Setting up my new tank, help needed!!

[Carapar56]

Well my blue gourami has outgrown her small little 10 gallon and is in need of a bigger tank. What i plan on getting id a 30 or 40 gallon for her and some tetras. One thing wrong however is that i have no idea what species of plants to get and how to setup and place them. If you guys could help that would be great. Oh and also i picked out some plants I liked and was wondering would they do good together?

Background Plants
1. Java Fern
2. Vallisneria
3. Baby Tears
4. Tonina
5. Wisteria
6. Hydrilla
7. Foxtail

Foreground Plants
1. Java Moss
2. Anubias
3. Lilaeopsis Plant
4. Hair Grass
5. Glossostigma Plant
6. Chain Sword Plant

Midground Plants
1. Flame Moss
2. Blyxa Japonica
3. Amazon Sword
4. Red Tiger lotus

[MCHRKiller]

Wow, that is a TON of plants. IMO it is best to stick with 5-6 species tops instead of 17. Having just a bunch of random plants makes the scape seem overly busy, simplify your scape and it will make it more eye pleasing.

Amazon swords are also HUGE plants definatly background material...also some of those stems require pretty potent lighting. What is your lighting going to be on your upgradted tank? Also what sort of substrate are you planning to have?

[Owlbehere]

I would stick to one lighting type in your plants. Some of those plants require high light and will burn other plants like the Java Fern and moss. Lower light plants are more user friendly.

[Carapar56]

I know i should stick to a smaller amount but i want more than ten, so if anyone could pick out like 3 or 4 from each of those groups of plants, that would be compatible together, that would help. As for lighting i havn't decided on high or low, i want somwthing towards the middle that would be good for low and high need plants. In the past i have kept both low and high lighting plants in a tank with medium lighting. However, this time wanna be a little more careful and and do that with plants that can also be ok in it. Like i said if you could help pick out sum species that would look great and be good in medium lighting that would be awesome.

[cichlids209]

not to sound stupid but whats medium lighting ? if you had low light plants and high light plants wouldn't medium mean you have more than enough for the low but not enough for the high light plants ? how would that work ?

[Carapar56]

By medium lighting i mean something in between that would have an amount of light that would make taller plants, with i higher amount of light needed, get what they wanted, and the lower plants, that need lower lighting, get what they need. With med. lights the taller plants are closer so technically they are getting birght light and for lower plants they get less light as they are farther away.

Oh also i was planning on have a basic gravel substrate with Tetra Plant Complete substrate under it, with some Tetra Plant Initial Sticks added with a layer of gravel on that. Lasty i will have Tetra Aqua Nitrate Minus added with another layer of gravel. It seems like alot of stuff added but it helps ALOT. Its th same thing that i did with my 10 gallon. It it ended up blooming with plants later on.

[cichlids209]

oh ok so the higher light plants are tall ? that would make sense i guess good luck on it . post pics if you can id like to see the finished product

[Carapar56]

Ya wheni finish it i will, but its really hard to get everything i need....

[toysrus]

Well that's the right way to do it,if you've planted before.But,I would leave some space for the fish to swim. I'm starting my first planted tank and doing the laterite substrate the hard way. (When ya move the substrate it disturbs the laterite and makes a mess) Only 2 layers substrate.
It's working but the first problem I ran into was teh veins on a couple of the crypts leaves turning brown a week after I started the co 2 and new lighting. And it could be a result of one or both of em. It's going away since I took them both down a notch.Everyone can make mistakes but catching them in enough time saves alot of trouble for yourself.
So, today I went and got a wheelbarrel full of java ferns,I don't know where I'm gonna put em all yet/the guy said it was just a handfull/ ,1 pod of glossostigma, 1 pod hygrophila compact,1 pod telanthera. But I still got java fern floating all over the place. I only have 5 types total so far in 2 10 gal.tks.
Good luck finding a place for 17 different plants.

[Carapar56]

I said i was taking some out, ok??? Plus i said also i was getting either a 30 or 40, and maybe even a 50 or more if i find one cheap. No offense but don't try to be a wise guy or rude about something unless u read the whole conversation. Thanks bye...