# Best carpet plant for low-tech?



## TetraFan (Jan 28, 2013)

Hey there! I am looking for suggestions on a good plant to use as a carpet in a low-tech situation (no CO2/Excel) - if possible, one that will grow okay in gravel (with no planting substrate). If I can't do a carpet with no planting substrate, I will have to think about mixing some in with the gravel. My tank has planting substrate at the back and gravel at the front, but I have decided I want to get my tank more heavily planted - the pics on this site are making me too jealous!


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

I have been researching this same question. Only, I will have ADA Aquasoil as a substrate. At this time my opinion is that we are pretty limited if we want a low growing substrate, perhaps with Marsilea minuta being the only one that will reliably grow well and low. I plan to use Sagittaria subulata, but it will give me a "lawn" that is much more likely to be 3 inches tall than 1 inch tall. The usual low growing, carpet plants all seem to need more light and/or CO2 to do at all well at growing low and dense. I think most people who have success with those in "low light" actually have much more light than they think.


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## arbai89 (Nov 26, 2012)

moss for sure will work
i think it would work best with a mesh / moss plant method.

personally im low tech and trying to do dwarf sag.


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

I'm doing DHG in a 10 gal, 2x13w cfl's in a standard hood, excel 3x a week, aquasoil and root tabs and in the past month since I set it up, I can see 30-40 runners starting all over the tank, so in a few months I expect it to fill in the entire tank. Not sure how well it would do without the excel, root tabs or aquasoil though.


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## JoeGREEEN (Jun 28, 2011)

Dwarf Sag. Also crypt parva lots of It


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## TetraFan (Jan 28, 2013)

Won't dwarf sag be fairly tall?


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## wicca27 (May 3, 2009)

dwarf sag and it can be "mowed" with scissors if it gets to tall lol i do it all the time and it does not need plant substrate just gravel works well and will help it stay smaller too from what i have noticed in my tanks


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## Kehy (Feb 5, 2012)

My "dwarf" sag is about 12" in my 1/2 gallon low tech bowl. Makes a slightly more manageable alternative to vals, but not a foreground plant in my book.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

GeToChKn said:


> I'm doing DHG in a 10 gal, 2x13w cfl's in a standard hood, excel 3x a week, aquasoil and root tabs and in the past month since I set it up, I can see 30-40 runners starting all over the tank, so in a few months I expect it to fill in the entire tank. Not sure how well it would do without the excel, root tabs or aquasoil though.


Got any pics?


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## Neatfish (Jun 22, 2012)

I could never get DHG to grow in my tank. Maybe I'll try it again with the new 10k light.


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## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

Would FSS be as good as Ada AS? I have a friend who's wanting a carpet without co2... Therefore I'm helping him set up a low light tank. A planted shrimp tank.


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## Smitty06 (Mar 25, 2012)

No, FSS will need root tabs to be close, as far as nutrients goes, to aquasoil.


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## extrame (May 17, 2011)

Hi, 
I have success with dwarf sag as my foreground carpet plant. Just don't let the tall plants block the light source so that I would not grow tall


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## h4n (Jan 4, 2006)

Marsilea Quadrifolia
Marsilea minuta
Crypt parva
Moss

Anything else, I think will grow but will grow tall and leggy.

I'm also growing Echinodorus tenellus in a low light tank but seriously grows so slow!
after about 3 weeks I finally see runners.


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## TonyK (Aug 29, 2012)

I didn't think Dwarf Sag could be "mowed". I think I am going that route. I am sry starting a tank and picked up some micro sword for a carpet will see how goes. My substrate is Miracle Grow (orange bag) with a sand cap.


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## pejerrey (Dec 5, 2011)

Anyone has any pictures please?


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## jackrythm (Oct 14, 2012)

Riccia fluitans? I have it carpeting 3 of my tanks... But I must stress the plant has not anchored itself. I have attached it to metal sheets and placed across the bottom.










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