Deciding which plants to prune

[Beastie]

Hi, I've got a planted aquarium again after a long break. This time I've got a variety of plants, not just a few solitary ones. The issue is, they're all expanding and I need to trim some back - but I'm not sure which ones to keep and which to reduce.

My tank is 360l, 120cmx50cmx60cm. For livestock, I've got:
- 20 ember tetras (with 20 more on the way)
- 15 marble hatchetfish
- 15 sterbai corydoras
- 5 tylomelania snails
- 1 neritina snail
- 3 bamboo shrimp
- a bunch of small MTS snails

As for plants, I've got:
- 3x Anubias barteri var. barteri
- 1x Bucephalandra sp. green leaf (it's floating and not really growing)
- a lot of Ceratophyllum demersum (this has taken over)
- 6x Cladophora aegagropila
- 1x Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia (it's hiding the filter, used to be the main plant)
- a lot of Egeria densa (this has also spread a lot)
- 1x Echinodorus grisebachii 'Bleherae' (this has gotten huge and is a nice centerpiece)
- 1x Hydrocotyle leucocephala (a few stems in the sand, not growing or dying)
- 1x Hydrocotyle tripartita (same as the leucocephala)
- a third of the surface is covered in Limnobium laevigatum (leaves die with holes in them)
- 2x Nymphaea lotus (one bulb, one plant, gets eaten by tylomelania a lot)
- a lot of Vallisneria spiflakeis var. spiflakeis (this has also spread, used to be 3-4 plants, now it's like 10)

I've attached a picture from a few months ago. Today I did a cleanup and removed all the Hornwort (I've got a full bucket of it now). I've tried to tie the Egeria to the wood to keep it from taking over the middle. The thing is, I can't have too many plants on the bottom because of the corydoras, and not too many on the surface because of the hatchetfish.

I'm thinking of adding some of the Hornwort back to create a middle layer, but once it gets too thick, the ember tetras don't swim through it, they swim around it. This reduces their swimming space, doesn't it? I'm considering removing the Cryptocoryne since its leaves rest on the surface. I'll also try to tie the Bucephalandra back, but no promises it'll stay.

I'll post a picture of the other side of the tank once it's filled.

[Beastie]

Forgot to attach

[michelbak]

Honestly I think you've got a good amount going on, but if I had to say, I'd say you could easily add more plants to the mix.

[michelbak]

Hi, I've got a planted aquarium again after a long break. This time I've got a variety of plants, not just a few solitary ones. The issue is, they're all expanding and I need to trim some back - but I'm not sure which ones to keep and which to reduce.

My tank is 360l, 120cmx50cmx60cm. For livestock, I've got:
- 20 ember tetras (with 20 more on the way)
- 15 marble hatchetfish
- 15 sterbai corydoras
- 5 tylomelania snails
- 1 neritina snail
- 3 bamboo shrimp
- a bunch of small MTS snails

As for plants, I've got:
- 3x Anubias barteri var. barteri
- 1x Bucephalandra sp. green leaf (it's floating and not really growing)
- a lot of Ceratophyllum demersum (this has taken over)
- 6x Cladophora aegagropila
- 1x Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia (it's hiding the filter, used to be the main plant)
- a lot of Egeria densa (this has also spread a lot)
- 1x Echinodorus grisebachii 'Bleherae' (this has gotten huge and is a nice centerpiece)
- 1x Hydrocotyle leucocephala (a few stems in the sand, not growing or dying)
- 1x Hydrocotyle tripartita (same as the leucocephala)
- a third of the surface is covered in Limnobium laevigatum (leaves die with holes in them)
- 2x Nymphaea lotus (one bulb, one plant, gets eaten by tylomelania a lot)
- a lot of Vallisneria spiflakeis var. spiflakeis (this has also spread, used to be 3-4 plants, now it's like 10)

I've attached a picture from a few months ago. Today I did a cleanup and removed all the Hornwort (I've got a full bucket of it now). I've tried to tie the Egeria to the wood to keep it from taking over the middle. The thing is, I can't have too many plants on the bottom because of the corydoras, and not too many on the surface because of the hatchetfish.

I'm thinking of adding some of the Hornwort back to create a middle layer, but once it gets too thick, the ember tetras don't swim through it, they swim around it. This reduces their swimming space, doesn't it? I'm considering removing the Cryptocoryne since its leaves rest on the surface. I'll also try to tie the Bucephalandra back, but no promises it'll stay.

