Need advise on choice of grass for lawn

[danielaw]

Hi,

Need to do some scaping for 4x2x2 tank. Decided to have Driftwood and tie some spikey moss and java fern on it.

Now, not very sure what is the good choice for grass / moss to create lawn. Read that for moss lawn, it is quite difficult to maintain as the fish food sometimes trap on top of the moss. Anyone can suggest what grass will be good. I am looking for something that is low maintainence and need not to trip so often.

Thanks in advance.

[richietay]

You can introduce shrimps or bottom feeders to take care of the excess food. What are the amount of lighting you use?! hairgrass can be a choice for you. for moss as foreground, spiky moss be good, they don't have a messy look.

[danielaw]

Hi,

In my previous 4 ft tank, i added 100 pieces of Malayan shrimps and in the end they all perish within a month. But the fishes seems to be fine.

My tank : -

JBL fertilizer with lapis sand
CO2 (four bubble count per sec)
Various plants
Lights - 3 x 54 W T5
Dynax canister filter - flowrate 1200 L

I do not measure the PH level or do any fertilizing regime, just 30% - 40% water change weekly. Is there any conditions require for shrimps to thrive ?

As for the foreground, which is better - spiky moss or hair grass for easy maintenence ? Is that true that Japan hair grass will curl as they grow and need not to trim ?

[kemp]

maybe you could try using spiky moss. I'm using it for my tank new foreground. Fell in love with it when i saw this tank at THAT Aquarium that uses it as foreground. Really nice lawn. Neat~

[richietay]

Hi,

In my previous 4 ft tank, i added 100 pieces of Malayan shrimps and in the end they all perish within a month. But the fishes seems to be fine.

I do not measure the PH level or do any fertilizing regime, just 30% - 40% water change weekly. Is there any conditions require for shrimps to thrive ?

As for the foreground, which is better - spiky moss or hair grass for easy maintenence ? Is that true that Japan hair grass will curl as they grow and need not to trim ?

Most shrimps are comfortable in ph 6.5 to 7.5, best is you able to determine your ph level. And they do well in lower temperature. Previously when you start adding shrimps after the setup? Or what fishes you kept, the shrimps might be attacked?

[kemp]

not forgetting. Do remember do get a fan or best a chiller if you hasn't done so. Moss and shrimps would prefer colder temperature

[|squee|]

Low maintainence = moss.

If you want to have glosso, tennellus, HC etc... they all need light and they need trimming to keep it looking short and nice.

[danielaw]

Most shrimps are comfortable in ph 6.5 to 7.5, best is you able to determine your ph level. And they do well in lower temperature. Previously when you start adding shrimps after the setup? Or what fishes you kept, the shrimps might be attacked?

I have Cardinal and Rummy Nose Tetra and 3 large SAE. May be is the SAE, they are quite large compare to the Tetras. SAE not aggressive fish right ?

Thanks for all the suggestion and contribution. More or less have decide what to use for foreground. How about this combination with Spiky moss and Japan Hair grass ? Is it appropriate and look nice ?

Wow, can't wait to start !

[kemp]

bro,
visibly, having one type of foreground will be nice (my 2cent point of view). Unless you're those adventerous type, why not? Try it then you'll be able to play around it.

[richietay]

Spiky moss and hairgrass, why not?! Go ahead and try, it's all depend on your liking.

[aquarius]

If you want nice and low maintenance for the foreground, then spikey moss will be best. Hair grass is nice but when they grow tall and needs trimmings thats when the nightmare begins.

Don't know about tennellus and glosso cos have not kept them before. Anybody care to share the pros and cons (maintenance part) of keeping glosso and tennellus?

[Wackytpt]

tenellus are easy to grow as they are low light plants. As for glosso, if your lights are strong enough, they would grow nicely and compact to the ground.

[kemp]

Nicholas,
i guess you mean if you're light is strong enough?

[taz_boy]

go for hairgrass. will give u a nice "padi field" lawn.

[Shiv]

tenellus is good and the growth rate is fair. go for the moss variety only if u r planning to install a chiller. if u have time & patience try riccia grass. in a short span of 2 months u should have a good lawn of riccia grass. but yamato shrimps have a particular liking for riccia grass so dont buy any yamato shrimps till the lawn is fairly big size. all the best.

[kemp]

hi, it's not neccessary / or a must to have a chiller to grow moss. I'm having a normal fan cooling my tank, growth is just as well.