[peachii]

I have a new 3 gallon tank I am setting up and would like suggestions as to what type of plants will do well above the tank on the driftwood and then going down into the water. I'm leaning towards moss on the driftwood around the area going into the water but have not grown any plants emersed or out of water ever.

I plan to heavily plant the tank and driftwood in the water with anubias/buce/small crypts and dwarf sag. As well as some stem plants that will grow up and break the surface of the water.

This will eventually be a pink or blue ramshorn and shrimp tank, malawa shrimp and maybe neos from Soothing when it warms up.

 

[OVT]

Killer driftwood. I cannot find anything like it. Is that Mopani or Rosewood? .

As I type this, I am playing with my vases and going through a similar exercise. My biggest challange is how to set up the lighting that is sufficient for both submerged AND emerged plants, that looks good and does not cost more then the tank.

Anyways, Mint Charlie is a great plant for this as it grows submerged AND emmersed at the same time. I currently have a forrest of it (do pester me for pictures) and it grows up ~ 4-6" and then trails down for up to 24". Vibrant green, smells like mint, with tiny followers.

Hygrophilia corymbosa falls into the same category, with small delicate lavender flowers that bloom constantly (and drop into the tank daily). The emmersed leaves are darker green and ~1/3 the size of the immersed leaves. But this guy wants to be 18'-24' above the water level. Most other Hygros readily go emmersed.

Ludwigia repens is another one, always trying to go emmersed. I have some stems that I am trying to convert to emmersed.

At the water line, Ricca looks good surrounding the driftwood. Same goes for HC, planted right on the driftwood. Another for the surface that looks great is a very thread-like carnivorous plant whose name I need to look up.

Various Baccopas are also good candidates.

I have seen gorgeous pictures of emmersed Althernathera Reinekii but my attempts to transition this plant has failed so far (I don't like paying for plants I already have and no one on TPT is offering me a present ).

Another 'class' of plants are so called ripparium plants (some threads on TPT and the web on them), the plants that can have their roots wet but grow above the water line. Aluminum Plant, Tarro are some of the examples. The roots on mine easily reach down to the substrate some 10" below.

With the plants you have already mentioned in the OP, our imagination is our only limiting factor (+ light set up ).

PM me and I can share some of the plants above.

I have a lot of TPT friends doing the same, hopefully they will chime in.

Edit: + Hydrocolyte Japan, twisted around driftwood like ivy.

v3

 

[Italionstallion888]

Hygro will grow above the surface. Im working on mine now.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

 

[peachii]

It is definitely not Mopani, I've been soaking it for a couple weeks so it won't float and it hasn't leached tannins hardly at all, Mopani leaches for months. I believe the LFS had it labeled as spiderwood, was the first time they have ever had driftwood besides Mopani. This piece was only 10.99, which was a steal. They had bigger and smaller pieces, 19.99, 39.99 if I remember right. I spent about an hour pulling all the pieces out, setting them side by side on the floor and picking the best 10.99 pieces, it was quite funny.

OVT, I'll be more than happy to pick you some pieces up next time we make the trip into Knoxville and send them to you. Will be a few weeks to a month before we go though. The ludwiga?(stem plant) with the red leaves that you just sent me, will that work growing up and out with the repens?

My ludwiga repens is always trying to grow out of my shrimp jar so I am leaning towards doing a corner of that for sure. The hydrocolote would look really pretty wrapped around the driftwood.

Off the driftwood, I'd really like something that does have flowers or semi colorful leaves, or thick leaves like anubias. Guess I need to do some research on what would work because that part realistically is small, maybe 6 inches.

Maybe I'll pick up a few small planters to use riparium type plants in it as well. I already have Marble Queen Pothos growing out of the Evolve back area where the filter goes, as well as another green/white plant I don't know the name of.

It will eventually house Soothing Shrimps malawa and maybe some neos but I plan to stuff this tank inside and out with as many plants as i can. Bursting with plants, jungle like is what I have in mind.