Low Tech Carpeting Plant

[sharkweek178]

I think I've read someone say here that you need to have CO2 injection to have carpeting plants. Is this true? I'm stating another thank and I would like this one to have some carpteting plants. Low to medium light. Maybe Monte Carlo. Maybe even a bunch of cryptocoryne parva planted to look like a carpet.

 

[connorlindeman]

Monte carlo I've heard will not do well without Co2.
Pearl weed looks good and won't require co2. I've grown it with just ferts. Has a nice carpeting effect.

 

[Wills]

Monte Carlo is possible but from what I've heard for it to carpet without Co2 its best in really soft water, Pearl Weed is a relative of Monte Carlo too so will both likely do well if you have softwater.

Most of the broad-leaved grass type plants like Helanthium Tenellum, Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis and Dwarf Sagittaria have a good chance to carpet over time. Marsilea Hirsuta is an other one thats often recommended.

I have some Hydrocotyle Vulgaris in one of my tanks and given enough time it will probably carpet but looks good against a spread of Lilaeopsis that I have in mine

Wills

 

[Byron]

I think I've read someone say here that you need to have CO2 injection to have carpeting plants. Is this true? I'm stating another thank and I would like this one to have some carpteting plants. Low to medium light. Maybe Monte Carlo. Maybe even a bunch of cryptocoryne parva planted to look like a carpet.

I'll just pick up on an anomaly here. You do not/cannot add diffused CO2 with low or even moderate lighting. The plants need light of a certain spectrum and intensity in order to phososynthesise, and the nutrient availability has to be sufficient, all nutrients including CO2. Low and moderate levels of light will usually be balanced with the natural-occurring CO2 and micro nutrients may or may not need to be added. But the balance to benefit plants and thwart "problem" algae is usually attainable.

As soon as you add diffused CO2, you are creating a completely different balance level, requiring high light and obviously more of the micros. So adding CO2 with low/moderate lighting is only going to feed problem algae.

If carpeting plants required added CO2, they will require bright lighting. Both are not good for fish.

 

[jaylach]

I hope this isn't considered hijacking but I have a question that may help myself and the OP...

Dwarf Sagittaria was mentioned and I have some that is thriving. The thing is that, while it forms 'nodes' with roots and leaves, it does not spread across the substrate but suspends in the water column above the planted plants. If this is normal would one just leave all attached and stick the roots in the substrate or snip off just below the node and plant as a new plant or does it not really matter.

Two things...
1) Dwarf Sagittaria is a nice looking and easy plant that may work well for the OP.
2) I almost posted a new thread with my questions on Dwarf Sagittaria but the questions seemed to fit here and would be good for the OP to know if this plant were to be picked.

OK, a third thing.
Is 'node' the right term for when a plant sends off runners that form a new plant?

 

[Byron]

Is 'node' the right term for when a plant sends off runners that form a new plant?

No, runners are runners. Same as Vallisneria species. These runners originate from the crown of the plant. I don't think the daughter plants developing as these runners extend out are from "nodes" either, but I am going from memory.

Inflorescences such as the Echinodorus species produce are inflorescences or flower stalks, but the flowers or adventitious plants develop from nodes along these.

Dwarf Sagittaria was mentioned and I have some that is thriving. The thing is that, while it forms 'nodes' with roots and leaves, it does not spread across the substrate but suspends in the water column above the planted plants. If this is normal would one just leave all attached and stick the roots in the substrate or snip off just below the node and plant as a new plant or does it not really matter.

A small-grain substrate (sand or fine gravel) is best, and this plant once settled will rapidly spread via runners in the same manner as the dwarf chain swords and Vallisneria species. It may send an inflorescence to the surface and flower, but flowering is more likely to occur with emersed growth. I have seen both Vallisneria and Helanthium tenellum send the runners above the substrate, or in and out, or primarily buried but very shallow.

The daughter plants will assimilate nutrients from the water via the leaves and the roots (different nutrients for each, depending). Planting or not planting is up to you, but Sagittaria subulata (if this is the species, the so-called "dwarf" Sag) while normally 4-6 inches can grow to 24 inches depending upon conditions. From my online profile:

The common name "Dwarf" may be somewhat misleading. The plant will normally attain 10-15cm (4-6 inches) in height; planted very close together, the leaves will be much taller, up to 60cm (24 inches) according to Kasselmann (2003) and others, some of whom also mention age and light as factors affecting the plant's height. The writer (Byron) has this plant easily attaining 12-15 inches when thickly planted under moderate light.​

 

[WhistlingBadger]

The only carpeting plants I've ever had any luck with in my low-tech tanks are dwarf sag and clover fern (Marsilea crenata). Both have pros and cons.

Dwarf sag doesn't carpet densely, in my experience, but densely enough to look good in larger tanks. In my tanks, it seems to be fairly short-lived: It goes crazy for a year or so, then gradually dies out over the next couple years.

