Who Gives A Fish Forums

Just set up my hardscape for my second planted tank - fingers crossed it turns out better than the first. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the setup. I'm also looking for some beginner-friendly plant suggestions. I've got a 40 gallon breeder tank, btw.

The driftwood looks stunning. I think grouping them together in the middle could really create a focal point. Anubias would look great attached to the wood, and water lettuce floating on top could add a nice touch. What kind of substrate are you planning to use in the tank?

Giggletons wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 4:04 pm The driftwood looks stunning. I think grouping them together in the middle could really create a focal point. Anubias would look great attached to the wood, and water lettuce floating on top could add a nice touch. What kind of substrate are you planning to use in the tank?

Appreciate it. I'll be using aquasoil.

When it comes to aquascaping, keep in mind the different layers. Foreground, midground, and background all need their own space. You don't want one to overpower the others. Your current setup is looking great, by the way. I'm curious, what's the water hardness like in Ohio?

I've found Hornwort to be super easy to grow and it adds a nice touch to the tank, especially in the back corners where it can get a bit bare, it's a great filler plant.

gripit wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 7:48 pm When it comes to aquascaping, keep in mind the different layers. Foreground, midground, and background all need their own space. You don't want one to overpower the others. Your current setup is looking great, by the way. I'm curious, what's the water hardness like in Ohio?

That looks great, I'll definitely consider getting some of that hornwort. For the front, I'm thinking of adding a few Java Fern pieces to the wood clump.

finnleyocean wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 1:46 pm Just set up my hardscape for my second planted tank - fingers crossed it turns out better than the first. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the setup. I'm also looking for some beginner-friendly plant suggestions. I've got a 40 gallon breeder tank, btw.

looks like it should be fine with the thickness

finnleyocean wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 1:46 pm Just set up my hardscape for my second planted tank - fingers crossed it turns out better than the first. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the setup. I'm also looking for some beginner-friendly plant suggestions. I've got a 40 gallon breeder tank, btw.

S Repens would be awesome in some areas around the wood but I'm not sure I want it carpeting the whole tank, plus I don't think it'll grow fast without Co2. Zoster Swords in the back left corner might look pretty cool too.

finnleyocean wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 1:46 pm Just set up my hardscape for my second planted tank - fingers crossed it turns out better than the first. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the setup. I'm also looking for some beginner-friendly plant suggestions. I've got a 40 gallon breeder tank, btw.

I'm thinking I might just do a blackwater tank instead with some floating plants and valisneria. What's the difference between regular and jungle valisneria?

finnleyocean wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 1:46 pm Just set up my hardscape for my second planted tank - fingers crossed it turns out better than the first. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the setup. I'm also looking for some beginner-friendly plant suggestions. I've got a 40 gallon breeder tank, btw.

Vallis doesn't do well in blackwater or super acidic conditions, so you might want to keep that in mind.

The Jungle Vallis gets pretty wide and can grow up to 6 feet long.

On the other hand, the regular Narrow Vallis is thinner, reaching about 3-4 feet in length and seems like a better fit for aquariums.

There are also some other varieties like twisted Vallis and smaller variegated ones, but I'm not sure how well they'd do in your setup.