# Plants to make a "lawn" on bottom?



## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

HC is commonly used, as is Glosso, Dwarf Hairgrass (may be a bit tall), Marsilea spp., various mosses.


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

The best one I've kept (and I've done Glosso, HC, UG, Dwarf hairgrass, and marsilea) is Lilaeopsis novae "mini" micro sword. It was really expensive when i bought it, but there is no maintenance with it. It doesn't require trimming, pushing down into the substrate, or a lot of thinning.


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## Option (Oct 2, 2010)

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. I'm pretty new to the planted world....could you tell me what all the abreviations UC, HG stand for? And what are the complete species names of marsilea? glosso?

:icon_conf Sorry...


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## deleted_user_7 (Jul 7, 2003)

Utricularia graminifolira (Utricularia sounds like an exotic disease, doesn't it? Lol)
Hair Grass
Marsilia minuta (other species can be used, too)
Glossostigma elatinoides

Medred, can you tell us more about L. novae "mini" ? How tall does it get, how fast does it grow? I have glosso but am not the biggest fan of it and wouldn't mind replacing it.


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

It was a super rare plant around a year and a half ago when I first picked it up. I don't know how rare it is now. It came from aqua forest. It takes about 3 weeks or so to take off, but it's super hardy and grows very well. I don't think it grows any taller than two inches

Here it is in my mini m (the broader leaf "grass" on the right are erios, nevermind them)










the second pic in my post above is minsc's tank. I dumped off my entire stock at the wet spot tropical fish in portland and with minsc before I left. He may have some if you're interested.


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## thrak76 (Aug 3, 2009)

Another popular one right now is _Eleocharis sp. 'belem'_. I've got a patch that's starting to fill in now. It stays very short. It's also fairly easy to find right now in the S&S.


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## littlefish (Aug 6, 2010)

marsilea hirsuta
http://freshwater-aquarium-passion.blogspot.com/2010/07/marsilea-hirsuta-ideal-foreground-plant.html


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## MrMoneybags (Apr 13, 2010)

congrats...youve been growing that microsword for like 15yrs no?

when I had micro sword...in a high light, press. co2 tank...i gave up after 3months of inactivity

my java moss in the tank took off and became out of control compared to the stuff

...personally I love glosso but to each their own

another EASY option is to use pieces of tile (the 6\"x6\") fishing line and moss...they grow in vertically and shrimp LOVE the stuff


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Echinodorus tenellus and Lilaeopsis mauritiana are my own favorites ATM. They'll both do well even under low light.

The carpet in my 90gal is mostly E. tenellus, in my 29gal is L. mauritiana, links in my signature.


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## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

> congrats...youve been growing that microsword for like 15yrs no?
> 
> when I had micro sword...in a high light, press. co2 tank...i gave up after 3months of inactivity
> 
> ...


I planted microsword and DHG at the same time in my tank. Since the DHG was growing much faster, I kept it and pulled out the microsword. Now, months later, new microsword keeps popping up out of the substrate.


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## Option (Oct 2, 2010)

I really like microswords, I saw them at a LFS today. But what's the tallest this plant grows at its max? Also, how fast does it spread across the gravel?


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## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

It grows slowly compared to most carpet plants, but it stays short, and as you can see in the pictures above, is very striking when you have a full carpet of it. Let me stress again, that it grows slowly. Once the biomass gets higher, it starts chugging along ok, but it will be slow going for those first few months.

Med, you're carpet looks so beautiful, I'm finding myself considering letting the microsword start growing again, and moving it out in the open light.


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## gvfarns (Oct 4, 2010)

I'm interested in the same question with a twist. Will any of these carpet-like plants do well in regular, course, unfertilized gravel (the kind you get at pet stores)? It seems like when I researched these short grasses they like fine substrate with nutrients in it. I have plenty of light (probably too much) but my substrate is the stuff people buy for non-planted tanks.


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## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

You can always use root tabs.

If you have too much light, that could cause issues. Carpets grow dense, and tend to have little water flow between the blades (or leaves). If you have too much light, and are prone to getting algae, it's going to load up your carpet plants first quite likely. Grassy carpets (micro sword, DHG) are the worst for this.


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## gvfarns (Oct 4, 2010)

Sharkfood said:


> You can always use root tabs.


Good deal, so it sounds like you are saying the fineness of the gravel is not that much of a concern, right? So that means I could raise any of the carpet-like plants mentioned here successfully in my tank with a little attention to root fertilization?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

IME carpeting plants will grow best and fill in most quickly in substrates that are fine and do have some nutrient content.

You CAN grow them in other substrates (larger or without nutrient content) but they usually take quite a bit longer to fill in, and IME often there will be "bare spots" that won't fill in unless you seed them pretty well with root tabs or something.

Keep in mind that most microsword (Lilaeopsis) species really do need CO2 to fill in. Lilaeopsis mauritiana is one of the few exceptions. Here it is in my 29gal


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## Option (Oct 2, 2010)

What's the full scientific species name for microsword again??


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

The most common plant called "microsword" is Lilaeopsis brasiliensis.


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## MedRed (May 20, 2008)

barsilliensis is to tall for my liking. 

novae "mini" is really short.


