What Should Dwarf Hairgrass Look Like?

[Curiosity101]

When I got my dwarf hairgrass (I ID'd it, it didn't come with a label) I cut it right back as it had clearly been grown emersed.
It was lovely and straight, but obviously had annoying pods on the end.

Well now I've let it do it's own thing for a while and it's sort of...a big mess. lol.

It looks alot like that. A big twisty mess. My fish seem to like it, so I don't mind, but have I ID'd it correctly? And is this how it should grow?

 

[SexyFishKeeper]

My dwarf haigrass is pictured below, I wouldn't class it as messy, just grass like!

 

[Curiosity101]

Well mine definitely doesn't look like that, which is why I'm wondering if I ID'd it correctly.

Any ideas what else it could be?

 

[SexyFishKeeper]

There's loads of things it could be if it's not like what I showed, it might be best to provide a photo.

 

[Curiosity101]

This is how it looked when it arrived, and I think it was about 10-15cm tall.

And now, it's in the center, see the tangle of green? I know it isn't a great pic, but combined with the example in my original post hopefully it'll be enough.

 

[SexyFishKeeper]

I can't ID that, it doesn't look like any of the standard hairgrasses that I've seen as there's like a bud at the top of each bit.
It's too tall for Dwarf Hairgrass.

 

[Curiosity101]

Hmm, no idea of a family you could point me in the direction off? I already looked through all of the Eleocharis species and you're right it probably isn't one of them.

 

[SexyFishKeeper]

I've been told it's eleocharis vivipa

 

[MoondustBob]

Vivipara is about 15" tall and quite thick.

Parvula is the smallest common grass that grows with a curl and buds at the tips. Its often mixed up with Acicularis which is taller than parvula, doesn't twist and doesn't bud. There are other grasses available, and could easily have been ,ixed up with a semi emmersed swamp pond species, which can survive quite happily under water with co2.

 

[aaronnorth]

definatley E.Vivipara.

 

[Nick16]

definatley E.Vivipara.

yep.

just becuase vivipara is said to grow to 15 inches, doesnt mean that every plant has to be that tall...... there is a thing called growth..

 

[Curiosity101]

Is there a way of getting it to grow slightly straighter. Or is it always going to grow as a big tangled mass?

 

[aaronnorth]

Is there a way of getting it to grow slightly straighter. Or is it always going to grow as a big tangled mass?

only in near enough still waters will you have a chance at getting it straight unfortunatley, even top scpaers struggle and that is why many use it minimally. Although sometimes the tangled mess goes well with the scape.
here is where i think it was used at its best by Jason Baliban.
http/showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/2008...ol=2&id=170

 

[Curiosity101]

Oo he did do a nice job

And thanks for the info. I may well just cut down on the amount I have then, and put it in a low current corner. See how it does I guess.