# Growing Dwarf Hair Grass in Low Tech - experiences?



## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

I'm interested in carpeting my tank. Thought I might give DHG a try, but I'd like to see how it turned out for other people here and what conditions help it take. My substrate for the DHG would be a black sand cap 1" with potting mix underneath.

Thanks,

Steven


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## jeepguy (Jul 24, 2013)

Django said:


> I'm interested in carpeting my tank. Thought I might give DHG a try, but I'd like to see how it turned out for other people here and what conditions help it take. My substrate for the DHG would be a black sand cap 1" with potting mix underneath.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Steven


I grew dhg almost 10" tall so dense you couldn't see through the tank in a no tech sun light powered bowl/vase with miracle grow organic potting mix and black sand cap. 
No filter, no electricity, it got direct sunlight about 3 hours a day.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

I failed at it. Got the DHG from petsmart. It all died.


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## cgorges (Sep 9, 2014)

In my 75 I just a few rogue strands left. The rest has slowly died off. I only had a few small runners. In my girlfriends 10 gal shrimp tank What she planted looks great but never sends of runners. Its pretty slow growing in low-tech in most situations.


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Perhaps when it warms up some I can send you a couple of clumps of the native hair grass which I found here where I live. Looks to be DHG. Is only 1.5" tall. But DHG is much taller than that and I'm suspicious of this. Thinking it's very immature perhaps ?
Grows extremely slow for me, but still it's growing...so...
I'll add a picture after my camera batteries charge up. You can tell which strands are newer. So far, no runners. One T8 bulb @10 hrs. One only dose of EI and no Excel.
Sorry there's nothing in the pix to give size perspective but that is Eco it's in.


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## Linwood (Jun 19, 2014)

BulletToothBoris said:


> I failed at it. Got the DHG from petsmart. It all died.


Ditto. I kept hoping some would survive and spread, just died.

Everything else (e.g. crypts) in the same area are doing great. Was told I just did not have enough light.


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

I've been growing the eleocharis 'belem' in a small 2.5g tank for a couple of years. It struggles a bit but it grows slowly. I used a lot of light, two 13 w cfls horizontally. I don't think the problem people have is co2 as much as it is light. Of course algae can be a problem especially the dark green hair alga. I have heard that can be a problem even with co2. fwiw.


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

Thanks for posting! I guess CO2 makes DHG grow faster, like it makes everything grow faster. Good fertilization like the 1/4 IE plus the MGOCPM might help. I know from experience that there is such a thing as too much light, but I also know that there is a light gradient from the surface to the substrate. Some of my plants only get pink at the surface. So who knows? Guess I would just have to experiment and hope it doesn't die before I find the right combination.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

Here is some E Belem, low tech no co2. Dry start helped a lot.


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## Nolan (Feb 12, 2013)

it grows like a weed in my walstad bowl, but doesnt grow at all in my 37g

same substrate, roughly same light level only difference is the depth...

I wonder if the bowl has better gas exchange and therefore more co2 or if its being closer to the light that makes it grow


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## Red Cloud (Nov 11, 2014)

It grows much better in co2 for me. I think it would be hit or miss in low tech.

Obsession is a matter of opinion


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

The bowl looks beautiful! Bet it's a pain to trim, though.

Just for kicks, what other plants can be used as a kind of carpet? I've had aquatic clover and I might give it another try. I found out later that you can't plant the whole piece as it is.


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