I'll post a picture of the other side of the tank once it's filled.

Honestly, I think more plants would do wonders for your tank, providing your fish with much-needed cover. My own tank is pretty packed with plants, and I've got a mix of corys, tetras, harlequins, and dwarf blue rainbows all coexisting beautifully. I've never had any issues with swimming space, and I think the benefits of extra plants far outweigh any potential drawbacks.

[Beastie]

I'll admit, I'm not a fan of fully planted tanks, never have been. I just don't enjoy the look, feels like I'm missing out on seeing the fish. This tank is my most planted one yet, so I guess it's a start, small steps towards change. Maybe one day I'll come around to the idea.

[Beastie]

Here's a picture from the other side without the hornwort, and then I put it all back in. I attempted to tuck it under the wood but it's just not working out.

My main issue is that it's taking over the surface space and I really don't need that. If it would just stay in the middle, that'd be great for the tetras to have some fun in, but the surface is a real problem for me.

[Beastie]

Turns out I have a bigger issue on my hands - the heater's not working. I've got it set to 29°C, but the tank's only at 23°C on the top level, who knows what the temperature is at the bottom. None of my thermometer suction cups work, so they just won't stay put. I've ordered a new external heater, so I'll just have to wait and see how that goes. Once I've got that sorted, I can start thinking about the plants again.

[Bionic]

Honestly, I think you could easily have more plants. Doubling the amount you have now wouldn't be a bad idea, considering the space you have in your tank.

[thenoob]

I've got a tank with plenty of plants and my fish swim right through them, even the more timid ones when they're spooked. Now, the real challenge is deciding which ones to trim back - I usually end up putting it off and it turns into a bit of a mess.

[Snout]

Hi, I've got a planted aquarium again after a long break. This time I've got a variety of plants, not just a few solitary ones. The issue is, they're all expanding and I need to trim some back - but I'm not sure which ones to keep and which to reduce.

My tank is 360l, 120cmx50cmx60cm. For livestock, I've got:
- 20 ember tetras (with 20 more on the way)
- 15 marble hatchetfish
- 15 sterbai corydoras
- 5 tylomelania snails
- 1 neritina snail
- 3 bamboo shrimp
- a bunch of small MTS snails

As for plants, I've got:
- 3x Anubias barteri var. barteri
- 1x Bucephalandra sp. green leaf (it's floating and not really growing)
- a lot of Ceratophyllum demersum (this has taken over)
- 6x Cladophora aegagropila
- 1x Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia (it's hiding the filter, used to be the main plant)
- a lot of Egeria densa (this has also spread a lot)
- 1x Echinodorus grisebachii 'Bleherae' (this has gotten huge and is a nice centerpiece)
- 1x Hydrocotyle leucocephala (a few stems in the sand, not growing or dying)
- 1x Hydrocotyle tripartita (same as the leucocephala)
- a third of the surface is covered in Limnobium laevigatum (leaves die with holes in them)
- 2x Nymphaea lotus (one bulb, one plant, gets eaten by tylomelania a lot)
- a lot of Vallisneria spiflakeis var. spiflakeis (this has also spread, used to be 3-4 plants, now it's like 10)

I've attached a picture from a few months ago. Today I did a cleanup and removed all the Hornwort (I've got a full bucket of it now). I've tried to tie the Egeria to the wood to keep it from taking over the middle. The thing is, I can't have too many plants on the bottom because of the corydoras, and not too many on the surface because of the hatchetfish.

I'm thinking of adding some of the Hornwort back to create a middle layer, but once it gets too thick, the ember tetras don't swim through it, they swim around it. This reduces their swimming space, doesn't it? I'm considering removing the Cryptocoryne since its leaves rest on the surface. I'll also try to tie the Bucephalandra back, but no promises it'll stay.

I'll post a picture of the other side of the tank once it's filled.

I think your fish might be experiencing some territorial issues, or perhaps it's the combination of species that's not quite right. Alternatively, could the flow be too strong, causing them to seek shelter in that 20cm cubed space? Or maybe there's a temperature issue at play, with them gravitating towards the warmest spot?

I do agree with the others, though - you don't have too many plants. If you're looking to cut back, I'd suggest losing some of the hornwort and the Egeria densa. These plants can grow incredibly quickly in the right conditions, so it's no surprise they're taking over.