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## gvfarns (Oct 4, 2010)

Quick question: I didn't see anyone in this thread define what HC stands for. What is that plant?


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

I've got Lilaeopsis NZ started in my tank and I really like it. With low light and no CO2, it's growing but very slowly - like it would take a year to fill the lawn up. But, I'm starting CO2 and upgrading to medium light next week, plus starting rood medic tabs and liquid ferts. So, I'm pretty hopefully that this will go well.

I think it's one of the lawns that most looks like an actual lawn in front of a house


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

gvfarns said:


> Quick question: I didn't see anyone in this thread define what HC stands for. What is that plant?


Hemianthus callitrichoides


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## car0linab0y (Oct 7, 2010)

I didn't see anyone mention pygmy chain sword (or maybe they mentioned the scientific name and I missed it) but that's probably what I'll be using when I do start my carpet.


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## gringostar9 (Oct 11, 2010)

I am growing a small carpet section of micro-sward. I dose nutrients, Excell, have medium light, and i have seen some new growth in 2 weeks. I bought 2 pots of it from my lfs and cut the pots in 1/2 to give me 4 bunches that i planted about 2 inches apart. They have grown together fairly well in 2 weeks. The pots were only 5 bucks a pop so it was not to much money, but the micro-sward was really my only choice because they did not have much in the way of carpeting plants other then moss and i wanted something that would have some hight.


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## styxx (Jul 2, 2003)

*Fyi.*

Since there's not of information on Lilaeopsis (and its variations) I figured I should post my experience to give readers a bit of my personal knowledge. I hope it helps. Below you will find a photo of my L. Mauritania as it looks today. In my signature readers will find the details of what my experience has been like growing this particular plant, with plenty of photos from start to now. The quick and dirty is that it has taken 3 months to really get this lawn moving. And much like other member's experiences with this plant, it does take quite a while to grow out. Indeed, while the appearance of my lawn is nice, it really needs to be much more thick in the middle and that, alas, will only happen with time. Moreover, I am using high light and CO2 under an internal pump to help improve the speed at which the plant grows. I have found that it does precisely as other members have concluded; namely, it will take at least 6 weeks, before one even sees any horizontal runners (by which the plant propagates). Two months is a much better margin though...however once it does become acclimatized to your water and the conditions of your aquarium, it will indeed begin to really take off. I have found that L. Mauritania is much more forgiving in terms of dosing schedules but steady and consistent high light and CO2 is an absolute must. Keeping the intensity and duration of light and CO2 concentration is THE KEY to getting this plant to really spread quickly, IMHO. I have had problems with snails but eventually that resolves itself with the addition of a loach to barely noticeable levels. 

Please note that this picture does not do my aquarium justice and much of the green is lost to a yellowish hue - I am no Takashi Amano at photography needless to say, as reflections on the glass, glare, etc. all attest, lol. And of course its in desperate need of a trim, lol. However this picture should serve as an indication of what one can achieve in a 3 month time period. I should also note that I'm using Fluorite Black here, and _not_ ADA Aquasoil. Moreover, I have amended the Fluorite with ADA Multi-bottom Long and Iron bottom Long, which I have found is absolutely necessary to achieve _fast_ results; without this recipe of high, consistent CO2 & lights + strongly amended substrate, I wouldn't have gotten any achievement in the short time that I have. I think that if one were using Aquasoil, you would probably have much faster and more robust plant growth overall. But perhaps that is my own personal bias. More details can be found in my ADA 90P link in my signature below. Best of luck with your growing efforts!


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## Indian fern (Jul 16, 2012)

Riccia stays quite small and low. But I dont know if it looks like a lawn. Its cool cause its pearling like CRAZY in my small SUPERHIGHLIGHT 10 gal.


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## rodcuda (Jul 25, 2012)

Here is a link to a RAOK for some free micro sword, there is one portion left.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=200406&highlight=


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## james1542 (Sep 8, 2011)

For me UG is the most appealing carpet plant. I have not formed a carpet with it yet, but I am working on building up enough by growing it emersed. It fills in super thick, stays under 1" tall, and has a very bright green color.


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## gremmy (Nov 17, 2005)

I was thinking of using multiple carpet plants to create a sense of depth, with shorter plants in the front and longer plants on the side and midground.

Can you guys provide some info on the RESPECTIVE height of the suggestions that have been made in this thread?


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## rainbuilder (Sep 21, 2011)

It's much easier to simply adjust the substrate to get the look you desire. If you mix foreground plants, they often just grow into each other and end up not looking very good.


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## FlyingHellFish (Nov 5, 2011)

Oh so now everyone is showing off their carpet?


































Check out the heart!










Seachem Flourite Black (inert, no nutrient beside white magical powder I toss in.)


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

Indian fern said:


> Riccia stays quite small and low. But I dont know if it looks like a lawn. Its cool cause its pearling like CRAZY in my small SUPERHIGHLIGHT 10 gal.


Here's a pic of a riccia lawn I grew in my first attempt at a planted tank quite a few years ago. The riccia was attached to stones with hairnets. It's pretty easy but a pain fishing out all of the pieces after a trim.


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## Option (Oct 2, 2010)

Who the heck resurrected this old thread of mine?? I think this might have been *one of the very first threads* I posted when I first joined TPT. 

How nostalgic...


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