# Marsilea carpet



## FriendsNotFood (Sep 21, 2010)

Has anyone here really, TRULY grown a nice carpet of marsilea in a non-co2 tank? I ask because that always comes up as a foreground alternative to HC/glosso for low-light tanks, but I've never actually seen a low-tech marsilea carpet. Waiting on one to grow in in two of my tanks and I'm wondering how long this actually takes?


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

Initial planting:









2-3 months later:









No CO2, no flow, no fauna besides 2 pond snails or so, water changes 1-2 times a month. Substrate is MGOCPM capped with a thin layer of pool filter sand. It's not done filling yet, as you can see, but it's progressing very nicely.


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## radioman (Oct 29, 2007)

Do you trim it at all? Does that encourage growth?


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

FriendsNotFood said:


> Has anyone here really, TRULY grown a nice carpet of marsilea in a non-co2 tank? I ask because that always comes up as a foreground alternative to HC/glosso for low-light tanks, but I've never actually seen a low-tech marsilea carpet. Waiting on one to grow in in two of my tanks and I'm wondering how long this actually takes?


I have had it grown in tanks without Co2, and it grew great. I do not have any pictures left though lol. If you snip the runner between nodes, it will form dense growth.


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

radioman said:


> Do you trim it at all? Does that encourage growth?


I do nothing to it. It grows really fast with that nutrient filled substrate (the Miracle Gro) just by itself.


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## Beanyhead (Mar 6, 2008)

I have this in my tank and it hasn't really done much. My substrate is just gravel though so I think that's part of the issue.


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## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

CO2 made this plant form carpet faster for me
non CO2 tanks just need a lot more time


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## Wicket_lfe (Aug 21, 2008)

Do you have light and ferts and just no CO2? What is your setup like?

I have decent lighting, CO2 and ferts and its filling in nicely, of course, then again its no longer lowtech. But i think with at least decent lights it should be ok.


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