How do you plant your plants?

[Yoemen]

Well, when I first started up my planted angel 55, I bought some plants from the fish store. I got some Wisteria, ludwiga, dwarf chain sword, red india sword, tiger lotus, Kleiner Bär Sword and such to have some plants in as I got setup with CO2 and lighting.

After my paycheck, I ordered a 30 gallon plant package from AZ gardens to fill it out.

8 Corkscrew Val
6 Jungle Val
3 medium Amazon Sword
1 medium Red Rubin Sword
2 Anacharis
3 Cabomba
3 Narrow-leaf Ludwigia
5 potted tennellus Chain Swords


Now, I have planted the swords along the back and the chain swords in the front.

My question is on the following. Would ya'll spread out the ludwiga or keep it together. Also what about the vals, spread out or together.

I am thinking of tossing the anacharis and cabomba as I think the wisteria is much prettier then anacharis and cabomba seems to be a bit of a trash plant correct?

any suggestions on how to plant these or suggestions on how to arrange the plants? I want a dense planted aquarium, but I don't want my plants out shading each other.

I have 200 Watts on this aquarium with CO2 injection.

[Squawkbert]

W/ 200W, I'd go ahead and do some bunching. Put the "trash" plants where you can easily reach them as you will be trimming them often (Wisteria too, I bet).

Search here, at APC or most anywhere for "Aquascaping", "Phi" and/or golden ratio.

For visual inspiration, look here (http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2006.cgi?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=2&id=59). There are numerous entries for small, medium (where 55s fit) and larger categories...

If you have no "hardscape", it would be best to find some before you have to plant everything.

Watch the swords. THey're what will shade everything first.

Vals are a good back wall/corner plant as they'll send out runners and you'll have little vals popping up all over. When they get too big for where they're at, just pull them up, cut the runner(s) and replant wherever.

[Yoemen]

thanks, what do you mean by hardscaped? I have a sand substrate if that is what you are meaning. I also have some driftwood in the tank as well.

[Ajordan]

driftwood/rocks are what I think of when I see hardscape, I suppose substrate would be a consideration as well. I think most people think hardscape != plants or fish