Types of plant suitable for low tech tank carpet

[kmjoe]

Hi. I've bought Christmas moss and tied them on a few ss mesh hoping that they will spread out on thier own to carpet my whole tank, not sure if it would happen. Any advice on which plants to use as carpet without co2?

[kmjoe]

This is how my tank currently look.

[Cmlee]

I use java moss as carpet, no co2. It doesn't grow much and color is dull

[rodoselada]

stone sits right or left tank, somewhat inclined. successful carpet of moss

[mUAr_cHEe]

I am thinking of trying glosso as a carpet for my low tech nano tank. I think it is more natural looking than moss on a wire mesh. Have you considered hair-grass as well? I heard it grows very well even in low-tech tanks, especially the Japanese Mini.

[Cmlee]

Does glosso and hair grass need soil?

[mUAr_cHEe]

Does glosso and hair grass need soil?

Yes. They do.

I almost dare to say that sand might also work but I think you will need to use root tabs. This needs a more established 'watery-green-thumb' here to verify.

[Cmlee]

My tank has been running for 4 mths, How will soil affect tank condition if I add it now?

[mUAr_cHEe]

My tank has been running for 4 mths, How will soil affect tank condition if I add it now?

It will start your tank all over again if you tank is soil-less now.

[kmjoe]

I am thinking of trying glosso as a carpet for my low tech nano tank. I think it is more natural looking than moss on a wire mesh. Have you considered hair-grass as well? I heard it grows very well even in low-tech tanks, especially the Japanese Mini.

both seems to be very nice options! thks man! so jus stab them into the soil?
where would be the cheapest place to get them?

[yanatomy101]

Try hairgrass or E. Tenellus, grows even without strong lights. Glosso may grow upwards if your lights are too dim.

[Phillipians]

I would say at the moment if you have soil, monte carlo, hairgrass, and e tennellus are good choices.
If no soil.... suck thumb... only mosses or fissidens.

[kmjoe]

Bought glosso and tried to dry plant them. Not sure if i did it right.

[Urban Aquaria]

Bought glosso and tried to dry plant them. Not sure if i did it right.

If you are doing a dry-start method (DSM), then try not to submerge the soil substrate... drain most of the water out and only allow the soil to be damp (but not waterlogged), then just mist regularly to keep the soil hydrated and provide plenty of light.

As for planting the glosso, its best to separate the individual plantlets into smaller portions and plant them into the soil, so only the top of the leaves stick out of the soil.

Here is a good guide:



Image from Google Images.

[kmjoe]

Thank you! Really require alot of patience. Did that for some and not all haha. anyway if it were to be left dry without mist during the weekends as it's a desktop aquarium will it survive?

[mUAr_cHEe]

Thank you! Really require alot of patience. Did that for some and not all haha. anyway if it were to be left dry without mist during the weekends as it's a desktop aquarium will it survive?

It should be ok. The only concern here is the potential breeding of mosquitoes due to stagnant water bodies. If you want to remove the water, you can try using a syringe.

[Urban Aquaria]

Thank you! Really require alot of patience. Did that for some and not all haha. anyway if it were to be left dry without mist during the weekends as it's a desktop aquarium will it survive?

For DSM, it depends on the humidity of the surrounding area... if its an environment with aircon on most of the day (ie. office), then you'll definitely need to mist it more often, otherwise the soil may totally dry out very quickly and the plants don't get enough water. What you can do for the weekends is cover the top of the tank to trap the humidity and slow down evaporation (just leave a small gap for some ventilation).

Its a matter of trial and error, as too much water and humidity during DSM will result in algae, mold or fungus growth... while too little water in the soil will leave the plants dehydrated and melting.

If you find the DSM stage difficult to manage due to inconsistent tank humidity and misting, then it might be easier to just flood the tank and grow the glosso submerged like a normal planted tank.

[kmjoe]

Thank you for the inputs. Will try the methods above. If mold or fungus develop what should i do?

[Urban Aquaria]

Thank you for the inputs. Will try the methods above. If mold or fungus develop what should i do?

Just manually remove as much of the affected parts as possible, then look into moderating the overall moisture and humidity in the tank (ie. reduce misting amount/frequency or let the tank receive more air circulation).

[kmjoe]

Ok! Thanks again. Hope it doesn't turn out bad when i go back office tomorrow haha. Anyway where do we find suitable lights for plants in small aquarium? I went to seaview and bought a 11w florescent light is that enough? Most of the lights for sale are led and i doubt they are bright enough.