# best carpet plant?



## luke20037 (Jan 24, 2010)

hey guys just want to know opinions of the best carpet plants?


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## paludarium freak (Jan 26, 2010)

Hc!


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Depends what kind of effect you are looking for.

HC is quite popular. HM grows taller, but some people like that more than HC. Others like the grassy effect of Dwarf Hairgrass. You could also try UG, Dwarf Sagittaria, Glosso, Marsilea spp., etc.

In short, there are lots to choose from


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## hallzoo (Jan 1, 2008)

I'd like to offer a something a little different from the usual HC/glosso recommendations...

Been having good luck with growing bacopa australis low, it's all in how you prune it:










this is under 3 wpg + pressurized + EI. Hard to keep this stuff from running everywhere!


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

hallzoo said:


> I'd like to offer a something a little different from the usual HC/glosso recommendations...
> 
> Been having good luck with growing bacopa australis low, it's all in how you prune it:
> 
> ...


wow nice plant,how would this grow in low light set up?


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## luke20037 (Jan 24, 2010)

sorry being a bit stupid but can you give full names of the abbreaviations please


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

HC = _Hemianthus callitrichoides_
HM = _Hemianthus micranthenoides_
UG = _Utricularia gibba_
Glosso = _Glossostigma elatinoides_


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## RcScRs (Oct 22, 2009)

Silly Darkblade, UG is Utricularia graminifolia


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

RcScRs said:


> Silly Darkblade, UG is Utricularia graminifolia


Ack! I was thinking of the pest UG


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Echinodorus tenellus.


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## comatoast (Mar 11, 2009)

Marselia Minuta grows and spreads like crazy in my tank- even in the shaded areas. If you like the "clover" look, I would recommend it (also have hc going and they grow together whether I want them to or not).


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## anastasisariel (Oct 4, 2009)

I've been thinking of trying Marselia Minuta myself because my hygro and mexican oak leaf grow so darn fast that its hard to keep it from blocking light to the foreground. I had a decent glosso carpet going but a couple weeks of not-so intense light has left it looking pitiful. Probably the wrong time of year to have some shipped to Missouri......


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## Fish4Fun (Jan 4, 2010)

not to take over this but whats the best for a low tech, gravel bottom tank?


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## Delslo (Feb 5, 2010)

I tried UG in my low light tank and no such luck


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Fish4Fun said:


> not to take over this but whats the best for a low tech, gravel bottom tank?


I would suggest Marsilea spp.



Delslo said:


> I tried UG in my low light tank and no such luck


The OP never mentioned what kind of lighting situation was available, so I just threw out a bunch of suggestions


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## Fish4Fun (Jan 4, 2010)

15 wat is what the bulb says, its just a petco 55g and petco 20g both the deluxe..


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## luke20037 (Jan 24, 2010)

how does every one feel about dwarf hair grass? its the only one i know i can redily order


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Fish4Fun said:


> not to take over this but whats the best for a low tech, gravel bottom tank?





Fish4Fun said:


> 15 wat is what the bulb says, its just a petco 55g and petco 20g both the deluxe..


Not sure what you are trying to say here; do you have a 15 watt bulb over a 55 gallon or a 20 gallon tank?



luke20037 said:


> how does every one feel about dwarf hair grass? its the only one i know i can redily order


This is a good choice too; again, it depends on your lighting, however. It may not carpet if you have insufficient lighting.


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## luke20037 (Jan 24, 2010)

i have 2 15 watt bulbs ond day light one power glo on for 8 hours a day no refelctors though


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

luke20037 said:


> i have 2 15 watt bulbs ond day light one power glo on for 8 hours a day no refelctors though


As mentioned above, I was not sure of your previous comment; do you have these bulbs over your 20 gallon tank, or a 55 gallon tank?

If it is over your 55 gallon tank, it is insufficient light. If it is over your 20 gallon tank, it may or may not be enough light. It also depends on what kind of bulb you have. For example, if they are T12 bulbs, you probably don't have enough light for the Dwarf Hairgrass to carpet.


