Best carpeting plants?

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Baydo

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Dec 11, 2017
Messages
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I have a 15 gallon aquarium with Eco complete substrate, fluval mini co2 kit and a 25 watt light. I was wondering what would be the best carpeting plant for this tank?
 
We will need more info. What kind of light, watts doesn't tell us hardly anything.

1) Height of tank.
2) Fertilizing schedule.
3) CO2 schedule.
4) Lighting schedule.
5) pH/kH/gH.
6) water change schedule.
7) exact light and height it's sitting above tank.
8) stock in the tank.
9) your expectation of the carpet.
 
1) 15 inches
2) Dose flourish 2 times a week
3) 10am-8pm daily
4) 10am-8pm
5) pH-7.2, kH-69ppm, gH-35ppm
6) Twice weekly 40%
7) Aquaone plantglo sits 1.8 inch above tank
8) 8 red cherry shrimp, 4 salt and pepper cories, 12 neon tetras
9) I am going for an iwagumi aquascape and I would like a carepenting plant this is a nice green and will carpet most of my tank and doesn't attract algea to badly

Thanks
 
1) 15 inches
2) Dose flourish 2 times a week
3) 10am-8pm daily
4) 10am-8pm
5) pH-7.2, kH-69ppm, gH-35ppm
6) Twice weekly 40%
7) Aquaone plantglo sits 1.8 inch above tank
8) 8 red cherry shrimp, 4 salt and pepper cories, 12 neon tetras
9) I am going for an iwagumi aquascape and I would like a carepenting plant this is a nice green and will carpet most of my tank and doesn't attract algea to badly

Thanks

Seems like a decent setup.

So for lush green compact carpets:
Hemianthus callitrichoides
Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo'
glossostigma elatinoides

For a grass like carpet:
Eleocharis Parvula

Those are the most common you usually see, all lighter green in color. HC and monte carlo are more compact in growth with smaller leaves compared to glosso, I believe glosso is the easier of the three to get going. Dwarf hairgrass is also on the "easier" side or getting a carpet, but it could get a little tall and cover some of your hardscape in a smaller tank.

I would suggest cranking the CO2, this really helps drive these plants to carpet rather then grow upwards, but what your shrimp, they don't really like CO2 in my experience. Keep following the flourish schedule, perhaps look at estimative index dosing because you are already doing large water changes. I have great success with EI dosing.

I'll attach some pictures of HC (first pic), glosso (second pic -- note that the glosso carpet has not yet fully filled in) and dwarf hairgrass (3rd pic, also not completely filled in) for reference. I have not kept monte carlo, but it's on the bucket list. Google monte carlo carpet for pics.

Edit: sorry for the sideways images, darn Iphone pics
 

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Will my light be bright enough to grow a carpet of these plants as I have read that plants tend to grow upwards instead of forming a carpet? Thanks for all the help
 
Will my light be bright enough to grow a carpet of these plants as I have read that plants tend to grow upwards instead of forming a carpet? Thanks for all the help

I think it can be done with your lights, you will likely need to crank the CO2 way up and keep ferts plentiful. If I were you I would stick with hairgrass or glosso, if they carpet no problem and you aren't fully happy, replace with HC or Monte Carlo.
 
Are there any suggestions for a new light, I was thinking the finnex + 24/7. Also should I be using any other fertilisers to help my plants look there best? I'm thinking of maybe trying hairgrass and Monte Carlo to form a nice carpet around my dragon stone. Thanks
 
Are there any suggestions for a new light, I was thinking the finnex + 24/7. Also should I be using any other fertilisers to help my plants look there best? I'm thinking of maybe trying hairgrass and Monte Carlo to form a nice carpet around my dragon stone. Thanks

There's loads of lights that are strong enough, the 24/7 is one of them. I personally use EI dosing, or at least a method based around EI dosing, on all the tanks I have had carpets in. Is it needed? no, it's just worked for me so I continue to use that method.
 
I suggest HC Cuba or Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo is less demanding and easy to grow. Some even grew it without co2. It looks very lush green. A great alternative to HC Cuba which is high demanding carpet. Both HC and MC looks great
 
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