# Good/Easy to Keep Carpeting Plants?



## madcrafted (Dec 23, 2017)

The easiest carpeting plant I've tried was dwarf hairgrass. Without injecting co2, you'll find most carpeting plants difficult to spread quickly and densely. Alot of folks like HC (dwarf baby tears) and Monte Carlo, which both of these look good in smaller scaled tanks. 

If this is the look you're going for, getting a lush carpet should be your first priority before placing a moss tree in there. The reason being is, mosses can grow just fine in lower light and can become overtaken by algae under bright lights (ask me how I know). Being as trees are really close to the light source they will get blasted with anywhere between 150-300 PAR, while the substrate may only be getting 50-70 PAR. These scapes are difficult for beginners. You'll need to have a consistent fertilizing schedule as well as dialed in co2. It can be done with a moss tree and carpet growing from day 1 but you'll most likely have issues with hair algae in the xmas moss if everything isn't perfectly balanced.

edit* For lighting I'd probably opt for something like a finnex planted plus for a smaller tank. On a tank this size, this LED would be considered high intensity.


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## Ekliptix (Jan 17, 2018)

I'll second Monte Carlo as a carpeting plant.

This is after 1 month using the dry start method. Time will tell how it does flooded.


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## madcrafted (Dec 23, 2017)

^ you could opt for a dry start like this too. This way your carpeting plant's roots can take hold good before flooding the tank with water. Do a search on Dry Start Method. It usually takes anywhere from 6-8 weeks but the results can be well worth it for slow rooters like HC. This way plants get all the atmospheric CO2 they need while buying you some time to purchase co2 equipment.


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## SonnyRay (Jun 14, 2017)

Thanks for the quick replies! Though I may just stick to the moss tree, I don’t really have the time for a dry start or a super complex setup. I have 3 bettas in a divided 10 gallon that need their own tanks. 
Maybe some dwarf vallinersa could work?

I’ll also be setting up another 10 and 5 gallon, so if you have any ideas for those please share them!



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## Jane of Upton (Apr 2, 2006)

Since time is of the essence, instead of a full carpet ('tho, I know that is the look you're smitten with currently) you could toss in a few small moss balls to give some green interest under the tree, and around the rocks. They'd be more in line w/ the needs of the moss in the "tree", and you could get some traction with a lower-tech setup until you're ready to leap to CO2.

Alternately, I've seen in person (but, admittedly not done this myself) very successful patches of "lawn"-like areas created by opening up a large moss ball (it is a rather civilized algae, after all) and affixing it to a large nearly-flat rock. It took a bit of time to adjust and look more natural (less puckered), but it sure was an easy way to get a low-growing lawn-like covering! She had that for a LONG time - it was very stable and easy-care, as long as it was tended by either some Amano shrimp, or, later, she had a solitary siamese-algae-eater-relative who tended his personal garden very happily (didn't like conspecifics much, so everyone was happy). The need to "tend" it a bit was to prevent other opportunistic algae from moving in.

It was actually quite lovely in a grouping of several large flat, clado-covered low islands, and continued to look really good for several years - she finally changed it up from boredom rather than any problem with the carpet-rocks. 

Just a thought.
-Jane


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## gt turbo (Sep 13, 2012)

You could also use Marselia Minuta for the carpet. This requires no co2 and can tolerate lower light as well. It takes a little time to get going but the result is quite nice when completed. One hack is to take the time to separate and plant each node in a grid pattern about 1/2" to an 1" apart for an even faster carpet.

Good luck.


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## MissCris (Mar 7, 2016)

I second marsilea. I keep it in a few tanks, and it is both easy and attractive. It doesn't carpet densely as quickly as DHG, but will fill in over time (or you can plant more densely from the start), and doesn't demand super high light or CO2, making it much better for those who prefer low maintence. I found it also transitions better than some of the other carpets I've tried.


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## Tank Stand (Jan 24, 2018)

MissCris said:


> I second marsilea. I keep it in a few tanks, and it is both easy and attractive. It doesn't carpet densely as quickly as DHG, but will fill in over time (or you can plant more densely from the start), and doesn't demand super high light or CO2, making it much better for those who prefer low maintence. I found it also transitions better than some of the other carpets I've tried.


