# Marsilea crenata (dwarf four leaf clover) issues



## FewestKitten896 (Dec 13, 2013)

Does anyone have any experience with this plant. I know it is a slow grower, but does it take a while to get acclimated to being submersed? I got a pot of this plant for about $1 and it was in pretty poor condition, got about 10-15 stems that were green. I trimmed the old growth off and started to get new growth but it has been in my tank for about a month and it has grown about 1/4" for each piece. I have a lot of slow growers in my tank but nothing quite as slow as this.

I am running a low tech dirted tank (no ferts/co2) with two 13w CFL mounted vertically about 3-4 inches above the water.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

I've have experience with similar species (minuta and quadrifolia) in the genus. It's a slow grower in low tech but injecting Co2 will make it grow faster. It gets pretty invasive once established. I was finding nodes of it all around my tank where there wasn't any heavy root feeders.


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## FewestKitten896 (Dec 13, 2013)

Well I thought about just ditching it and going with something different. I guess quite a few people have had success with dhg in lowtech so I might go that way unless someone else has some other suggestions.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Give it a bit to get established. Mine took about 2 months to start putting up new growth after planting it in a low tech tank with just root tabs. That variety will also put up small leaves if given higher light intensity.


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## FewestKitten896 (Dec 13, 2013)

Monster Fish said:


> Give it a bit to get established. Mine took about 2 months to start putting up new growth after planting it in a low tech tank with just root tabs. That variety will also put up small leaves if given higher light intensity.


Alright, I will give it some more time. Probably good anyways, my wife is getting a little upset on the money that I put into my tank. I told her I could build it for around $50. Well after buying the heater, powerhead, plants, fish and a couple little DIY add-ons, I well surpassed this amount. Whoops. :hihi:


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

It's an awesome plant... Grows fairly quick for it's genus and stays low... Hold on to it for a minute.. you'll be glad you did...


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## jrh (Sep 9, 2007)

After it starts growing, do you need to snip the rhizomes to help it spread? I'm at a point where I have 4-5 little straight lines of leaves, but not a carpet by any means.


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## Fujiija (Feb 24, 2012)

I bought m. crenat from Aqua Forest when I was in San Francisco in August. It was submersed and in a pot. I have also grown quadrifolia in the past.

I grew quadrifolia in a dirted 4 gallon tank with no CO2 with a small LED light. That thing grew all over the place and it was to the point where I was clipping it back to keep it from taking over the tank. It also grew well in a fluval stratum tank with medium light, dry ferts, CO2. I can see how this could end up being a weed.

Crenat is a whole different story. I put it in the same medium light, fluval stratum, CO2 tank and it grew slowly. It does have smaller leaves and the growth rate was so slow it was disappointing. Last month I moved it to a high light, CO2, dry ferts, eco complete tank and it's starting to runner. I only have three short strings of it left from the original pot so we'll see how it goes. It is definitely not the same as quadrifolia.


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## FewestKitten896 (Dec 13, 2013)

How deep does this stuff get planted? I would imagine it will stay pretty shallow but due to the measly strings I had I just shoved them down into the gravel. Not really sure how deep they are but will they grow up out of the substrate or do the strings run on top of the substrate?

I moved some of the gravel where I have it and I do see some new growth, I know this is relatively low growing plant just wasn't sure if it would max out before it grew out of the substrate.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Plant the stolons about half an inch into the substrate. As it spreads, the plant will crawl along the top of the substrate. The roots do a good job of keeping it in place.


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## badgerclaw (Jan 24, 2014)

Crenata takes a while to get acclimated if you planted the emmersed variety. Mine went from big 4-clovers to tiny 4-clovers, to the single leaves over about a month. Took a few months to get going but wasn't until I switched to dry-ferts that they really took off. 

It will eventually get thick, but will take some time (3-6 months)


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## FewestKitten896 (Dec 13, 2013)

Monster Fish said:


> Plant the stolons about half an inch into the substrate. As it spreads, the plant will crawl along the top of the substrate. The roots do a good job of keeping it in place.


That is about how deep I put them. Thanks.



badgerclaw said:


> Crenata takes a while to get acclimated if you planted the emmersed variety. Mine went from big 4-clovers to tiny 4-clovers, to the single leaves over about a month. Took a few months to get going but wasn't until I switched to dry-ferts that they really took off.
> 
> It will eventually get thick, but will take some time (3-6 months)


Yeah it was the emmersed at one time(had the 4-clovers). I planted it and then about a week later I cut the large 4 leaves off and started to get some single leaves, incredibly small. I would prefer not to do dry-ferts right now, however this may be an idea later when I get a larger tank. Apartment people won't let me have a tank, had to sneak in a 10 gallon, more or less a temporary tank until I get a larger tank and a house.


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