# Giant Hairgrass not growing



## Aqua nut (Jul 5, 2014)

I have one in a 55 gallon tank.
It's up to 18" tall under 2 t5's, 2 watts per gallon.
It is growing slow but last time i moved it there were at least 7 runners on it.


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## steven p (Jun 22, 2012)

It didn't want to grow for me until I tried to pull it out and get rid of it.. came back like 3 times from root fragments.


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

When I have a native hair grass in my tank it does better if I push individual beads of Osmocote+ into the sub with my tweezers under it.
I add more about every three months. I use one bead about every 2".


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## Plakatz (Oct 25, 2014)

Heavy feeder. A little clay mixed in the substrats helps... for no tech dudes.


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## fishhes (Oct 18, 2014)

Ok, it sounds like I might need more nutrients in the soil. I did use DIY Osmocote gel tabs, but I spaced them out pretty far because I was afraid of overdoing it and burning some plants. I think I should pull them up at next water change, reduce the groupings to maybe three or four grass strands and at the same time add some more Osmocote to the substrate. Give them space to grow and boost the food source.

Its too late for me to add clay to the substrate because I have so much in my tank already and nowhere to move anything to (no other tanks).

Does anyone know if my light source is enough? I haven't seen any PAR ratings for the Planted+ light but I know it is a big step up from what I had before so I think it should help.


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## fishhes (Oct 18, 2014)

I did my water change today and pulled up the hairgrass. I cleaned it up (some diatom algae had collected on some strands), trimmed up the dieing strands and separated the clumps into smaller sections to replant. To my surprise it looked like there was two small sprouting runners that had grown from a couple of the clumps. I guess it was growing after all - just really really slowly. I added more DIY root tabs to fuel theses suckers and replanted in smaller groups.


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## knm<>< (Mar 18, 2010)

steven p said:


> It didn't want to grow for me until I tried to pull it out and get rid of it.. came back like 3 times from root fragments.


This, same for me, I'll never use it again. PITA plant for me...


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## agro (Nov 29, 2013)

Nearly took over my tank. Had a strand from another plant someone shipped to me, that one strand with like 3 blades began to carpet. Was a 12long with a finnex ray2, high as hell par but it grew like a weed.


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## fishhes (Oct 18, 2014)

That is kind of what I have been finding - extreme lighting is what makes this plant grow. I guess I will see what happens with my new light and hopefully it is enough to push it's growth. I don't want to increase the intensity of light any more and then need to introduce CO2.


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## fishhes (Oct 18, 2014)

I have been using the Planted+ light for the last month and a half or so and decided to update this post with the results. 

Immediately after switching from the low light LED to the Finnex light there was a lot of algae growth until I shortened the light cycle and added some shrimp/snails. The Giant Hairgrass was getting covered in algae and turning brown in places, but after a couple weeks the critters cleaned them off and I trimmed the dead strands off the base. The grass still hasn't really taken off though. There are a few new shoots coming off, but it certainly is slow growing. 

I am considering switching to another plant for a background. It is either that or go all-in with the Giant Hairgrass and buy more to fill in the areas I want becasue at this rate of growth it won't fill in for another year!


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