# Dwarf Hair grass without co2?



## UncleChin (Jul 26, 2013)

Has anyone successfully grown a carpet without co2? Like cover a whole tank with dhg


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## Sean W. (Oct 12, 2013)

nope


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

highly doubt it.


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## Sean W. (Oct 12, 2013)

someone might have gotten it to grow, but never a full, lush green carpet without high light, Co2 and ferts. It truly is an advanced and demanding plant.


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

It's possible, but without CO2, it's very slow growing. Best way to get it to carpet is to use CO2, trim frequently until it's lush, then remove CO2.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Do a dry start and let it get established first. Then it will carpet for you without co2.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Nope, they'll die off slowly after several months.


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## Menace (Jan 15, 2014)

I'm hoping to *grow* DHG in probably some of the worse conditions. Low light, no co2, no root tabs, and sand. I am using Flourish and Flourish excel. So far I managed to grow a little bit of roots. Hoping over time it'll thicken and spread some. Doesn't have to carpet but we'll see.


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## Rimless (Nov 9, 2013)

I agree with the dry start method, but adding some DIY CO2 would really help.


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## The Trigger (May 9, 2012)

Yeah it grows slowly without co2 and not in a thick carpet.


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## phishfriend (Dec 16, 2012)

I'v tried and failed.

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## devilduck (May 9, 2012)

I tried a dry start with dhg belem, not sure if it actually helped. It really took off when I flooded the tank and turn 0n co2. 

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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

You can't dry start this plant since the emerged form is different from the submersed form. The emergent leaves are 3-5 inches tall and is a different texture. Submersed, the form that is desirable, is <2" and is more delicate.


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## KrimsonRose (Jan 31, 2014)

Menace said:


> I'm hoping to *grow* DHG in probably some of the worse conditions. Low light, no co2, no root tabs, and sand. I am using Flourish and Flourish excel. So far I managed to grow a little bit of roots. Hoping over time it'll thicken and spread some. Doesn't have to carpet but we'll see.


I have had really great results with DHG without co2. The right lighting is more important in many applications...in my experience.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Here's my previous 5 gallon with dwarf hairgrass grown without CO2 for the first year after filling it up after the DSM. Only used peat moss capped with fluorite black sand as the substrate. Dry starting mineralized the peat and gave the grass a chance to become fully established into the substrate.


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## Mark Allred (May 3, 2013)

I have glossostigma carpeting nicely in my 29 gallon with no CO2.







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## 01111000 (Dec 8, 2009)

Monster Fish said:


> Do a dry start and let it get established first. Then it will carpet for you without co2.


This was successful for me. I ran a DSM for over 7 months with a layer of Miracle Grow Organic capped with Eco Complete. When I filled it up, it continued to carpet. 

I'm actually going to drain the tank soon and have it carpet again because I ended up with a bad case of hair algae. My aggressive cleaning attempt derooted many plants. My Ray2 coupled with a crappy maintenance schedule caused the problem.


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## Menace (Jan 15, 2014)

I have some of my left over DHG in a glass bowl, I set on the window sill for 8hrs a day... It hasn't died but it hasn't grown any roots either. It's just in sand so it's not getting nutrients I guess. I do add tank water to the bowl occasionally though.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

Yes it can be done. This was my non co2 tank a few months back. Just plant a lot and do a dry start. Don't listen to those on here who said dry start won't work for hair grass. This was belem hairgrass:

Same tank:

Dry start before I flooded:


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Nice looking tank. What stems did you use?


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

Those are ludwigia red, some sort of hygro and green myrio i believe. Also hydrocotyle japan in the front.


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## The Trigger (May 9, 2012)

Yeah nice little tank. Hairgrass looks very healthy


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## Xiaozhuang (Feb 15, 2012)

DHG on a desktop vase without CO2










Glosso on a desktop tank without CO2










I do use topsoil as a base and higher lighting levels though.


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## TekWarren (Oct 6, 2013)

I am also trying to grow DHG in "less than optimal" conditions. I have it in a 20 long, no co2, no heat, floramax substrate, and 3 13w CFL lamps. I am dosing a little on the high side with metricide right now (or maybe not) 3ml/day fighting some algea. I've started tosing in ferts from me EI pack once a week. I spread it out when I planted it and it held out for quite a while but a lot of it turning brown now and diatoms are taking a toll on it (can't use Oto's unless I heat) however I do have some new bright green shoots breaking through so we'll see what happens. On the other hand I have some pygmy chainsword (i think? Dad gave it to me) and it is running very well so if the DHG doesn't make it I'll let this run wild in the tank. Temps are as low as the ambient in the house which right now in winter is 67F lights may raise a degree or two but they run pretty cool. Tank is just a month in so not quite cycled yet.


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## stanjam (May 12, 2013)

I have had many failings with this. However some is now slowly growing in a ten gal with high light.


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

Terrestrial growth and submersed growth are different. If you dry-start, you'll only have terrestrial growth when you fill it with water. This necessitates pruning to remove the long leaves.

If you are patient enough, E. parvula/accicularis/etc. will carpet submersed in their submersed form leaves.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

I didn't see the need to prune emersed grown leaves. The humidity during the dry start is high enough to coax the plant to produce leaves that are well suited to being submerged. If the older leaves did start to die, the plant was already well established into the substrate and would quickly start producing new submerged growth.


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## pikachux3 (Feb 1, 2013)

My emersed dhg leaves stay the same when submerged, not sure what your guys' issue is


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

+1. None of mine died when transitioning to submersed.


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## JLNo2 (Aug 24, 2013)

Hey Monster fish, that is not true dwarf hairgrass. True Dwarf hairgrass does not grow any taller than 1-2 inches.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

JLNo2 said:


> Hey Monster fish, that is not true dwarf hairgrass. True Dwarf hairgrass does not grow any taller than 1-2 inches.


There are different varieties of dwarf hairgrass being sold around the hobby. _Eleocharis acicularis_ is the variety most seen in stores since it's mass produced in Florida. This is the variety sold in pots. It grows to about 4-6 inches tall if you don't trim it. _E. parvula _ stays a bit shorter and is commonly sold as tissue culture plants. _Eleocharis_ sp. 'Belem' stays even shorter at 1-2 inches tall and grows curved leaf blades.


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