Looking for suggestions to improve on current design

[feh]

I'm looking to add more depth to the right side behind the driftwood. So far I have some purple bamboo growing and a hygro. pinnatifida in front of the swords. Both are newly planted so prolly won't see them. I'm considering removing at least 1 more of the 3 swords possibly 2... leaving the one in the far right rear corner. I was considering rearranging things on the right side and adding in some Tonina sp. 'Belem' and Ludwigia inclinata 'Cuba' in a way the tonina would be on both sides of the ludwigia 'cuba' with some purple bamboo scattered around

Also the java fern in the rear is going to be removed. I feel its not doing much aesthetically for the tank especially considering the amount of flow I'm sure its decreasing.

I am also waiting on a shipment of Xmas moss and looking for suggestions on placement. I had java moss at one time on the roots, but kept getting algae in it - remnants from an outbreak I had a while back. Rest of the tank seems ok but my guess is it kept growing back in the java moss because its close to the light source. As much as I'd like to replant it in the same places I don't really want to raise my lights and remove my canopy. Although removing the top of the canopy is an option. I think next time I will definitely opt for a taller canopy.

Suggestions?

Current plant list:

Staurogyne repens
Trident java fern
Amazon swords
Echinodorus angustifolia 'vesuvius'
Hydrophila pinnatifida
hydrocotyle verticillata
Anubias barteri
Anubias nana 'petite'
Crypt wendtii 'tropica'
Cyperus helferi
Poaceae sp. ‘Purple Bamboo’
Echinodorus parviflorus 'tropica'

 

[DukeNJ]

I think the tank looks great. To add some depth, you might consider a different color plant. Breaking up the field of green should add some dimension.

In my tank Red Tiger Lotuses add a sense depth by adding red to the tank and the leaves provide layers of plant material and space. Fish love hovering among them too.

 

[feh]

I'm actually considering reducing the number of species down when I decide on things. I think simplifying things would greatly improve it, but I do agree that some red such as a tiger lotus would definitely add to it.

 

[dutchy]

Although it's a nice design with a nice focal point, I think the scape is too much length orientated, this gives a kind of flat impression. You could try to break this by having a foreground plant go all the way to the back or something like that.

Try not to use too much plant species, this will make it look cluttered. A good rule is max. one plant species per 4 inch tank length.

 

[feh]

I am in the process of ordering some more Staurogyne repens. I'm also highly considering removing the swords. So what if I yank out everything on the left... plant nothing but staurogyne in the gravel, remove the large anubias completely, remove the large plain java fern, remove the amazon swords completely. Hmm... I'm thinking putting the anubias 'petite' from the left under the trident fern to kind of extend what i started with it on the right side of the tank. When I get the Christmas moss I could use some of that on the roots on the left and center of the driftwood. Some in the lower and upper parts. Maybe even wrapping it all the way around some of the roots where it would be able to get light all the way around. Still leaves me with blank ideas for the right side behind the driftwood where the swords are now. I'm also thinking about removing the crypts too. Based that rule that would give me a max of 12 species since its a 48 inch tank. Also when you said using a foreground plant all the way back I'm guessing you meant without any background plants. I might even go as far as cutting another 4 inches off the trunk which faces the back glass that would give me more space in the front of the tank.

So at this point the plants that would be going back in:
Staurogyne repens
Christmas moss
Trident fern
Anubias 'petite'

 

[dutchy]

Sounds good but mostly you will now for sure after you've changed it. Keep us posted.

 

[feh]

Well what I received wasn't all Christmas moss. So I used the other half which looks more like Bali moss. I didn't like how the Christmas moss looked in the way I wanted to use it. Still waiting on the staurogyne. Hopefully 10 whole plants with fill in the rest of the area I cleared out. I've been working on it a little here and there. So far all I have in the tank is staurogyne, amazon swords, anubias nana 'petite', "Bali" moss, anubias barteri, and cyperus helferi, and the trident fern, and 2 types of hydrocotyle. I'm hoping I have enough light to keep the ones I planted in front of the fern and wood low. I definitely saw better flow once I removed the huge fern from the rear of the wood and raised my intakes higher from my substrate. I had been wondering for a while if the intakes being so low was causing my filters to get dirty so quickly so I went ahead took the plunge and took a section out. Will upload a pic later. I'm still tempted to put a crypt wendtii 'tropica' back in on the left between the roots, but not sure. I don't want to clutter it back up. I do like the open look on the left side. I'm not sure the swords are going to be staying long term. Still tempted to replace them with some nice stems.