# Dwarf Hairgrass issues



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

What kind of "liquid fert"? Most of the commercially available products don't contain N nor P.

Have you looked into injecting CO2?

How long since you upgraded the lights?


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## Kestral (Sep 5, 2010)

Thanks for the reply on both posts. I use JBL Ferropol. It says it contains essential minerals and iron but I dont know if it contains N or P. Is this ok or should I be using a different fert?

I wondered about going down a DIY CO2 system is this necessary and worth it? I replaced the lights about 3 weeks ago. So maybe the DHG needs a bit longer to recover?

Thanks


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

My first pot of hair grass spread even though I planted it in one clump and used no fertilizers. My tank was well stocked with fish and very brightly lit with as many T12s I could stuff into the canopy. I suspect you need a source of nitrate and phosphorus for it, perhaps the fish load isn't as high as it was in my tank.

Hope it gets going for you, it is quite a weed in my current well fertilized, CO2 injected and brightly lit tank.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

I would agree that you will need to be adding macronutrients (NPK) to your water column. CO2 injectino would also be beneficial, as Dwarf Hairgrass does like CO2.

For the current fertilizer you are using, I do not believe it adds any macronutrients to your water column.


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## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

Welcome to TPT Kestral. DHG likes nutrients as others have stated. If you bought your plants from a LFS, they're likely already deficient in most nutrients, especially K as it's unlikely the store added any of this to their tanks. I've also found that CO2 is especially beneficial to this plant. It grows without it, but much faster with good CO2, which I guess is true of just about any plant. If nitrates are low, this plant can get really yellow looking. 

Upgrading your lighting can actually make things worse if you don't have enough macronutrients. That being said, I haven't found DHG to grow very well under low light levels. Once you get your setup and ferts worked out, this stuff will grow like mad.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Here's what JBL says:



> JBL Ferropol 250 ml
> For 1.000 l aquarium water
> 
> For the absorption of nutrients through the leaves.
> ...


So your Hair Grass might do better with an addition of N & P. I say "might", because either nutrient can be present due to content in tapwater or heavy fish stocking/feeding. There are relatively simple test kits that can tell you roughly if you have nothing or too much of those macros.

I'd say a DIY CO2 setup is definitely worth it, if you can handle the upkeep. I'd suggest to start with two 2 liter bottles for a 100 liter tank.

So much to learn! :biggrin:


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## Kestral (Sep 5, 2010)

Wow your right this is a steep learning curve. Thank you to everyone for your help I really appreciate it:smile:. 

A few answers to the questions then.... I got my plants from online so not a LFS as the plants at my local one never look that healthy. I shall head out tomorrow and buy a test kit and see what it comes out as. I will post the results that I get. I will have to have a look at the different plant foods out there!


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## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

I would suggest buying powdered fertilizers online. Not only is it more economical, but often times LFS don't have a very good selection of ferts.


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## Kestral (Sep 5, 2010)

Well I went out and got a test kit. These are my results:
pH: between 6 and 7
Ammonium:0
Nitrate 7 Mg/l
Nitrite: <0.05
Phosphate: between 3 and 4 Mg/l

I think that means the phosphate is too high. How are these values for the plants and should I be testing anything else? Does my DHG need any particular extras added with these values?


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## Sharkfood (May 2, 2010)

That's high considering you aren't dosing phosphate, but it's not going to hurt anything.


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## fishdweeb (Nov 3, 2007)

I am monitoring this discussion as my DHG is also just sitting there....I dose and have an injected tank....
DHG has been in tank about a week and I see no new growth yet....

currently dosing with; flourish, excel, iron...from the Seachem line....

I bought powdered ferts online, but found the directions and mixture instructions to be very lame for my concrete sequential brain.


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## jreich (Feb 11, 2009)

fishdweeb said:


> I am monitoring this discussion as my DHG is also just sitting there....I dose and have an injected tank....
> DHG has been in tank about a week and I see no new growth yet....


 its probably in transition from emerged to submerged. give it probably another week


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