Marsilea crenata is a great plant. It requires at least medium light to form a carpet, and it takes a couple months to convert to its submerged form, during which time it looks ugly and you'll think it's dying. But once it converts, it will cover the bottom of your tank with small, teardrop shaped leaves. It is quite beautiful and fairly bomb-proof once it gets going.

@jaylach , I wonder if your sag is sending runners above ground because it doesn't like the gravel. In my experience it will send most of its runners just under the surface of the sand. It's possible that it finds the gravel too much work, so does it the easy way.

 

[jaylach]

The only carpeting plants I've ever had any luck with in my low-tech tanks are dwarf sag and clover fern (Marsilea crenata). Both have pros and cons.

Dwarf sag doesn't carpet densely, in my experience, but densely enough to look good in larger tanks. In my tanks, it seems to be fairly short-lived: It goes crazy for a year or so, then gradually dies out over the next couple years.

Marsilea crenata is a great plant. It requires at least medium light to form a carpet, and it takes a couple months to convert to its submerged form, during which time it looks ugly and you'll think it's dying. But once it converts, it will cover the bottom of your tank with small, teardrop shaped leaves. It is quite beautiful and fairly bomb-proof once it gets going.

@jaylach , I wonder if your sag is sending runners above ground because it doesn't like the gravel. In my experience it will send most of its runners just under the surface of the sand. It's possible that it finds the gravel too much work, so does it the easy way.

Being a gravel substrate could be a factor.

Personally I don't care as my tank is quite heavily planted and I don't know that I really have room for a carpet. Since the ones I have are in the front right and left corners of the tank it will be fine with me if they just keep running to the surface making a column in each corner. LOL! I'm sure that you have viewed photos of my tank. There really isn't much room for a lawn.

 

[Colin_T]

pygmy chain sword, no CO2, just a bit of light and liquid aquarium plant fertiliser to let it go nuts. dwarf sagittaria might be another if you can get it.

 

[sharkweek178]

This is all good information.
Let me tell you what I have in mind. I want to aquascape a 10 gallon. I don't like a tank to have high lighting. It's not good for the fish and I don't think it looks natural. So that means low and medium light plants. Sand substrate. Some of my ideas are using small Manzanita branches to simulate roots and a backdrop of java fern windelovs. I'll have salvinia minima floating. I also want to have a banana plant as a centerpiece. With that in mind, I don't want a carpet that grows too tall (because I don't want to obscure the tubers on the banana plant). I'll also keep some of the sand substrate exposed (I'm probably going to keep assassin snails in the tank and they like to burrow). But that's just a matter of maintenance.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

This is all good information.
Let me tell you what I have in mind. I want to aquascape a 10 gallon. I don't like a tank to have high lighting. It's not good for the fish and I don't think it looks natural. So that means low and medium light plants. Sand substrate. Some of my ideas are using small Manzanita branches to simulate roots and a backdrop of java fern windelovs. I'll have salvinia minima floating. I also want to have a banana plant as a centerpiece. With that in mind, I don't want a carpet that grows too tall (because I don't want to obscure the tubers on the banana plant). I'll also keep some of the sand substrate exposed (I'm probably going to keep assassin snails in the tank and they like to burrow). But that's just a matter of maintenance.

With a setup like that, I would choose some small crypts and forget about the carpet plants.

 

[Wills]

This is all good information.
Let me tell you what I have in mind. I want to aquascape a 10 gallon. I don't like a tank to have high lighting. It's not good for the fish and I don't think it looks natural. So that means low and medium light plants. Sand substrate. Some of my ideas are using small Manzanita branches to simulate roots and a backdrop of java fern windelovs. I'll have salvinia minima floating. I also want to have a banana plant as a centerpiece. With that in mind, I don't want a carpet that grows too tall (because I don't want to obscure the tubers on the banana plant). I'll also keep some of the sand substrate exposed (I'm probably going to keep assassin snails in the tank and they like to burrow). But that's just a matter of maintenance.

I'd go for one of the Marsilea species but get the in-vitro pots rather than the emerged pots as it will get going faster.

 

[AquaBarb]

I really struggle with dwarf sagittaria in my tanks which kills me because i really like the look of grasses in aquascapes. Tips start turning yellow and the leaves just go translucent and die off

 

[otterblue]

I have the same problem OP. Mine don't carpet, more like "flying carpet". They grow straight up and don't spread horizontally. I think it's lack of strong light.

 

[seangee]

What about using hygrophila and keeping it close cropped. I went through a phase in this tank where I had it in terraces - not the best pic but you get the idea. You could probably go down to an inch or two (deep carpet ). Just plant more densely than I had it here. My idea for a lawn in the centre never worked out and was abandoned.