Carpetting plants - HC vs Glosso, Hairgrass vs Echi Tenellus

[Calzone]

Hello, about to select foreground carpeting plants and just looking to get the benefit of people's experience on the pitfalls to watch for for the different options.

As far as I can gather, almost all problems relating to growing carpeting plants relate to CO2 and more specifically poor flow around the substrate where they are. Light intensity is less of a factor above a certain threshold.

Does this mean that I should have no problem growing any of these provided I have enough light, and I make sure I have enough flow with the right circulation pattern, and decent CO2 injection (to achieve say 30ppm everywhere in the tank)? And keep them trimmed fairly hard to encourage growth.

Are there any other particular requirements for any of the above? I read that HC can be difficult - prefers colder temps (CO2 solubility?), and can float up easily (use smaller grained substrate, plant as deep as you can get away with at first?).

Appreciate your views

Calzone

 

[Stu Worrall]

Re: Carpetting plants - HC vs Glosso, Hairgrass vs Echi Tene

Good choices there

HC looks great as a carpet, Viktor's tanks are a testament to this. It helps to have a soil substrate with ferts and especially for planting its easier if its the powder type on the top layer. It loves easycarbo and lots of co2 as you say. It will also grow happily in sand providing you're dosing the water column.

The only main problem ive had with HC is converting it from emmersed to immersed. Due to this Ive tended to let my pots float just under the surface close to the light for a fewe days after ive got them and they seem to do better then when planted. (might be talking rubbish there and it may not do any benefit!)

Glosso Ive never been successful with and ive grown it alongside HC in the same tank and its still gone vertical. Ive not found the secret of this yet apart from advice from londondragon to cut it up and plant it one plantlet at a time. Kepp hacking back and in theory it should carpet. Not sure if my lack of success is down to the water out of my tap not having as much of something as others, eg hardness or something like that. ive tried it under both ADA ferts and EI so it shouldnt have been missing anything but Ive never tried ADA special lights which James Marshall is trying now.

Hairgrass - If its for a front carpet then make sure you get parvula! Plant it then trim is to just under 1cm to the substrate then it should start to spread. Acularis is better for the background carpet as it reaches straight for the sky and keeps growing! The stuff Ive got in my 90cm puts on about 2 inches growth per week whereas the parvula ive got stays compact.

tenellus - Great carpet plant. Better for around rocks then have something lower like HC in front of it. Main advice is to be ruthless with it once it starts growing and hack it back then it will stay compact and might even redden up if your lighting is high. I think iron or the ada stuff (ECA?) makes it go red.

Hope that all helps

 

[Calzone]

Re: Carpetting plants - HC vs Glosso, Hairgrass vs Echi Tene

Most excellent help. Always wondered what the difference between parvula and acicularis really was.

Am likely to shove 'em all in and see what works for me. Have to find out if I can get it going nicely, and handle the maintenance etc, and then if necessary narrow it down. I don't favour iwagumi-minimalism, so hopefully it won't be too messy.

 

[Mark Evans]

Re: Carpetting plants - HC vs Glosso, Hairgrass vs Echi Tene

Once they all get going, there all weeds. Glosso being the worst.

Here's an image of all 4 in the same tank.

The HC is unstoppable once it settles down too.

 

[Aquadream]

Re: Carpetting plants - HC vs Glosso, Hairgrass vs Echi Tene

Talking about weeds there is another one that is good for carpet and is much easier to look after. Hydrocotyle Sibthorpioides. The picture below is from my hydroponics pot that I have planted about a month ago. This plant is growing just the same under water.