I need some help finding new plants for my tank

[Jag1980]

I am selling most of my plants and creating a new look for my tank.
Up until now, I been doing mostly learning about plants and how they grow, and now it's time to move on..

First thing I need help with is deciding what taller plants I should use for the background of my tank. Something I don't have to keep unplanting and trimming every week would be great. I like darker colored plants but any color will do.
I want to plant thick. The plants in the back need be able to lock in with the plants in front of them. So I need plants that will not over power the tank.
What would be a good background plant to use in my tank?
I like rare hard to find plants, but I am interested in all suggestions
29 Gallon Tank - 3.3wpg - AQUATEK Pressurized Co2 - 3M Black Sand

The plants I for sure will be keeping in my tank are.
All my Moss
Blyxa joponica
Tonina Belem's
Riccia

Here is the layout I think I'm going to do:

Here is what the rocks will look like with moss on them:
Ignore the Sagittaria, it will all be sold and longer be in my tank.

This image here is kinda the plant style I am looking to do, but with different plants

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/8450/pict0012tt5.jpg

 

[jmhart]

Without using stem plants(fast growers, weekly or biweekly trim) you have to rely on hardscape to give your tank some depth. It appears that in that picture above, the dude may have either a large piece of wood or rock on the right side with moss on it, also I think there's a moss wall.

Point is, without using stems, try to use some wood or large rocks to give a good tall hardscape. You can then use anubias, moss, crypts, java fern or whatever to give you some planted height.


The trick on having a tall background is that the bottom 1/3 of the rear of the tank will be thin and empty, so you need to plant heavy in front of it so that it fills in gaps.

 

[johnpeezy]

Jag,
after you figure out what type of plants you want in your tank and get it prepared for replanting, I have two suggestions for you.

Go to dennys pet world in kirkland they have a decently large selection of plants there.

Or if your okay with heading to Des Moines/Federal Way area. I can try to order whatever you want.

maybe sometime later today I will populate a list of the plants I can have availabe and the cost through the store. Just send me a PM if your interested

 

[Jag1980]

ok thanks
I do have a piece of driftwood, but it's too long for my tank. I will have to wait until I get a 50 gallon tank 18" deep before I can do this.
Here's the piece I might be using then pictured below n the left side.
I had a BBA problem on it before, so I'm kinda hesitant to use it again.

I think for now with this 29 gallon I will do flat ground and just get some thick tall plants for the back. Any suggestion on plants that will grow tall, but not too wide? "IF" my options are too limited, I can go with some stem plants. I need something hardy and thick though, the thin leave plants I had before didn't do to well with collecting debris, but my water movement was poor then, so I might have better success now. Something that also doesn't grow to fast, I get 2" per day of growth with my Limnophila sessiliflora, that's too fast.

I'm thinking about using a EMP-400 and having the intake in the middle of the tank, so the background will have a gap in the center. Nothing too lite that will get attracted to the filter.

 

[Jag1980]

Jag,
after you figure out what type of plants you want in your tank and get it prepared for replanting, I have two suggestions for you.

Go to dennys pet world in kirkland they have a decently large selection of plants there.

Or if your okay with heading to Des Moines/Federal Way area. I can try to order whatever you want.

maybe sometime later today I will populate a list of the plants I can have availabe and the cost through the store. Just send me a PM if your interested

Sounds good, but that's a little bit to far to drive. thanks though. :cheers:

 

[Kashta]

Any of the crinums (natans, calamist, thaianum) against the back wall would give great vertical height back there without taking up any room. Won't get sucked into the intake. The vertical lines of the plant would even disguise the actual lines of the intake tube edges. Doesn't need trimming except once in a blue moon.. or let it flow across the top of the water line. Virtually care-free once it acclimates. Makes a good visual backdrop to contrast all the fluffy, leafy, frilly business growing in front of it. Adds depth and height.

 

[Jag1980]

That's a interesting plant, I think I might have to fit one of them in the background. Not sure if I should use a Crinums Calamistratum or Natans.

The piece of driftwood I mentioned above I am going to sell and buy some Manzanita wood instead.

 

[Kashta]

That's a interesting plant, I think I might have to fit one of them in the background. Not sure if I should use a Crinums Calamistratum or Natans.

The piece of driftwood I mentioned above I am going to sell and buy some Manzanita wood instead.

I like both of them.. and the leaf texture is different enough that they both look good in the same tank. Natans is readily available and Calamist is pricey, slower growing, and harder to come by (which is why I'm keeping the one I have). So if you need something tall right away, get Natans. Or, this would make Calamist worth having even more.

 

[Kashta]

Sorry.. I'm just going to confuse people with that. Natans and Calamist are a lot a like.. Natans is wider, Calamist is narrower. Natans has had a name change to Aquatica, for some reason. That's what got them jumbled up in my head tonight. For background planting, then probably Natans/Aquatica. I'd bring Calamist closer to the front for better viewing instead of hiding that one so far in the back.

Thaianum is the more common one we see.. more oniony.