Plant Placement help

I can't decide what plants to put in what tank or where so I'm soliciting suggestions. I want to get my plants ordered from MG soon, so I need to decide soon...

First is my 36 gallon bowfront (30l x 11-15w x 21d)... right now, I'm just looking at adding either Flame or Taiwan moss to the driftwood-
my wife likes the silk plants so for now they stay. Which moss do you think I should put on this driftwood?
I think the flame moss would look nice reaching up toward the lights on the left or right side or maybe even all along the wood...


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My other tank in question is a standard 10 gallon (20l x 10w x 12h). This is going to be my wife's shrimp tank...




In that 10 gallon, I was thinking taiwan moss would make a nice fern-tree look on the driftwood, but my wife generally likes the look of flame moss more. Am I wrong in thinking the flame moss would be patchy and homely since it doesn't really spread out? Especially because the wood is very holey and hollow all throughout? Also, any thoughts on whether the shrimp would be more visible on or enjoy foraging in either moss more than the other? Since the Taiwan moss lays down more, I feel like it would be easier for the shrimp to run around in and for us to see and enjoy watching them.

If it helps in deciding what moss to use, I was planning on having an Anubias Golden or 2 just in front of the driftwood, and on the left having a small piece of driftwood or some rocks to have a pair of Java Fern Wendelov on.

So, any suggestions on which moss in which tank? Other plants or mosses to consider? Small wood or rocks for Java Wendelov on the left? General aquascaping thoughts?

This is kinda my idea for the wood in the 10 gallon...


with the piece of wood the reaches out to the right on the bottom I don't think it'd be a real tree look, but like the piece in this picture above I think it'd look a nice & bushy fern-tree/bush.

crimsonmoon said:

somebody correct me if im mistaken but i believe that the moss only grows like that under high light and/or with co2
it will be similar, but i think it won't look so full?

Click to expand...

I don't know personally (I've never had any live plants) but from what I'm reading Taiwan Moss is easier to keep than Java Moss for some people, so I'm hoping I could grow it nice & bushy. I'd probably go with 2 golf balls worth so I could tie it on thin and in layers so hopefully it would grow out bushy.

The light on the tank is the standard 15W fluorescent... I suppose I might be able to talk my wife into a single desk lamp cliped onto the back of the stand- with a Spiral CFL instead of the incandescent- for a few extra hours midday. (Since these are in the living room they have to look nice- not rigged up) I certainly would like these plants to be colorful and healthy... but if adding that light meant more fights with algae or a need for CO2 I don't know if I'd want to risk it.

As for CO2 or ferts... I'd like to avoid having to use either especially since it's my first shrimp tank and would also be my first time using ferts (if anything I'd only want to do a single liquid like flourish or excel)- I'd just prefer to avoid the complication or potential trouble of something going wrong.