carpet plant

[spAcE mOnkEy]

i am planning to set up a tank with plants in it. i was wondering what type of plant would be good for a carpet. i dont have a C02 injector, but i have florish, florish excel, and florite mixed with some gravel. i really like the way riccia looks, but i dont think it is too easy to keep. any suggestions for a carpet? the lighting is full spectrum, 20 watt, 24in. the tank is a 33 gal hex, 36 in long. so the lighting isnt very high. if there are no good carpet plants, what type of plant would be good at covering the bottom?? im planning to get some amano shrimp to help groom plants and stuff. are they any other plant helper fish? please ask if you would like more info on the tank. the water is moderatly hard and a little above nuetral water, 7.2 PH

 

[Lateral Line]

Well, you certainly love a challenge don't you! Hex tanks are always very difficult because they are tall with a small surface area. You need more light in tall tanks, but the small top means you can't fit the normal fluorescent lamps.

Your lighting is very low. To get to "Medium" light, you'd need about 75 Watts of full spectrum fluorescent over it. Even then, the "carpet" type plants are all "High" light demanding, to grow a Riccia lawn for example, in a deep tank, you will need probably 130+ Watts and CO2.

The only bottom covering thing you are likely to grow in a tank like that is Java Moss. You may get away with some Sagittaria subulata - normally classed as a "Medium" plant, but I've seen it grow in quite low light regimes.

Some Crypts will grow, and of course Anubias species and Java fern, but these are not really what you are after I suspect.

 

[spAcE mOnkEy]

what if i could get another bulb thats 24 in long, and put that bulb behind the one i have set up now so it gets twice as much light? would that work?
(of just make like a new top for the tank with the two bulbs)
i wanted to just grow some really easy plants like java ferns and stuff.

 

[Lateral Line]

An additional 20W lamp would give you 40W. That is still below the criteria for "Medium" lighting in a regular shaped tank. Normally hex tanks are tall and require more, you say yours isn't - fair enough, but you will still be on the low side.

Java fern will grow fine in there. So will Anubias species, they will probably survive in your existing rig, Anubias will almost grow in the dark. With 40W over you could try a few more plants with a chance of some sucess.

 

[spAcE mOnkEy]

when i said hex, i ment its in the shape of a trapazoid kindof, but the back is flat and the front is curved with 5 pieces of glass, im not sure if i made the shape of what it is clear. its 18 in high though. i have plants in my 30 gal tall that are going in this tank, one of tham is the plant you suggested as a carpet and its growing fine under a lower wattage, its making more of the plant, but im not sure if it will continue. if i did want to start a carpet of the Sagittaria subulata, how many of these plants should i get to start it off? i would also like to mix the carpet with some java moss, but i was afraid if it would take over. thanks for the help

 

[Lateral Line]

Well, under not so good light it spreads quite slowly, you probably have a feel for that already from your other tank. It depends how fast you want to cover the ground. It will grow better if you can get more light in there, although under good light, it can go beserk and grow tall, but I think you are a way away from that right now.

You are right about mixing Java moss in with it, unless you keep the moss well trimmed and in check, it will run rampant compared to the Dwarf Sag.