Keeping Eleocharis sp. to a certain area in the tank

[Oliverpool]

I wanted to plant eleocharis sp in parts of my tank foreground. I understand it sends runners to form a lawn. Is there a easy and neat way to keep it to one area? I was thinking of using those black artboard inserted into the soil. However, if it sent runners, it will still grow across the barrier.

[Mystikboy]

I used wire mesh to construct a 'cage' to grow my lotus and restrict its growth. But if runners grow above the height of the mesh/ card, then you will just have to keep trimming. Should not be a problem

[cephelix]

any barrier would do...could use rocks as well but I think the plastic boards are easier to cut to the required size

[Oliverpool]

Does the plastic boards actually have to be above the sand?

I was trying to see if there is a less visible way to restricting their growth. Cage and rocks are the more visible ways but I may figure out a way to use them in my scape.

[cephelix]

it doesn't have to be too high above the substrate. just make it barely visible. Rocks would make it easier to differentiate the different areas but you do have to integrate it if you don't want such a clear division using hardscape

[blue33]

There's no way you can control them except pulling them out cos they also travels beneath the soil to other area.

[stormhawk]

You can place pieces of acrylic into the substrate around them to restrict the runners but like what blue33 mentoned, you have to remove the extra runners since they will travel below the barriers.

[Oliverpool]

So It seems the best way is to use thin acrylic sheets that goes down to the tank bottom. Combine with some rocks and removing those that "run over" is the only way.

I am going to assume these guys will grow on small pebbles soil as well so a level pebbles layout will not prevent them from running away?

Thanks guys.

[stormhawk]

The runners will go wherever they can, even to growing upwards and above any "dividers" in place. You can see this with Vallisneria. Same for the hairgrass. Since these are slender plants, their runners can go into the smallest gaps between the dividers etc. If the substrate is deep enough and dividers are place in good positions, the runners may die from lack of light if they have to tunnel too deep just to bypass the dividers. Other option is to plant them in those plastic pots, with the rim slightly showing above your substrate. The use of rocks to hide the pots may help.

[Oliverpool]

Thanks for the detailed response stormhawk.

I have them planted in my nano shrimp tank for 8 weeks now. They are in 5 spots surrounded by lava rocks and they do not seem to be able to get past them. However they are getting bushy now so will see if they run over in a few weeks time. My nano is not co2 infused so the growth rate is slow. Not sure what's the growth rate going to be like in a co2 tank though.

In my nano it took 6 weeks to grow from a cut grass at substrate level to probably a bush of grass of about 3-4cm curled over. So even if it grows double in my bigger tank, I may give it a go and pluck them once they get too crowded.