be careful because it is EASY to slip and fall into a FULL ADDICTION with live plants.
Sounds like you have either flourite or Eco Complete which will be perfectly fine as long as you're not intent on planting carpeting plants which prefer finer sand or Dirt/Soil Based Gravel.
I would Crypts planted into the gravel and use the anubias, Java Fern, and Mosses to tie to rocks and wood.
Crypts come in many shapes and sizes. Here are some tips:
- For background and corners, use Crypt Spiralis. It looks like a tall grass and IMO is much more attractive than Vallisneria. It will grow tall and will even matt over on the surface in smaller tanks.
- Use Lutea and Wendti for Midground of as focal point plants. Wendtii comes in many color forms and the bronze/red ones look awesome.
- For foreground, use Parva.
Again, I warn you. Before you know it, you just spent 500 on a light, 300 on a CO2 system, and you develop an addiction to collect stem plants. Then, before you know it, weekly maintenance starts taking hours to trim, dose, and uproot plants.
Good luck. I got stuck on that side of the hobby for the last 5 years and I literally burned out.
Sounds like you have either flourite or Eco Complete which will be perfectly fine as long as you're not intent on planting carpeting plants which prefer finer sand or Dirt/Soil Based Gravel.
I would Crypts planted into the gravel and use the anubias, Java Fern, and Mosses to tie to rocks and wood.
Crypts come in many shapes and sizes. Here are some tips:
- For background and corners, use Crypt Spiralis. It looks like a tall grass and IMO is much more attractive than Vallisneria. It will grow tall and will even matt over on the surface in smaller tanks.
- Use Lutea and Wendti for Midground of as focal point plants. Wendtii comes in many color forms and the bronze/red ones look awesome.
- For foreground, use Parva.
Again, I warn you. Before you know it, you just spent 500 on a light, 300 on a CO2 system, and you develop an addiction to collect stem plants. Then, before you know it, weekly maintenance starts taking hours to trim, dose, and uproot plants.
Good luck. I got stuck on that side of the hobby for the last 5 years and I literally burned out.
