# Low light carpeting or foreground plants?



## Captivate05 (Feb 23, 2010)

My 29 gallon is going to have one 30" Coralife T-5 NO double light fixture, which I understand places it in the low light category. I may buy a second one if just the one doesn't work out. I'm having a hard time finding a decent low-light foreground plant. I have HG in my ten gallon, and I adore it, so I'd like to find something somewhat similar. It doesn't have to be incredibly short, but I'd like it to be around 6" or less. A little taller won't kill me, it's a pretty tall tank, and I want a jungle.

Sorry for asking yet another nooby question, but you guys make more sense than google :flick:


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I'm running that same fixture over my 29gal, and Lilaeopsis mauritiana is doing quite well. 

I have E. tenellus varieties and Marselia minuta in my 90gal.

Links to my tank journals are in my sig.

HM would probably grow, though I'm not sure how short it would stay. Might be worth a try though, since it's actually starting to grow horizontal in my 46gal under the 36" version of the same Coralife fixture.


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## i love planted tanks (Apr 27, 2008)

four leaf clover is a great low light ground covering plant


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## nr85 (Jan 14, 2010)

someone on here or APC had a lowlight carpet of HC that grew in beautifully.


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## max chavez (Aug 7, 2009)

I'm really into marsilea minuta right now. It's like the shrimp are walking through their own little forest. But you may want something denser.


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## farmhand (Jun 25, 2009)

max chavez said:


> I'm really into marsilea minuta right now. It's like the shrimp are walking through their own little forest. But you may want something denser.


I checked the plant index for both "marsilea minuta" and "Dwarf Clover". there were no results for neither. I would like to know more about this plant.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

farmhand said:


> I checked the plant index for both "marsilea minuta" and "Dwarf Clover". there were no results for neither. I would like to know more about this plant.


There's several different aquatic Marselia species (and several also go by "dwarf clover), M. minuta is the easiest to keep in low light. It grows by runners, similar to chain swords, but has little teardrop-shaped leaves. Here's some in my 90gal (bottom right).


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Found a little better pic


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## h2oplant (Mar 2, 2009)

It works but never gets real dens and in brighter light it will grow the the top. I am going to try som parva.


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## nonconductive (Jan 29, 2010)

I have M. quadrifolia & minuta in the same tank. Quadrifolia grows alot thicker.


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## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

Dwarf sag is nice and nearly impossible to kill.


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## Captivate05 (Feb 23, 2010)

I think I'll try dwarf sag... I can get some nice ones locally...


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## h2oplant (Mar 2, 2009)

Dwarf sage will get tall too tall for a carpet


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

h2oplant said:


> It works but never gets real dens and in brighter light it will grow the the top. I am going to try som parva.


Is your statement about Marsilea minuta? Mine is real dense:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/tank-journals-photo-album/97527-dans-mini-m-mountainside-4.html

I find that it much prefers substrates like Aquasoil.


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## h2oplant (Mar 2, 2009)

Yea mine gets real long and spread out and wonders all over the tank. I am sure if I worked on it more by directing it back onto itself then it would look good like yours. It is a good plant for low light.


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## alohamonte (Jul 25, 2006)

dwarf sag will easily get 5-6 inches tall, not really carpet material. some of the crypts only hit 3-4 inches and could be a better carpet. you could also do a java moss carpet.


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## yikesjason (Jul 2, 2008)

Here is my quadrifolia carpet. True, this is high light, but even the low light part of my tank has good thick growth. It is just thinner and a little bit taller.


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## h2oplant (Mar 2, 2009)

that is a nice quadrifolia carpet but the one thing with your tank is, as you said, its high light which helps a lot. The plants in the low light still get some energy from the high light area, that is if the 2 are conected still by runners. I think in low light situations it takes more work by me to keep it close and tight like in the pic.


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## Captivate05 (Feb 23, 2010)

I don't really need a carpet. My HG is carpeting nicely in my ten gallon, and I like it, but I don't know if I want to do the same in this tank. It's hard to see through, and it's going _everywhere_. 

Would Crypt Parva work? My LFS has these. They also have micro and chain swords. Oh hell, they have everything you guys just listed. I kinda want to stick with something somewhat grass like. I like moss carpets in smaller tanks, but I'm not really liking the idea in this tank.

Hard to describe, I have this picture in my head how I want it to look. It probably won't end up that way, but I want to get as close as I can roud:


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