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For ultra low-tech tank.... go for moss carpet.
Just tie java moss or christmas moss to pieces of flat rocks or meshes, then lay them on the substrate, once they grow out you'll have a hardy moss carpet.
Hi all,
I am setting up a new tank and would like to know which carpet plant is the most hardy, requires the least maintenance and light, and can thrive in Singapore room temperature. Please help me select the best carpet for my ultra low tech 2ft setup. I am planning to grow the carpet emersed/dry start for awhile before flooding. Thanks!
For ultra low-tech tank.... go for moss carpet.
Just tie java moss or christmas moss to pieces of flat rocks or meshes, then lay them on the substrate, once they grow out you'll have a hardy moss carpet.
Thanks, I am looking for a plant that will be rooted into the soil. I am considering HC or monte carlo as I do not know many other species of carpet plants. Which would be your recommendation besides java moss?Originally Posted by Urban Aquaria
For rooted carpet plants, can try glosso or monte carlo, they can grow without Co2 injection, though the growth rate will be very slow. If light or nutrients are not sufficient, they will still melt away over time.
HC is very tough to grow in low light conditions and without Co2 injection, usually they'll deteriorate rapidly or get taken over by algae.
Marseila hirsuta is another option (their submersed leaf form look like a larger version of glosso), they can tolerate low light with no Co2 injection conditions, but growth rate will be super slow too... can take months just to grow abit.
What about Dwarf Hairgrass - Eleocharis parvula?
You can plant those too. Hairgrass growth rate is also very slow without Co2 injection though, so just have to wait.
Do note that normal hairgrass will grow tall so you'll need to trim them to create a low carpet. The alternative is to use japanese hairgrass which curl and hence naturally stay shorter.
Hardy and no temperature requirements for japaneses hairgrass? Thanks for the intro, I have not heard of jap hairgrass before. Where can I get some?
Hairgrass is generally quite adaptable to temperature and water conditions (as long as not too extreme).
You can find japanese hairgrass at most LFS that sell plants, they are usually labelled.
Try Echinodorus tenellus.
You can try Dwarf Sagittaria as well. Great in low lighting conditions.
Advice from boss Felix
Is there anyway to grow moss quicker without co2? Does turning on light for longer period makes it grow faster?
Try Brazilian Microswords....but they are slow grower without co2....
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If the light was a limitation (ie. existing light very dim or very short duration), increasing light intensity and the photoperiod could help improve moss growth rate, but the overall growth speed is still restricted by their naturally slow growing characteristics, along with limited carbon availability.
Just have to try and see. If additional light doesn't generate any improvement in growth speed (or helps algae grow instead), then thats the limit for the moss growth rate in your current tank conditions... only way to increase its growth speed further is to inject Co2.
Thanks kingkew for this thread! I need to know as well. haha!
I'm currently building a low-tech shrimp 'Iwagumi' inspired with a 2ft tank.
I am interested in the HC (Hemianthus Callitrichoides - Dwarf baby tears) or the MC. I've researched and they need CO2 to rapidly spread and flourish.
So I'm thinking, while cycling the tank, with good lighting, I plan to use Fluval's Cartridge CO2 and remove once finished and continue with Excel.
Or should I start with Excel straight and don't waste cash on the Fluval?
And will Excel affects the shrimps in the future?
Any advise?
TIA
If you are not going to be using Co2 injection for long term and will eventually just be using Excel, then better to go for monte carlo.
No point growing out HC then later watch it slowly deteriorate due to lack of Co2, these plants do need continuous ideal conditions to maintain healthy growth, its not like they grow out and then remain the same forever.
Excel is generally "relatively" safe for most hardy livestock if the dosages are done in recommended amounts, just don't overdose it... though some sensitive fishes and shrimps (and even some plants) may not do so well with it, so either have to reduce dosage or not use it at all.
Thanks for the prompt reply UA!
So guess I'll try cycling the tank of MCs with Excel then.
Then add some commando shrimps after MC has carpeted fully!
Can't wait! Haha!
Good question asked by kingkew. This is the question that i should asked in the first case. Today, i just discard my soils and plants. If I never discard them, I had forget to come back to AQ forum and learnt new things.
Would Neo CO2 be a better alternative to Excel?
Planning to plant some MC.
The Neo Co2 can be a good alternative to dosing Excel. Its a DIY system though, so just have to note that you have to refill it with the mixture every few weeks and the Neo Co2 system doesn't allow you to schedule the injection timing so it has to be run 24/7, therefore you have to monitor it more closely and adjust the injection rate if there are livestock in the tank.
If you have the budget, can consider a 2nd hand pressurized Co2 system with solenoid instead, occasionally there are good deals at the forum marketplace. Their overall cost could work out to just slightly more (or even the same) over the course of a year of usage.
Hi quick question, is it possible to grow monte carlo with only excel and shrimp soil? (No chiller)
Or would it be better if I used ADA soil but still no chiller.
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