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Aquascaping --- Midground plants?

6K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Stu 
#1 ·
My tank is a 55 gallon. I wish I had gone ahead and gotten a 75 despite the fact that it would poke out 6" in front of the bookcases that are flanking my aquarium location. The 55 is only 12" (if I remember correctly) from front to back which makes it extremely difficult to get a good midground composition.

The only plant I've got that I would call a "true" midground is the alternanthera reineckii --- or maybe it just grows slow :tongue: . Everything else either wants to reach for the sky or sprawl over the substrate. The hygrophila especially in the high light tends to want to sprawl although when I prune I try to sort of comb everything I leave upwards.

I'd kind of like to eventually get rid of the hygrophila and replace it with something else (although I'm rather fond of the sunset hygro.) Any suggestions on a plant for soft, acidic water in a moderate to high light CO2 enriched situation that will achieve a height of about 4-5" and stay there ?
 
#2 ·
Maybe not down at the 4-5" level, but here's the mid-ground-ish lants I use.
Dwarf Lobelia cardinalis - a nice light green. Very slow grower, easy to top and keep low.
Anubias v nana - a nice dark green. Also very slow. Perhaps a tad above 4-5.
Crypt wendtii - a bronze and reddish color. Probably more like 6-8", but there are lots of choices in the crypt family.

Though I use is as a low-background, I'd also suggest Hemianthus micranthemoides. Light green. Interesting texture with the small leaves. Grows moderatly fast, but does well with frequent hair cuts.
 
#3 ·
I hadn't thought about the cardinalis for this, but I see on pulling up some pix that it's got a very similar color and texture to the alternanthera reineckii. Taking another look at the pic I posted this morning (the "pruning" thread) I think the a. nana would work if I can find a nice, smallish piece of driftwood to tie them to. I've tried just putting them (anubias) into the substrate making sure not to cover the rhizome, but have found this to be an exercise in patience to get the things to stay in the substrate :confused: . I may end up with some crypts although I've been trying to stay away from them for the most part as it seems from my reading that they can be a bit "tetchy." I believe I may be to the point now though, that that wouldn't be such an issue.

Thanks! You've set me off thinking in a different direction :D!
 
#4 ·
You might have looked at the emersed form of Lobelia. The emersed form is darker green on top and purple underneath. When grown under water, it turns completely light green.

On the anubias, try a rubberband and a rock :icon_bigg .
 
#5 ·
BSS said:
Though I use is as a low-background, I'd also suggest Hemianthus micranthemoides. Light green. Interesting texture with the small leaves. Grows moderatly fast, but does well with frequent hair cuts.

I second the Hemianthus micrathemoides. AKA Pearl Grass or Baby Tears. Its a lovely looking foreground, if given the "haircuts". bob
 
#6 ·
Cindy, I've got the same problem in my 20g, and it has been effectively solved with Crypt wendtii. I think it is about perfect for what you are looking to do. But a patch of it does need to be 5-6" wide (front to back) to really be dense enough to block the "legs" of your background plants.

They work well for me, and that says something about the ease of care for these lovely little plants!
 
#7 ·
anubias nana works great, because you can trim it to whatever shape you want; just cut away the leaves that dont fit the flow :proud:
hairgrass! it works great, especially when you slope it up from front to midground. Come to think of it, any type of grasslike carpeting plant works. :wink:
crypts work well.
 
#8 ·
What about Hygrophila corymbosa ''Compact''?

I have it in my 25 Litre tank (The three rosette-looking plants in the middle), and now also in my 80 litre tank.

It grows well in that "low-tech" tank, but I also took a small side branch and planted it in my "high-tech" 80 litre tank, where it is currently going nuts! It is branching like mad, forming an even more intense compact rosette (hard to imagine now that it's actually a stem plant), but importatly, it is staying nice and low.... lower than in the 25 litre tank, which I believe is due to my intense lighting keeping it that way.

 
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