# Guppy Grass - Moss - Keep it together?



## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

There is *no* way to keep guppy grass/najas grass/ejeria najas seperate from much of anything in the aquarium. Try tying down the moss to, well, pretty much anything that has texture. It will attach itself eventually.


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## Agrippa (Jul 25, 2006)

Actually, I read a post by Random_Alias in which he said he used plastic strips to separate his dwarf hairgrass from his moss by burying a plastic strip between the two, to keep the hairgrass from being able to send out shoots. Here's the link:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/31240-another-little-nano.html


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

That is a very applicable method for plants that spread by side shoots....najas grass takes over by, well, it just kind of takes over! :hihi:


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

Ah najas... I thought I was rid of it for good, but I think I had one plant CELL left in my tank, and poof - one day I see a big ole sprig of it stuck in the back. Misremembering how invasive it was I moved it up front to get some light and then BOOM, it is everywhere. It DOES just sort of takes over. It gets into everything! I LOVE it for fish and shrimp breeding, but man I hate trying to tame it in an aquascape. 

(I used a lot of Poof! and BOOM! in this post... Reminds me of comic book super heros... my boyfriend plays a 7 ft tall plant woman named "Jungle Val" on City of Heros - bless his heart! )


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## dhavoc (May 4, 2006)

yep, no way to control najas... its an invasive weed when you think about it. if it ever gets rooted watch out, it will explode growth wise. i actually use it as a lanscape plant in my 10g RCS tank (its rooted between some rocks and grows like a bush) but i give it a major haircut every week. even my massive scud population cant eat enough of it to put a dent in it. a must for breeding shrimp though. if your going for a nice planted tank look, i would stay away from najas. just my opinion though.


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## mrbelvedere (Nov 15, 2005)

Try some slower growing species. Najas sp. "Indian" grows about half as fast as regular Najas guadalupensis. And my shrimp dig it. It is also a much more elegant looking species.

Downside, it sends out roots, unlike Najas guadalupensis. I assume it can be planted like a stem, but I haven't tried it yet.


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## dhavoc (May 4, 2006)

wait so Najas guadalupensis doesnt send out roots? the najas i have do all the time if they ever land or touch the gravel and that is what i assumed i had. does that mean i have the indian??? still grows like a weed and the roots really grab onto the gravel, if i pull it out i loose whatever gravel/AS is attached to it. i compost it by the armfull from my balcony water gardens every couple of weeks or so, along with riccia (more of a PITA than its worth).


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## mrbelvedere (Nov 15, 2005)

dhavoc said:


> wait so Najas guadalupensis doesnt send out roots? the najas i have do all the time if they ever land or touch the gravel and that is what i assumed i had. does that mean i have the indian??? still grows like a weed and the roots really grab onto the gravel, if i pull it out i loose whatever gravel/AS is attached to it. i compost it by the armfull from my balcony water gardens every couple of weeks or so, along with riccia (more of a PITA than its worth).


Whenever I had N. guadalupensis it never sent out roots. Maybe just me.


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

My floating najas never sent out any water roots, but when you plant it in substrate then it will. Mrbelvedere, did you plant yours, or just let it float?


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