feel myself wanting to buy more tanks now sadly I don’t have any space for more at the moment.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

That first one is an amazing aquascape, I like how it leaves the centre open for the fish!

Your post has really inspired me to want to get some wood now and give it another go. I really like how yours turned out. the cave is a really good touch. I do really like that.

The second to last one I really do like. I like how its open around the edges and at the top, but also It looks as though it has a lot if hiding spaces in the middle. I think my pgmys would really benefit from something like that.

Thanks for the input, its gave me a lot to think about and a have good look about. I can feel myself wanting to buy more tanks now sadly I don’t have any space for more at the moment.

Happy if it helps someone get into planted tanks and become one of us! One of us!
You could go the other way and start easy, immediate, and inexpensive! Live plants to benefit fish and water quality for sure - but all the faffing about with wood, stone, fussy plants and aquascaping? That part is more for us than it is for the fish.

You could pick up some elodea, hornwort, water sprite or guppy grass - endless list of simple, easy, fast growing stem plants that require no real extra help. Elodea and hornwort are 'pond weed', basically, so inexpensive to buy, grows like mad, but can also be used in tropical tanks.

Can be planted if you like, but can also just throw it in and let it grow and take over the tank, lol! The fish don't care about the looks of the tank, and you can get those cheap, chuck em in and get the benefits of live plants without all the fussing or expensive hardscape. Some fake decor or plants can provide hidey holes for the pygmies just as well as a fancy chunk of bogwood. You can always add fancy hardscape or some other easier plants you like the look of at a later time!

Super easy, this tank is just hornwort left to float, it grows and provides surface cover for the fish plus great for water quality, needs no care except to remove and bin some strands when it grows a bit too much for your taste!

Or you can plant the strands in the substrate so they grow like this elodea tank:

Really simple, but pretty! That's mostly elodea, then just two other smaller plants, but it's still a nice tank with all the benefits live plants bring.

 

[PygmyMitch]

Happy if it helps someone get into planted tanks and become one of us! One of us!
You could go the other way and start easy, immediate, and inexpensive! Live plants to benefit fish and water quality for sure - but all the faffing about with wood, stone, fussy plants and aquascaping? That part is more for us than it is for the fish.

You could pick up some elodea, hornwort, water sprite or guppy grass - endless list of simple, easy, fast growing stem plants that require no real extra help. Elodea and hornwort are 'pond weed', basically, so inexpensive to buy, grows like mad, but can also be used in tropical tanks.

Can be planted if you like, but can also just throw it in and let it grow and take over the tank, lol! The fish don't care about the looks of the tank, and you can get those cheap, chuck em in and get the benefits of live plants without all the fussing or expensive hardscape. Some fake decor or plants can provide hidey holes for the pygmies just as well as a fancy chunk of bogwood. You can always add fancy hardscape or some other easier plants you like the look of at a later time!

Super easy, this tank is just hornwort left to float, it grows and provides surface cover for the fish plus great for water quality, needs no care except to remove and bin some strands when it grows a bit too much for your taste!
View attachment 313599


Or you can plant the strands in the substrate so they grow like this elodea tank:
View attachment 313600


Really simple, but pretty! That's mostly elodea, then just two other smaller plants, but it's still a nice tank with all the benefits live plants bring.

Im sure one day, I will have plenty of planted tanks, when I have my own place (currently still living with parents)

As I only have the one tank and its in my room, I don't want to go to easy and just throw something into go wild. I really want to make it look good, as I enjoy sitting watch it on a night time.

I have a good look through the tropica suggestions and seen some plants and designs I like. I’m think of spreading my current tall plant all along the back. Moving the log ornament to the right hand side, and then getting some wood and stones, like the attached photo for the middle and attach my java fern to it. and then finish it of by planting the plants in the attached photo, in and around the wood

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Im sure one day, I will have plenty of planted tanks, when I have my own place (currently still living with parents)

As I only have the one tank and its in my room, I don't want to go to easy and just throw something into go wild. I really want to make it look good, as I enjoy sitting watch it on a night time.

I have a good look through the tropica suggestions and seen some plants and designs I like. I’m think of spreading my current tall plant all along the back. Moving the log ornament to the right hand side, and then getting some wood and stones, like the attached photo for the middle and attach my java fern to it. and then finish it of by planting the plants in the attached photo, in and around the wood

I love it! I'm so glad you were feeling inspired - that Tropica page is pretty amazing isn't it? Definitely makes you want more tanks! Love the island look you're going for, and your tall ludwegia or whatever that pretty thriving plant is will look great spread out as a tall background plant, and you can trim it down and replant the top trimmings to thicken it where you want it, or thin it out if it grows where you don't want it.

