Medium Light (2.22 Wpg) Carpet/foreground Plant Wanted

[FishyWishie]

My jungle masterpiece is almost complete ! (Well once the crypt wall at the back gets a shift on anyway :good)

Im about to in the next 3 or 4 days boost my light from about 1.4 WPG up to 2.22 WPG and add FE C02.

My conundrum is what to use as a carpet plant ? I was debating pygmy chain sword to keep in with the natural jungle look but will it grow to high under 2.22 ? What other option are there ? I dont want the hairgrass look I want it to look like messy hair for want of a better explanation

 

[ian]

There's a few options you could go for with this set up.

There's good old fashioned Riccia fluitans, the downside is that it does get everywhere as it works it's way through the cotton/hairnet you hold it down with, it'll also need cutting regularly. Upside, it grows really easily and you get an instant carpet. It'll also pearl really easily.

Glossostigma elatinoides, downside with this one is that it's a real pain to plants each root, i have only used this once and it didn't grow well for me. You have to bury the plants quite deep. It can't be shaded either or it'll die. Upside, it looks tremendous when it takes off!

Hemianthus callitrichoides ''Cuba'', downside with this one is that it's a real real real pain in the bum to plant (IMO), again as above it looks great when established.

These are the only ones i have used and can comment on. If you opt any of the last 2, i would strongly suggest you buying a pair of planting tweezers.

 

[UKCo2Guy]

It`s only my 20c but on a good sized tank i find that Staurogyne sp looks great at a carpet plant at the front, especially if you have a `jungle` looking tank. They spread quite quick with good light and CO2 and are easy to plant / propagate. You might be after something smaller but for me these are just right.

Cheers,

 

[FishyWishie]

Oooh i do like glosso will 2.22 be enough im looking at a few sites that seem to think 2.5 ? and roughly how many pots to cover the front of a 240l tank maybe 5 or 6cm back into the tank would you reckon ?

 

[FishyWishie]

bump final light check on the glosso before i order it in the morning my water is soft so im hopeful although the 2nd one you mentioned Hemianthus callitrichoides doesnt look quite as nice but appears more light tollerant

Was debating having most of the carpet glosso ot hemianthus and then having a longer patch of pygmy chains at one end to offer some contrast at the front so it looks more 'jungle' but im not to sure.

LIKE THIS

 

[ian]

You gonna need a few pots to cover the base. I would suggest getting 3-4 to make sure you can grow the stuff first, rather than spending £60 on plants. You should be OK, with the set up you have. I would also suggest you have got the flow sorted and are dosing correctly. I have always found that getting the flow right is important with carpeting plants. Once you can see the carpet sway, you should be OK.

BTW that link, the carpet looks like Riccia to me.

also, i would have a look around first before you buy from some of the 'more expensive' companies. I spent £15 on 2 pots of HC a few months back. I went into a MA a couple of weeks back and got 4 for a tenner!

 

[stevereade]

Another good jungle looking plant you can use in the foreground to create a carpet with and works better than Pygmy Chain Swords is Crypt Costata. I bought some recently and am now considering replacing my Riccia carpet with it.

 

[Nick16]

post up your tank specs mate?

i would add the fe now and watch the improvement of growth (assuming your adding ferts)..

adding that much light before your co2 and dosing has been properly set up and calculated will cause yoou no end of trouble.
you can grow petty much anything in under 2 wpg.

see supercoleys journal where hes gone low tech and used very little lighting, those results speak for themselves..

throwing loads more wpg at the tank is not getting you anywhere until you can be sure everything else is stable.

 

[FishyWishie]

Hi Nick

Hope Uni is going well !

Tank is Fluval Roma 240L

Filtration 1 x Fluval 305 1 x Fluval FX5

Flow aids 1 x Hydor Koralia 2800

Lighting will be 2.22 WPG v 1.4 atm (Like you say tho although the new light is here ill only switch when c02 is sorted_)

C02 will be FE C02

Dosing TPN+

 

[GrayScale]

Dwarf sag is another great option. For the "jungle" look and may grow better than the glosso.

 

[FishyWishie]

That reminds me about my major dwarf sag problem !

The 1st pic shows what I thought was dwarf sag in my tank ideally id like the whole front to look like this but is it sag or is it dwarf chain swords ?

This is what I 'thought' was dwarf sag​

However when i ordered it from 2 dif places this is what I got.​

 

[GrayScale]

I would say the first pic is dwarf sag and the second is a different type of sag just not dwarf. Any way you could get some from the first place you got it from?