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## Fish4Fun (Jan 4, 2010)

darkblade that was luke not me lol

i have 1 over my 20 and 2 over my 55


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

So you have a 15 watt tube over your 20 gallon tank and two 15 watt tubes over your 55 gallon tank.

Unfortunately, this is likely insufficient light to grow any carpeting plant...


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## Fish4Fun (Jan 4, 2010)

hmmm ok maybe ill have to upgrade


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## Delslo (Feb 5, 2010)

Tin tape can be your reflector



luke20037 said:


> i have 2 15 watt bulbs ond day light one power glo on for 8 hours a day no refelctors though


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## luke20037 (Jan 24, 2010)

I can buy refelctors in my lfs will they help?


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## blondeyny (Feb 20, 2010)

Not to hijack, but I have one T5 14 watt Colormax lamp and one T5 14W 6700K lamp on my 19" deep 25 gal tank. Will that be enough lighting to do some carpeting plant of some sort?


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## Delslo (Feb 5, 2010)

I did manage to get a carpet started in my low light setup in the past, I used Micro swords, but the carpet was spotty at best



blondeyny said:


> Not to hijack, but I have one T5 14 watt Colormax lamp and one T5 14W 6700K lamp on my 19" deep 25 gal tank. Will that be enough lighting to do some carpeting plant of some sort?


You should be alright to grow a carpet, I would recommend a diy co2 to help. Try to stay with a lower light variety as it will grow thicker.


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## Questin (Aug 15, 2003)

HC carpet









That was started by a single 2 inch long stem that accidentally got into the tank when I bought some other plant. When I found it I said, what the heck lets just stuff this into the gravel and see what happens.


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## Questin (Aug 15, 2003)

Glosso carpet

















I found the glosso easier to take care of then HC, a lot less trimming needed. A LOT LESS hehe. In the second picture, way over to the right you can see a tiny bit of HC. That was when I was growing both just to see how that would work out. In the ground cover war these two had the HC won, easily out-growing and growing-over the Glosso


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## blondeyny (Feb 20, 2010)

Wow those look fantastic!!! 
Does it make sense that I don't necessarily want a total carpet, but just in patches? LOL I also don't want to mess with CO2 yet.I was thinking of something more grassy looking, like dwarf hair grass but maybe a little shorter since I read it can get to 4". I currently have regular gravel I am going to put in the tank mixed with some Flora Max. Tank isn't set up yet, just in the planning stages.


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## Questin (Aug 15, 2003)

You might like Java Moss that is tied to rocks


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## blondeyny (Feb 20, 2010)

I tried to tie down some pellia moss to rocks. Boy was that a FLOP! I really don't care for the look of Java moss too much. Maybe because whenever I have had it/seen it in tanks it doesn't look as nice and green as the pics I see online.


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## killacross (Oct 15, 2009)

Questin said:


> Glosso carpet
> I found the glosso easier to take care of then HC, a lot less trimming needed. A LOT LESS hehe. In the second picture, way over to the right you can see a tiny bit of HC. That was when I was growing both just to see how that would work out. *In the ground cover war these two had the HC won, easily out-growing and growing-over the Glosso*


wait wait...WHAT?!?! impossible! glosso/sagittaria/java moss/duckweed are the kudzus of the planted tank! you can not stop them, only slow them down... 

I had some...grew a carpet...removed it and gave it away on the forums...planted some HC which is gradually growing...and even now the glosso still springs back up and into action!! I eventually just decided to go with it and rearranged my scape to accomodate both


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## Questin (Aug 15, 2003)

It might of had something to do with my CO2 and heavy lighting that the HC liked so much.


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## killacross (Oct 15, 2009)

glosso loves it just the same...the only difference is at the other end of the spectrum...glosso doesnt care about low light or low CO2, but HC will rot and melt away...

either way...WOW...congrats (RAOK me some of your super hybridized HC?) lol...**sidenote** WOW! youve been a member for 7yrs and youve only made 7 posts!?!! ha...and one of them was a reply to me?! I feel special


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

lauraleellbp said:


> Echinodorus tenellus.


Agreed. I am growing it my 75g rip and it is spreading quick, and I love it.


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