Do you dose any c02?

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## MissCris (Mar 7, 2016)

Just Excel, no pressurized system.

I have a bit in a non-Excel-dosed tank to see how it does, and it grows slow, but hasn't died after 5+ months.


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## Pashody (Oct 19, 2017)

Other than your conventional baby tears or dwarf hair grass you could try something like dwarf saggitarius. It also doesn't really need to be trimmed and doesn't make a huge mess if it is trimmed.

Yes it's classified more as a midground plant but gives more depth to the carpet (2-4"). 

Personally had this carpet my 55g and I liked it, so did the shrimp. Easy to care for In terms of lighting and co2 isn't necessary for it but is helpful. 

Food for thought.











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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

Eleocharis Acicularis is a beast, but Eleocharis Parvula is slow and miserable in my experience. 
Marsiliea Hirsuta 
Crypt Parva
Staurogyne Repens
Glosso
All good choices if you ask me. 

You could also try Micranthemum Macremoides, its easy to grow but gets taller so you'd be chopping a lot.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

Just alittle follow-up on the tank that you first referenced. That aquascaper (Filipe Oliveira) was one of the first to use that moss tree design that eventually became very common place. In fact there were several versions of that setup by him and back in 2008 he took 10th place in IAPLC. That was no small task especially with a tank under 2 feet. Winning tank are almost always 3 to 5 feet. Here is a pic of the prized setup with the path running through it.










The moss is listed as Vesicularia dubyana. Tropica has a moss listed as Vesicularia dubyana 'Christmas' which looks like the one in the scape.


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## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

If the moderation team has to clean up another thread like this, we're sending people packing for good. Enough with the bickering. 

You may be children but you don't get to act like it on The Planted Tank. Treat others with respect and take the insults elsewhere.


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## madcrafted (Dec 23, 2017)

houseofcards said:


> Just alittle follow-up on the tank that you first referenced. That aquascaper (Filipe Oliveira) was one of the first to use that moss tree design that eventually became very common place. In fact there were several versions of that setup by him and back in 2008 he took 10th place in IAPLC. That was no small task especially with a tank under 2 feet. Winning tank are almost always 3 to 5 feet. Here is a pic of the prized setup with the path running through it.
> 
> 
> 
> The moss is listed as Vesicularia dubyana. Tropica has a moss listed as Vesicularia dubyana 'Christmas' which looks like the one in the scape.




This is one of the aquascapes that inspired me to try out a moss tree scape in my 5 gallon. While mine doesn't look nearly as nice as this scape, I'm happy with it. It's such a delicate balance in a small tank but very pleasing to look at as it fills out.


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## SonnyRay (Jun 14, 2017)

That’s gorgeous! I’ll definitely consider getting some the plants y’all suggested! I’m ordering the tree and plants today from eBay! 


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## MKultra (Feb 9, 2018)

Ive had great luck with S. repens and standard baby tears. You can really trim/sculpt them however you want but they certainly carpet easily with minor care.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

madcrafted said:


> This is one of the aquascapes that inspired me to try out a moss tree scape in my 5 gallon. While mine doesn't look nearly as nice as this scape, I'm happy with it. It's such a delicate balance in a small tank but very pleasing to look at as it fills out.


You did a really nice job! I can definitely see the inspiration. What moss did you use on the tree?


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## madcrafted (Dec 23, 2017)

houseofcards said:


> You did a really nice job! I can definitely see the inspiration. What moss did you use on the tree?


Thank you. It's supposed to be weeping moss. One of those Tropica cup cultures. It doesn't look very weepy, though. Originally it had Christmas moss but it became a hair algae tree in the end. This time I decided to glue individual strands of moss to the branches, keeping it thinned out and well circulated.


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## Tank Stand (Jan 24, 2018)

Chlorophile said:


> Eleocharis Acicularis is a beast, but Eleocharis Parvula is slow and miserable in my experience.
> Marsiliea Hirsuta
> Crypt Parva
> Staurogyne Repens
> ...


What's better out of the Marsiliea Hirusta and the Crypt Parva?

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