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smallest carpeting plant

James Flexton

Member
Joined
21 Aug 2007
Messages
358
Location
Stotfold, Herts/Beds
quick question, im looking for a very dense low growing carpeting plant for my new tank (pics in journal uploaded today.) i was thinking HC but is there anything else i should be considering?
its a shallow tank so i want low profile growth to keep the sense of scale.

suggestions on a postcard please..

thanks all..
 
Im no expert but iv only just started with Monte carlo after advice from this forum and I love it! Seems to grow well for me. :)
 
Beat me to it!
Just googled and if that's four leaved clover then not too keen, looks a bigger leaf size than Hc. Am I looking at the wrong thing?



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I dont know if you can source these.

Marsilea crenata - pretty small low maintenance fern thats more demanding than most marsilea sp.

Smallest of glossostigma genus, g.diandrum is another pretty small steady growing and less demanding and very interesting plant. But again I highly doubt you can source it

Not keen on glossy variants either sorry, done lots of tanks with that years ago, want something different.

Thanks for the ideas though


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For Marsilea crenata, you have found the right thing, but what is shown there is the emersed form. In submerged conditions it stays fairly compact about 1/4th-1/2 size of marsilea hirsuta.

Utricularia fulva is another tiny plant. We have collected once from very acidic peat substrate and failed to grow in tanks. Its much much smaller than regular UG and very finicky too.

I am afraid there are no more options left.

Maybe you can try some riccardia or smaller moss instead.
 
Yep, Marsilea crenata is tiny compared to the older Tropica Marsilea hirsuta.

Going on google image pics Marseilles crenata aquarium search it still looks bigger than Hc Cuba, more like glosso. It needs to be tight and compact for the look I'm after, is it really smaller and more compact than Hc. Sorry to doubt but once I've chosen the carpet plant I'm committed. Need to get it right


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For Marsilea crenata, you have found the right thing, but what is shown there is the emersed form. In submerged conditions it stays fairly compact about 1/4th-1/2 size of marsilea hirsuta.

Utricularia fulva is another tiny plant. We have collected once from very acidic peat substrate and failed to grow in tanks. Its much much smaller than regular UG and very finicky too.

I am afraid there are no more options left.

Maybe you can try some riccardia or smaller moss instead.

Not after anything finicky. It needs to work first time, this is a tank in my office. My trial and error days are long gone.

Had my fill of riccia over the years. I need a well rooted plant that will spread through substrate and over rocks. Not float away and need redoing every couple of months.



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Going on google image pics Marseilles crenata aquarium search it still looks bigger than Hc Cuba, more like glosso. It needs to be tight and compact for the look I'm after, is it really smaller and more compact than Hc. Sorry to doubt but once I've chosen the carpet plant I'm committed. Need to get it right

Well Marsilea has individual leaves on stalks. I don't think it will give you a 'tight' carpet at least not straight away. I've only had mine a few days so I don't have a great idea about what it will finally look like.
 
Ok thanks, I have it in my head that Hc Cuba is my best option, just throwing the question out there unless I'd missed a better option.
Thanks for the suggestions


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Going on google image pics Marseilles crenata aquarium search it still looks bigger than Hc Cuba, more like glosso. It needs to be tight and compact for the look I'm after, is it really smaller and more compact than Hc. Sorry to doubt but once I've chosen the carpet plant I'm committed. Need to get it right
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on size from small to large:
Elatine Hydropiper, Hemianthus Cuba, Marsilea Crenata, Micranthemum Monte Carlo

demand easy to harder:
Micranthemum Monte Carlo, Hemianthus Cuba, Elatine Hydropiper, Marsilea Crenata

Crenata is beautiful, but this is slow and more demanding than Hirsuta.
If Mictanthemum Monte Carlo is large, then shoot for Elatine if available

This is a 60P with Elatine:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/viktorlantos/8087901757/in/set-72157622897065380
https://www.flickr.com/photos/viktorlantos/8023116314
 
on size from small to large:
Elatine Hydropiper, Hemianthus Cuba, Marsilea Crenata, Micranthemum Monte Carlo

demand easy to harder:
Micranthemum Monte Carlo, Hemianthus Cuba, Elatine Hydropiper, Marsilea Crenata

Crenata is beautiful, but this is slow and more demanding than Hirsuta.
If Mictanthemum Monte Carlo is large, then shoot for Elatine if available

This is a 60P with Elatine:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/viktorlantos/8087901757/in/set-72157622897065380
https://www.flickr.com/photos/viktorlantos/8023116314

Thanks victor, that helps clear things up, much appreciated. Although the Elaine does look wonderful in your pics it doesn't look as dense as Hc. Is that correct or hasn't the carpet in those pics matured fully?


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Thanks victor, that helps clear things up, much appreciated. Although the Elaine does look wonderful in your pics it doesn't look as dense as Hc. Is that correct or hasn't the carpet in those pics matured fully?


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Yup this was an early stage around 3 weeks. This is super dense later like hc and micranthemum
 
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