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a low tech carpet

timbob1387

Seedling
Joined
20 Jan 2013
Messages
23
Location
Catterick, North Yorkshire
Im wondering what would be the best option for a carpetting plant in a low tech set up?

Current lighting is a 18w fluorescent taken from a wardrobe at my parents (is doing a good job of helping my anubis along) substrate is currently play sand but will be stripping down and adding aquatic soil or john inns no3 in the next couple weeks
 
It depends how dense a carpet you want, but personally I'd go with dwarf hair grass. I've got it in 2 of my 60L tanks with single 18w bulbs in each. It grows pretty slowly - but it grows.

I'd recommend against a java moss carpet. Unless you are keeping your temp below 22˚C and have high light and CO2 injected, it can become very stringy - an full of hair algae.
 
it can become very stringy - an full of hair algae.
that aint the mosses fault :angelic:

as clive said riccia can be really nice
IMG_3549.jpg
 
Currently really enjoying the way my riccia carpet is shaping up in my low tech tank, so that gets my vote!
 
If you want to go the hair grass route, i highly recommend getting a pot of the tissue culture stuff instead of the pot with mineral wool.

You get a lot more for your money and no damn wool to separate the roots from.
 
Hairgrass and Echinodorus tenellus were the carpet plants of choice in the days before anyone injected CO2.
 
Hi all,
Only tried riccia once but it was easy peasy low tech. Pain in the blahblahblahblah to keep under control though.
I've never actually bought any, but it is in all my tanks as a floating "scum".
Hairgrass (Eleocharis) and Echinodorus tenellus were the carpet plants of choice
My suggestion as well.

cheers Darrel
 
Eleocharis parvula is good for low tech and with some patience it'll carpet nicely if you trim it. The Eleocharis sp. 'mini' from Tropica (only 1-2-grow) is a good alternative if you have access to it. I've managed to get it to grow in my low tech, albeit slowly!
 
really? maybe i was lucky Paulo? :)


Lovely plant but deep pockets or masses of patience needed, even in high tech ive found it to be painfully slow.
lilaeopsis NZ or tennelus also work well.
The key to grow C. Parva with a little more speed is very rich substrate and a lot more light, than fore other Crypts. Fertiliser capsules really help (but it's still not a fast grower!)
 
sagittaria subulata? apparently the go to plant for aquariums in the early days (early 1900s) before power filters and all the tech we have now! The plants were the filter :) I've been researching - does it show lol

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
 
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