# Can i grow Dwarf Hair Grass?



## DevonG

I desperately need some advice please. I'd like to carpet my aquarium with dwarf hair grass and have done a lot of research on it. But, everything I've read contradicts or says different things! My main question is, do i have to use co2 to carpet this stuff? My aquarium is a 60 gallon cube (24x24x24) and I'm using a 250 watt halight. I plan on using aqua soil substrate as well as flourish products for fert. possibly root tabs as well. but I've read people saying you can't carpet this stuff without co2 so now I'm all worried and what not! please help... thanks in advance!

-Devon


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## Yoemen66

to might be able to grow the dHG, but with that light without CO2 you will probably have it full of ALGAE as well, which won't look good. You have the lighting, but with that much light you will grow Algae faster then grass.


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## Ahura-sama

You'll be fine. It'll take a while w/ no CO2 but it'll carpet. DHG is not that demanding. Much easier than HC


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## DevonG

hmm.. i see, thanks for the quick replies. so ill probably have to do quite a bit of tank cleaning for the algae before my carpet gets established?


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## DevonG

Oh, i also have one more question. If i choose to put aqua soil in the aquarium, do i need anything else such as layers? or can i JUST put the aqua soil in there as substrate? thanks!


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## BradC

DevonG said:


> Oh, i also have one more question. If i choose to put aqua soil in the aquarium, do i need anything else such as layers? or can i JUST put the aqua soil in there as substrate? thanks!


Aquasoil will do fine by itself.

Good luck!


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## 150EH

I just got some for the first time about 10 days ago, a 3 x 5 inch mat from http://www.aquariumplants.com and cut it into 15 1 inch squares, I have 150 gallon that's 30 inches tall with 1.73 wpg that is on 12 hrs per day w/o CO2. The DHG is doing fine and putting out new roots and new grass that is taller than what I got originally. So you will be fine but my Kribensis and Chain Loaches like to pull on it and eat it but the DHG is out growing their bad habits, I just have to get a net in the morning and clean up the floating debris but it's not much, good luck. At 4 wpg you better put that light up fairly high and the high light is the reason you'll need CO2, you could get away with a 120 watts if you want a low tech setup.


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## DevonG

haha, well i don't think changing my light is an option but hanging it higher certainly is. Thanks guys for the help!


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## Abrium

wait is your tank empty? If it is then you have the ability to grow a quick emerged carpet prior to filling the tank up all the way. This is the way to go and the way that a lot of people complete their carpet before they plant the rest of the tank.


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## DevonG

Nah, it's full already :/ but i think I'm gonna take a jump, buy some clumps, and try to grow it! thanks for the advice... though now i have yet another question lol. I have a UV sterilizer, and am curious if that would help to control algae?


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## btimmer92

That much light will be bad without co2. If you want to use it you will have to hang it REALLY HIGH. If not, I would suggest only lighting it for 6 hours a day, maybe 8. Just do some experimenting. If you see algae, reduce the photo period. 150EH had 1/3 to 1/2 of the lighting you have, keep in mind.


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## DevonG

I'll keep that in mind btimmer, Thanks. Now i have yet another question this time regarding a filter oddly enough. i recently got an emperor 400 filter in a trade and i'm not sure if it is working properly. it sounds good and the bio wheels turn properly, but for how much gallons per hour its supposed to be spitting out, it looks as if only a slight amount of water is leaving the filter. Is it supposed to be spitting out alot of water? thanks


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## accordztech

I grew it with 2wpg and no co2. Just grew really slow. Maybe 5 runners a week


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## Jimmyblues

*A UV Sterilizer Is Very Useful In Keeping A Planted Tank's Water Clear*



DevonG said:


> Nah, it's full already :/ but i think I'm gonna take a jump, buy some clumps, and try to grow it! thanks for the advice... though now i have yet another question lol. I have a UV sterilizer, and am curious if that would help to control algae?


 


That's a definite yes on the uv sterilizer for keeping algae under control.

I have two high-tech planted aquariums which were impossible to keep the water clear in until I added uv sterilizers to them. The problem is that with the high lighting, CO2 injection and plant tab and liquid fertilization, there are so many nutrients in the water table that algae and bacterial blooms are inevitable.

The logical solution is a uv sterilizer, since they kill off bacteria and algae to keep them from overwhelming your aquarium.

There's also the myth that cheap uv sterilizers can't possibly be used to kill off bacteria.

As for those who claim that inexpensive uv sterilizers aren't germicidal because of the cheap construction of their uv bulbs, I disagree, since I have seen an aquarium whose water was cloudy from explosive bacterial growth clear up within 24 hours, after the majority of the bacteria had been eradicated. 

I've also had success using inexpensive uv sterilizers from AquaTop, including their PF-UV25 hob filter/uv power filter/sterilizer. It works quite well, and because it's an hob, is portable enough to move to some of my other aquariums.

However, its media pad is small and really only useful for mechanical filtration, so I use it as such along with the uv sterilizer, and use an Eheim 2213 for biological and mechanical filtration.

These uv sterilizers really do work well at keeping an aquarium's water table clean.

In my experience, if you have a high tech planted aquarium and are unable to keep your water clear no matter what you have tried, a uv sterilizer will solve this problem.

I keep the one I have in a 20 gallon long aquarium on a timer with my CO2 tank and regulator, so the uv sterilizer is only on 12 hours a day. This helps to conserve the life of the uv bulb, while ensuring that since the PF-UV25 is on during the day, the algae and bacteria continue to be kept at a minimum.

I think a uv sterilizer should be part of any planted aquarium that includes linear flourescent high output lighting and injected CO2 systems.


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## houseofcards

I'm actually a fan of UV sterilizers since they can help with certain fish disease and of course keep the water crystal clear. As far a algae control, the only algae it will control is GW (Green Water). It will not prevent algae from growing on rocks, plants and other surfaces if the parameters in your tank most notably (light, organics, plant mass) is way off. It can only have an affect on what passes through it.


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## RyRob

The best advice I can give when it comes to dwarf hair grass is to spend the time to proplerly prepare it for planting. Meaning, separate the grass clump into individual nodes (usually apply a few blades per node) and plant in a "5" pattern like you see on dice. Plant nodes about 1/4-1/2 inch apart. It will have a better chance of spreading and filling in an area that way. I would also suggest using Amazonia Powder rather than the larger normal sized Amazonia. The regular Amazonia kind of gets in the way of the blades growing straight and ally can become buried under the larger grains, in my experience. 

Dwarf hair grass grows very slowly without pressurized co2, in my experience. It will still grow and carpet but you must treat it like a slow growing low-light plant. And then wait....

Without using pressurized co2, the dry start method will be your next best chance at achieving what you see in your head. A lush carpet of DHG. 

If dwarf hair grass doesn't work out for you, or you decide to go a different direction, I highly suggest trying Monte Carlo. It's a great undemanding plant that carpets perfectly well without pressurized co2. Even in lower light.


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