Help me decide on a new layout

[Fishstery]

I've tentatively decided on rescaping my new 50 gallon and converting it over to a true nature style. I plan on moving almost all of the plants over to a farm tank, and most likely removing the driftwood to reuse with a different project later.

I'm in the stages of sourcing new hardscape and put together these ideas using pieces I already have and/or can source. Obviously they will lack depth as I'm only able to do so much with badly photoshopped pictures, but I tried my best to size them up accurately enough to get the gist of what it would look like.

Does anyone have any thoughts on which they'd like to see the most? Planting wise it will be very green, with some muted pops of colors from red lotus, maybe some bronze crypts, and possibly some stems like Rotala Orange Juice or similar. For sure I will be reusing my Taiwan Lilies and using a ton of ferns, anubias, and bucephalandra species. I really want to go with a scape that has hardscape height on both sides of the tank and negative space in the center. I will be adding lots of accent root and small rocks, but no sand. I want it to be dark and moody so the black background will stay, and I am capping my brown aquasoil with black as well as sloping the soil higher in the back for more depth. I'll also be growing out a full carpet.

I want to say this will lean more jungle style, as I have a massive plant import coming from Vietnam containing some Homonoia Riparia "Mi Nuong", so that will definitely be planted within a huge thicket of Java fern near the top of the main driftwood area and be partially emersed.

Let me know which you all think which concept you think would execute my vision the best, and any suggestions of course are welcome!

 

[techman81]

I may be a bit biased here (check out my First Aquascape journal to see why), but I like the manzanita wood in your first option, but have it turned so the end you have coming out of the tank is actually on the bottom and the branches then curve up and out of the tank. I'd also be sure to cut/chop up the ends of the branches to make them look naturally broken rather than cut by a saw.

I like the third option next, perhaps with stone around the base of the large stump and some additional small "root" pieces glued in and around them.

 

[Fishstery]

I may be a bit biased here (check out my First Aquascape journal to see why), but I like the manzanita wood in your first option, but have it turned so the end you have coming out of the tank is actually on the bottom and the branches then curve up and out of the tank. I'd also be sure to cut/chop up the ends of the branches to make them look naturally broken rather than cut by a saw.

I like the third option next, perhaps with stone around the base of the large stump and some additional small "root" pieces glued in and around them.

I know what you mean, it's a common structure for manzanita scapes, or having them sideways and branching out from one focal point. I like those jungle styles, but it's so commonly done I kind of want something different. I really like the downward root shape and want some kind of arch or bridge piece to create that negative space, like the first and second photos. If I went with the manzanita, I'd plant something that would drape like hydrocotyle Japan 'mini' or monte carlo across that arch. Now that I'm looking at that one though perhaps I should add another thick manzanita branch to the right closer to the glass to balance that side and create some depth, and get some thin arching or splayed branch to put behind it to add more detail.

I really don't have the heart to cut either of these pieces, especially the big one.

 

[Kwyet]

I like #3 best, and then #1.

 

[Koan]

I love the third one, but I'm biased against the root fingery type of Aquascape don't feel like it gives a really good control of negative space.

#2 has potential but I think right now the wood is too busy

have a massive plant import coming from Vietnam

Nice, tell us about your sourcing!