Aquarium design with middle ground plants
Classic plants for the middle ground grow about twenty to thirty centimeters high. They are often rosette plants such as various cryptocorynes, which not only have slender to broad leaf shapes, but also very different shades of green and brown. But lower stem plants are also well suited here, such as the beautifully orange-red Nesaea sp., which provides a magnificent contrast to the lush green of the Ludwigia (Ludwigia palustris or Ludwigia arcuata), for example. If stem plants in the middle ground are pruned regularly, they will grow into very beautiful plant bushes that have an extremely attractive effect. If you decide to accentuate with red or pink plants (such as Alternanthera reineckii, the parrot leaf), you should not only use a bush of this plant, but, for example, place a large accent slightly to the side of the center in the so-called golden ratio (a ratio of 4:3) and on the other side a slightly smaller one in the same color with the same plant. Red-leaved plants need quite a lot of light and also want to be well supplied with nutrients and CO2 so that they retain their attractive color shades and do not turn green. These shrubs can be joined in tall aquariums in the middle ground by, for example, Vallisneria spiralis, whose long, grass-like leaves make a beautiful contrast against their more rounded, soft shapes.
Perching plants in the middle ground
The various forms of Java fern (Microsorum pteropus) are also popular plants for the middle ground, as is - in larger aquariums - Bolbitis heudelotii, the Congo fern. Medium-sized Anubias species also do well in this area. Many Bucephalandra varieties and species offer beautiful colors ranging from dark green-blue to light brown-green. Their rounded leaves add a special touch to any plant layout and contrast nicely against fine-figured stem plants or long, grassy plants in the background. Bucephalandra remain quite small and also grow slowly, yet they are well suited for the middle ground, as this is where aquarium decorations are preferably placed. Bucephalandra, like ferns or Anubias, are not planted, but are tied onto roots and stones. If these rhizome plants are placed in the gravel, their roots will rot in the worst case and the plant will die.
Designing plant landscapes in the nano aquarium
One more little tip for aquascaping in nano aquariums: Plants that are suitable for the middle ground in large aquariums are optimal background plants in nano tanks. Here, choose somewhat taller growing foreground plants for the middle ground. The plants should not exceed a height of about ten to fifteen centimeters.
For the right all-round supply of your aquarium plants in the middle ground with all important nutrients, we recommend our NatureHolic plant fertilizers.