# Pygmy Chain Sword or Dwarf Sag carpet?



## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

Hi all,

Just wondering what your personal opinions were on which of these two plants you like better for a carpet for a pressurized CO2 and EI dosed tank with gravel/ecocomplete mix and why!


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## peyton (Apr 17, 2007)

They are very similar plants. I'm using dwarf sag as a foreground in my 40g but I'm not happy with it. The plants are getting too tall to be a foreground plant in a smallish tank.
If I had a choice between the two I would go with the chain sword. IIRC it sends out runners above the substrate making it easier to control. Just my $.02.


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## hippotangamus (Mar 30, 2011)

I won't vote since I've only used the chain sword, but that can get pretty tall too. Although the above poster is right that it's easy to control with the runners being about the substrate.

If you're willing to occasionally uproot the old/tall stuff and replant the newer plantlets I think you'd be happy with it.


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## ktownhero (Mar 21, 2011)

I don't know much about chain sword, but somebody in my area donated some to me that was actually dwarf sag and I hated it as a foreground plant. It might work if you have a very large tank, but in a 29g it was way too tall. I now have it in the background of the "low brush" side of my tank, and it's growing nicely. It's a nice plant, but expect it to get leaves up 6-10" long no problem.


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## leo1234 (Dec 2, 2009)

I would say chain swords would be better than dwarf sags i have a carpet of sags in my tank and it grows to tall to be in the foreground.


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## Chrisinator (Jun 5, 2008)

Most low light tanks will make dwarf sags grow taller.


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## Buff Daddy (Oct 19, 2010)

Dwarf sag spreads faster, IME, than pygmy chain. I like PCS in the foreground and ds in the middle to back.


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## VeeSe (Apr 16, 2011)

Pygmy chain sword is dominating the vote so far, but it's the opposite in my tank. The chain sword has been sitting there for a month now with lots of dying off (some dying off of entire plantlets, some just ~50% of their leaves) and 0 new growth or runners. Dwarf sag is doing well, however, with not much die off and bright green leaves and a few runners.

edit: third option I just thought of is to do a foreground with Blyxa japonica. For reference, my tank is 21" tall, a standard 55G long.


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## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

I have a high tech 125 so my vote is for sag because it gives a great carpet grass look because the leaves are so much broader.


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## JimG (Aug 26, 2011)

I have had poor luck with carpet type plants. I have had dwarf hairgrass in the past and my lilaeopsis mauritiana is sparse and struggling, but my mbuna are eating it so that's part of the problem.

My substrate is 100% regular Flourite which I think may be too coarse for their roots.

I recently bought some dwarf sag and it is doing really well (and not being eaten), but I think it is too tall to be called a true carpet plant.

My tank is a 75g with a 4x55W AHS Bright kit, so there is good lighting but the sag is overshadowed by some overgrown anubias.


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