# Marsilea minuta carpet help



## Big-Ken (Apr 17, 2012)

I planted a large area with marsilea minuta two months ago, 6-2" pots for a 30"x6" area, it is growing well sending off runners but it not very thick. How long should I expect it to take to be like this?? My tank is medium light, Excel & EI dosing


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

Two months isn't long for Marsilea variations. I've heard they carpet slowly. Plus, you have no CO2 and "medium" lighting.


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## TwoTacoCombo (Apr 13, 2012)

I've got MM growing with low-med light and co2 injection, and it's really taking its sweet time doing anything. The roots barely grow fast enough to anchor it to the substrate. There are a few smaller leaves growing on each node, but it's like watching paint dry. This stuff probably does much better under HO lighting...


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## FriendsNotFood (Sep 21, 2010)

To get it that thick without CO2 would probably take a couple years


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## Eldachleich (Jul 9, 2011)

It's one of those plants thickly plants...
If you wanted it to look like that you should have bought enough plants for it to look close to that right after it was planted.
This stuff takes forever to carpet.
No matter Co2 or lighting.
It is very cute though.
Buy more and fill it in.


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## Hmoobthor (Aug 15, 2011)

i heard they say ..cut a couple stem and replant


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## cookymonster760 (Apr 30, 2011)

yes that could work but its not worth the trouble since its really hard to plant just one stem at a time so just let it bee and enjoy your tank it will get there eventually


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

i think that it looks great already. just have a little patience, it will fill in in time.


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## Big-Ken (Apr 17, 2012)

Thats not my pic that is what I want mine to look like

Thanks all for the responses, mine is growing well sending runners out its just taking its sweet time filling in and becoming dense


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

ChadRamsey said:


> i think that it looks great already. just have a little patience, it will fill in in time.


OP used the picture of what he wants it to look like, not what he has.


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## HunterX (May 19, 2012)

I think it looks great as well. Howdy MO neighbor.


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## Hmoobthor (Aug 15, 2011)

Big-Ken said:


> Thats not my pic that is what I want mine to look like
> 
> Thanks all for the responses, mine is growing well sending runners out its just taking its sweet time filling in and becoming dense


lol..i thought that picture was urs and was thinking "the hell is it not dense enough"? LOL


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

ThatGuyWithTheFish said:


> OP used the picture of what he wants it to look like, not what he has.



DUH!!!

sorry, i was a bit tired when i read the OP.

Big-Ken, why dont you post a pic of yours so we can see whats going on


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## Big-Ken (Apr 17, 2012)

Here's a full tank shot







A couple close ups of the minuta


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

When I plant Marsilea I cut the runners into 2-5 leaf sections and plant every 1-2", as closely as I can stand and also keep the bits in the substrate. Quite tedious and I would be completely lost without my forceps. The more you prune plants the denser they will grow and often faster as well as they may grow in more than one direction each. I think I can see a couple dense spots, did you plant the whole pot or take the growing media off, separate the runners, cut them to bits and plant?

I like the look as is. Nice tank and the Marsilea is looking very happy creeping all over. If you do want to fuss with getting it to carpet faster try taking up the unhappy bit on the left side of the last photo and replanting the healthy bits. You may see what I am writing, multiple runners per node. If you see that then you might very very carefully cut and take out the dense bits and do the same thing. Or cut those long runners and cut into bits and replant. Marsilea uproots easily and you cannot replant a long runner or dense bit neatly so be careful if you do this.


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## Big-Ken (Apr 17, 2012)

when I got it I broke the pots down into small clumps and planted them

That's what I was hoping to hear, I have alot of long runners that I could cut and replant. When i replant the cut pieces should I do it at different angles so when they grow they crisscross??


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

Do you use any kind of root tabs/ferts? Marsilea minuta is not the fastest growing plant but once it becomes established in can take over. I had it in my 90 gal. and after 3-4 months it was sending runners all over to the point that I finally changed it out as my foreground as it was going all the way to the back of the tank. Good trimming practices also help once it gets it's roots established.


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## Big-Ken (Apr 17, 2012)

No root tabs its a dirt tank, I'll start pruning and replanting its really starting to take off now that I have dialed in my ferts and excel dosing, thanks for the good tips and I can't wait til it fills in nice and thick


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

ChadRamsey said:


> i think that it looks great already. just have a little patience, it will fill in in time.


I agree, your getting the best of both with slow growth means no trimming and it has filled in nicely, plus it's algae free.

I would only use root tabs in a larger tank they can release a ton of nutrients into the water column then you'll have to deal with algae and other problems and are very unforgiving in a smaller tank.


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## rowdaddy (Jan 20, 2012)

All that shade from the moss tree probably isn't helping. Lol

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2


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## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

LOL they look like they're all on the bread line. 

would you have considered separating and planting individually?


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## ThatGuyWithTheFish (Apr 29, 2012)

rowdaddy said:


> All that shade from the moss tree probably isn't helping. Lol
> 
> Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2


Neither is bumping a photo from half a year ago...


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## rowdaddy (Jan 20, 2012)

Maybe we can get an update from the original author. We can find out if they were able to get the carpet they desired. 

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