Plants In Gravel?

Anubus, java fern and java moss all grow on wood, stones, coconut caves, terracotta sticks etc so you could just stick with those and get a good hardscape framework with plants on. This does make it easy if you want to re-arrange things etc and gives the fish some things to swim through and hide under and play chase.

This here is a place that does plants on wood, rock, etc so you might get some good ideas from them.

Thanks for that Steve - I might add another plant soon before I get any new tank additions. I'm already dosing with liquid fertiliser because of my java fern and moss ball.

In terms of plants ON things, I do see where you're coming from Colin, especially in a tank my size, but the problem I have is that my tank is quite small and I already have a few larger items in it e.g. two smallish rocks, moss ball, two wood with java fern and all of the fake plants (that ultimately I probably want to get rid of anyway) so I think it might be a bit much if I get anything else in there, hence why I'm thinking along the lines of planting in the gravel.

However having said that the shop I got my Japanese Blue endlers from were selling java moss caves which I thought looked pretty cool (I've only seen them online) and which I thought would be good for my potential shrimp to hide in. Though the only problem with any hiding places for my shrimp is that my endlers will still be able to get in too!

A heads-up about plants and shrimp - depending on the source, some plants are treated with snail killer which will also kill shrimp. I remember on the old forum that Chucklett had this happen with her amanos. The shop said their plants weren't treated but Chucklett's shrimp were not happy and she only saved them by removing the plants a doing a huge water change. I seem to remember she knew someone else who had plants from the same shop and in their tank all the shrimp died. After that experience, she didn't risk it again; she got some Underworld Polyfilter and ran a filter full of that in a bucket with the plants before putting them in her tank. Though keeping the plants in a bucket for a week and changing the water every day is usually enough.