Fastest-growing front-runners to carpet a 2ft tank?

[aqualover]

Assuming tank conditions are optimal, anyone knows what is the fastest-growing front-runners that can carpet an entire 2ftX1ftX1ft tank? Preferably something hardy and less-demanding will be great. Thx

[|squee|]

Glossostigma elatinoides will be good for your tank. If you want something more hardy then try Elatine triandra aka Ah Pek Plant.

[kemp]

E.tenullus? they grow like wild fire

[aqualover]

ok, thx. Actually, I've tried both glossostigma & APP before, but both shrivelled & withered away. Will attempt again with the right chemistry this time.

[StanChung]

hi light is main requirement for successful planting of glosso other than the right chemistry.

you be wise to remove any critter/fish that disturbs the substrate when planting glosso or anything with short roots. HTH

[aqualover]

20W (probably 6500K) daylight for a 2ftX1ftX1ft sufficient?

[StanChung]

try 36W. 20W isn't gonna do it for glosso. grows tall if it does.
correction...make it at least 72W!

[|squee|]

Nope, definately not enough. I use 72W in the same tank as you, and they still grow upwards slightly when plants overshadow them. Other than that, they creep in open areas.

[StanChung]

i had them under 72W as well in a 2ft high tank and it grew tall.

[kersian]

i had them under 72W as well in a 2ft high tank and it grew tall.

I believe trimming them when they grow tall helps in making them crawl... At least that's what I read about other people's experience with glosso...

[aqualover]

thx for all the feedback, I'd asked the same question to a LFS owner (commonly mentioned in this forum) and was told 20W it's more than enough. I was thinking of upgrading to 55W PL 10hrs/day with 2 bubbles/sec CO2 but he told me don't even try or else algae will bloom. So now I get different versions of the story?

I do search the web for answers sometimes, but the more I read, the more versions I hear. Looks like it's really an art & science and I got to do it using the trial & error method.

[valice]

Errr... Actually, if you read enough from the threads, you will notice that most of the people here are using very high lights when they go high-tech... And 55W is actually a norm (assuming that you using a 2ft), and I used that before switch to T5HO...The algae bloom is due to poor plant growth which gave the algae a chance to feed any excess nutrients not used in the water... If you provide good nutrients, lights and CO2 and plant heavily from the start, you see no algae bloom (contrary to the LFS owner)...And whether to believe what a LFS owner say, just need to look at his display tank, and look at our gallery pictures...Get the picture?

[FishFan]

E Tennullus is a good choice. Not as demanding as some of the rest and will not grow too high.

[Ting]

E Tennullus is a good choice. Not as demanding as some of the rest and will not grow too high.

I agree too, so many times I see my friend try in his various tank, never fail to grow, as compare to others like hairgrass.

I tried tennullus before, but it did not manage to grow, some reasons I can think of are heavy current, planted too deep, or naught giant sae...

good luck trying

[dc88]

Just thought of chip in my 2 cents observation on ET. Being growing it in my tank the last 5 yrs. The tank went thru a numbers of up and down cycles - sometime with my full attention (CO2, daily fert,) other time totally ignore and no CO2.
The lighting also gone from new to old (may be half the original brightness at time).
I noticed the ET once established will hold on very well. They responded in different forms under different condition. Bright light and high fert they trun into a bronze reddish longer leaf shape, at low maintenance time they stay small and greenish.
When come to year end rainy season, in the lower temperature they really spread and grow dense and pack. The low temperature effect seem to trigger spreading more so than brighter light and CO2 !
When I do major replanting I notice in the intial phase (1st few weeks) those planted in shaded area did better than those under direct bright light. May be contrast to other foreground plants E.tenellus need slightly longer time to settle in. So before their roots established brighter light may actually do more harm. Also they like some clay under the substrate but not strong fert (e.g. Hi NPK land plant stick) unless they settle in.

[Ting]

that's very helpful.

I also notice that when the water is less disturbed by us, not only ET but most plants will just do better.