Slow Hair Grass growth

[WaterH2O]

Hi

This is the spec for my 1feet tank low tech that was set up about 2 weeks ago

Tank size: 30cmX30cmX25cm
Lights : 1x24w Compact PL
Lighting period : 7 hours with break period in between
Fert : 2 ml Lushgrow Aqua + 2 drops Lushgrow Micros + 2 ml KH2PO4 stock (1 teaspoon in 500ml water) per week. Also dosing Excel 2ml twice per week.
PH around 6.8
KH around 3.0
Substrate: Magicsoil + Gex (Dark Green package).
Flora: Nana Petite + Hairgrass

Problem: Hairgrass growth is really slow. There are some proprogation but most of it has already turned brown. I know low tech tank the growth seem to be slow but how slow. Is there any thing worng with my maintanence of this tank that results in slow growth. Thanks

[vurbul]

Your light seems high for a 1 feet tank. Either dose more excel or try injecting co2.

[WaterH2O]

Thought so too myself. Will increase the excel dosage to 3x per week.

[WaterH2O]

Some thread website did mention that for small tank ( around 1 feet) WPG rule do not apply and more lighting is required so I brought the 24 W. Maybe that is the reason why ADA have their lighting at 27w for a nano tank.

[Shadow]

Try cut the hairgrass tip.

[WaterH2O]

The brown ones or those green ones that just sprouted out.

[Shadow]

all of them like cutting grass, there was some discussion about it some where in this forum. It will trigger them to send runner. By the way I feel that hair grass do have slow start.

[WaterH2O]

Thanks bro will try it out.

[doppelbanddwarf]

How did you plant them, in a large clump or in groups of 2-3 plants. The latter is recommended although its a bit back-breaking. Also just give them a crew cut and they'll start sending out runners in no time.

[WaterH2O]

In groups of 2-3 plants. Mine is a 1feet tank so not that bad.

[torque6]

You can check with illumnae, he has a very successful low tech tank with HG creeping, dont pull up mine by mistake lol. Ive experienced very slow growth for close to 3 months, figured my water parameters were so bad that shrimps dont last more than a couple of weeks in them, much less HG.

your tank is like 2 weeks only, it wouldnt grow that fast but i have seen 1 month's growth with pressurised co2 and they did creep fast. Follow shadow's method of trimming the tips before planting or while already planted, becareful not to uproot them since 2 weeks, roots will not have taken a hold yet. This trimming foster growth.

I presume you bought the illumax 24w PL from Mizu?

Becareful btw, your planted tank contains all slow growers, a slight imbalance= algae. My old tank had your similar setup except i had java fern and moss as well with 12w PL.

[WaterH2O]

Yup the 24W but I did not get it from Mizu. I got it from colourful.

[benkho]

Try cut the hairgrass tip.

It worked for me. I experienced slow growth for me, but after I trimmed them I've got runners now.

[PeterGwee]

Too much light. You need to know that Excel is only about 1/3 strength of CO2 and blasting the tank with 4wpg of light is a bad bad idea.

Regards,
Peter Gwee

[WaterH2O]

Other than changing the lights any remedy?

[WaterH2O]

But I remember reading somewhere that wpg rule do not apply for nano tank?

[KeIgO86]

Patience! Hairgrass are slow settlers. You only planted them in for 2 weeks. As long as less than 20% are turning brown your parameters should be fine. Once they settle in about a month later they'll start spreading like wildfire.