Any advise on suitable carpet grass?

[greenaqua]

Hi all,
I have a 3ft plant tank with CO2 injection. I am trying for a grassland scene with no tall plants but only grasses or short plants covering the gravel.

Can someone recommend what is a fast growing and hardy grass (or creeper) that I can plant to cover the gravel? I heard that most grasses will need a cooler tank to thrive. Is that true since I don't have a chiller.

Thanks.

[windcharm]

I think japanese hair grass is easy to strive and creeps pretty fast. In addition, they do no grow high.

[Shadow]

Can someone recommend what is a fast growing and hardy grass (or creeper) that I can plant to cover the gravel? I heard that most grasses will need a cooler tank to thrive. Is that true since I don't have a chiller.

Not necessarily true, what is your current tank temperature? if it is hover around 27-28 then it should be ok.

[madnugget]

try riccia? although not a rooting plant.. it can create a nice lawn effect too

[greenaqua]

try riccia? although not a rooting plant.. it can create a nice lawn effect too

Hmm, problem is you need to tie Riccia to something. I rather it be rooted and growing horizontally.

[greenaqua]

Not necessarily true, what is your current tank temperature? if it is hover around 27-28 then it should be ok.

Just normal tank in a HDB living room. Not in direct sunlight.

[wong1979]

Easiest in my opinion is Echinodorus Tenellus.

[wynx]

Easiest in my opinion is Echinodorus Tenellus.

Absolutely agreed. It grows so fast in my tank.

[madnugget]

bro another option u can try Urticularia graminifolia heh.. nice lawn the bro had made in his tank..

[Shadow]

Elatine triandra even faster in my tank

[jt1]

ET would be the best but mine once grew up to 3-4in tall. If you have high light, Glosso would be nice. Otherwise, mossy foreground looks great as well.

[szxs]

mossy as in ? anchor ?

[Shadow]

ET would be the best but mine once grew up to 3-4in tall.

You have to trim of course

[jt1]

mossy as in ? anchor ?

I once had taiwan moss as my foregroung and they look very nice. Spiky works also.

[jt1]

You have to trim of course

Yup. Need some hair cut once in a while but then will need to clean the surface as the leaves can be quite messy.

[greenaqua]

Thanks for your advise. Will go down to Clementi to get some of the plants suggested to grow in foreground. Probably Japanese hairgrass or Elatine since I want a lawn and not too high, and it must be a hardy plant that will spread quickly.

[Shadow]

Yup. Need some hair cut once in a while but then will need to clean the surface as the leaves can be quite messy.

use fish net and net those floating leaves

[Shadow]

Thanks for your advise. Will go down to Clementi to get some of the plants suggested to grow in foreground. Probably Japanese hairgrass or Elatine since I want a lawn and not too high, and it must be a hardy plant that will spread quickly.

Hairgrass usually take a while to adapt to new environment. So if you did not see any growth in the first one or two weeks, don't be despair . Also, if you give them a hair cut, maybe around 1 cm from the soil, it will force them to send runners.

[o2bubble]

Yes, agreed that hair grass needs sometime to adapt, same for glosso. Now my hairgrass taking off and sending runners here and there. Glosso just started, slower than hairgrass. ET is nice but grows too fast and have to keep trimming to prevent the runners from spreading to unwanted areas.

[pustefix8965]

Can ET grow well in a low tech tank? No CO2 injection, lighting about 2 wpg.