Nice choice of easy plants too, and the pygmies will enjoy having that middle island of hidey holes among the plants, then likely sit around on the sand and wood when they eat, settle into the new home, and get more comfortable and confident.


Please do consider updating this thread or making a journal thread when you've re-scaped and added plants!

 

[PygmyMitch]

I love it! I'm so glad you were feeling inspired - that Tropica page is pretty amazing isn't it? Definitely makes you want more tanks! Love the island look you're going for, and your tall ludwegia or whatever that pretty thriving plant is will look great spread out as a tall background plant, and you can trim it down and replant the top trimmings to thicken it where you want it, or thin it out if it grows where you don't want it.

Nice choice of easy plants too, and the pygmies will enjoy having that middle island of hidey holes among the plants, then likely sit around on the sand and wood when they eat, settle into the new home, and get more comfortable and confident.


Please do consider updating this thread or making a journal thread when you've re-scaped and added plants!

All thanks to you! Yeah that page has some really cool aquascapes.

Yeah i really thought that going for the island look will allow space all around the edges of the tank for the pygmys to be in the open for feeding and exploring and then the centre island filled with plants allows them to hide easy if they are scared, no matter which side of the tank they are on.

Yeah I will certainly create a journal thread for it!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

You can create some really individual, cool and dramatic looking centre island scapes too, even in a nano tank! If you do some searches for "island style nano tank" and similar terms, you'll find plenty of inspiration! Love that you're thinking both about what the fish will like, and what you'll enjoy looking at every night. It's important for us to enjoy the tank, or there's not much point! Please tag me in your journal thread when it happens, if you remember! Only asking 'cos I'd love to see the scape and how it progresses! But I also have a terrible memory, lol.

 

[PygmyMitch]

Yeah I will give that a search, see what I can find!
Thats it, got to get it right for both the fish so they are stress-free and for yourself, so you can enjoy it! Yeah I will certainly tag you in it!

 

[PygmyMitch]

But you need to lift it enough to uncover the rhizome, the thick stem that all the little roots are growing from? That part must not be planted in the substrate, or it will begin to rot and kill the plant.

I have pulled the java fern up, and it is just sat on top of the substrate. I couldn’t get the smaller roots to stick under the sand. Should that be okay as it is ? Do you think some of it has rotten too much ? Is the brown on it where it has rotted or is that algae ?

 

[Sgooosh]

I have pulled the java fern up, and it is just sat on top of the substrate. I couldn’t get the smaller roots to stick under the sand. Should that be okay as it is ? Do you think some of it has rotten too much ? Is the brown on it where it has rotted or is that algae ?

the rhizome looks pretty healthy at least from a glance. the roots of the fern are dark brown-black
it will root itself over time

 

[PygmyMitch]

the rhizome looks pretty healthy at least from a glance. the roots of the fern are dark brown-black
it will root itself over time

Ah thats good to hear then. Thanks. But do the leaves look okay. or should i maybe try and trim them/remove the black on them ?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I have pulled the java fern up, and it is just sat on top of the substrate. I couldn’t get the smaller roots to stick under the sand. Should that be okay as it is ? Do you think some of it has rotten too much ? Is the brown on it where it has rotted or is that algae ?

Ah thats good to hear then. Thanks. But do the leaves look okay. or should i maybe try and trim them/remove the black on them ?

It'll be fine like that! The roots don't need to be buried, java ferns take their nutrients directly from the water column, so no need for buried roots.


It looks pretty healthy to me, no need to trim leaves. There might be a little algae, not not enough to fret about, and older leaves will brown and fall off when they're ready naturally. When that does happen you can gently pull away the mostly brown leaf if you're finding it unsightly, but yours looks fine for now!

In fact, it's propagating new plants already. Those long brown fluffy threads coming from some of the leaves? Those are the roots of new baby plants forming. It's one of the two ways Java Fern grows -either the rhyzome grows longer and produces more leaves, making the plant bigger, and it can also produce new baby plants that grow from leaves on the plant, breaking off once they're large enough and ready.

 

[PygmyMitch]

You can tell i’m new to keeping plants. I don’t really know much about them haha.

I’m glad that it’s healthy! I’ll leave it sitting where it is and hopefully I will see it grow!

Ah… I didn’t know that the brown fluffy bit was actually roots. I thought that was possibly algae. Thanks again belle!