Dwarf Hairgrass not spreading

[wicked_chicken]

Well, the title basically says it all. I bought a pot of hairgrass to plant in my newly converted planted tank. I'm using Seachem's Flourite Black Sand, and have planted Seachem Flourish Tabs at the base of the plant. I removed the plant and roots from the potted material prior to planting, but it's been nearly a month, and the plant has yet to poke up anywhere it wasn't planted. Right now I'm running a 28w 10k and a 28w 6500 on a 12 hours cycle. The other plants seem to be doing fine, algae problems are minor (But controlled via fish), and I can't imagine what I'm doing wrong. It's only a 26 gallon tank. :S

Thoughts?

 

[X.Lingad]

You running co2?

 

[JesseMessykinn]

Maybe it just needs little more time?

 

[meegosh]

There could be a bunch of things going on. First, a lot of times they sell DHG in the emersed form. Basically it will take a few weeks to get used to being submersed. It is not uncommon to see a lot of die off and browning during that time.

CO2 and ferts (not tabs) seem to really make a difference with DHG. Also, how did you plant it? Did you break it up to 10 leaves per bundle or so and plant it in bunches? That usually works the best and makes it spread fairly quickly.

 

[aqua_chem]

At a glance, I would say that you're expecting high tech growth from a low tech setup. DHG will explode in the right environment, but most of thr nice carpets people see are the result of decent light and good co2

 

[wicked_chicken]

I'm not precisely sure what you mean by low tech setup. Am I missing something? I've been looking into CO2, but haven't decided on how to tackle it.

 

[aqua_chem]

By low tech I mean low/medium light, no CO2, no water column ferts. This is contrasted by high tech setups that have pressurized CO2, T5HO lights, and heavy fertilizing demands.

 

[wicked_chicken]

Ah, understood. I'm looking into a Non-DIY setup for C02. I've been trying to figure out what light category I was in, but wasn't able to figure out what constitutes low/medium/high. Also, as far as water column ferts, are you referring to liquid additives?

Thanks for your insight. I love learning this stuff!

Also, the lights I'm running are T5HO. Am I lacking wattage?

 

[meegosh]

You are at roughly 2.1wpg with your two 28w bulbs on a 26g tank. If you do have T5HO lights you are at the medium to mid high light range. You should be able to grow quite a wide variety of plants with that set up. You can decide if you want to get into CO2 and dosing if you want but you could always stick to lower/medium light plants and avoid dosing ferts and injecting CO2.

For a off the shelf system I would recommend the tried and true Milwaukee MA957. You can usually find them on eBay for around $90. They include the regulator, bubble counter, needle valve and some CO2 tubing. The only thing you would need to buy is a CO2 tank (~$50 for a 5lb filled) and a diffuser (eBay for ~$15).

Edit: Sounds like you are into researching things and understanding them. Take some time and read through Crepe's planted tank lighting guide. It is really helpful.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/lighting-guide-for-a-planted-tank-141782.html

 

[aqua_chem]

Ah, understood. I'm looking into a Non-DIY setup for C02. I've been trying to figure out what light category I was in, but wasn't able to figure out what constitutes low/medium/high. Also, as far as water column ferts, are you referring to liquid additives?

Thanks for your insight. I love learning this stuff!

Also, the lights I'm running are T5HO. Am I lacking wattage?

The issue with low/medium/high light is that it is an arbitrary, qualitative description. It is pretty much impossible to look at set of stats on a tank and say what light level it is. Even two tanks with the same light and depth might behave differently, with one being a nice, easy tank and one becoming an algae farm.

I would say that right now you're probably somewhere around medium light. If you were to get a T5HO setup, you would probably be at least close to high light, but at the very least in a situation where you could grow demanding plants and see results from CO2. The Milwaukee regulator that Meegosh recommended is a fine setup IMO/E, and is what I use on my tank, but CO2 equipment is department where if you spend more money, you'll get markedly better equipment.

By water column ferts, I mean literally ferts in the water column Basically anything that's not a root tab. This includes commercial liquid ferts like the Flourish line (excluding Excel), but also DIY style ferts. If you're interested in a high tech setup, I would say that it would be worth your time and dime to invest in dry fertilizers. It will run you about $25 shipped, but you'll have enough ferts to last at least a year, possibly more depending on your tank's demands. Green Leaf Aquarium is the website that I generally recommend getting them from, but there are a number of other popular sites that sell essentially the same thing.

 

[wicked_chicken]

aqua_chem, I wasn't aware of that website, but I'm quickly becoming a fan! Thanks! I'll look into a proper C02 regulator. I'm glad that something exists that I won't have to piece together myself. I'll also look into Flourish. Also, I'll double check the bulbs and report back on my lighting setup.

 

[ChizerBunoi]

Your heading in the right direction. By pass all the DIY co2 and go straight to pressurized. Get into the grove with DIY ferts.

In my experience, I have hard water (PH 7.8 out of the tap) and it normally takes 2 -3 months for DHG to acclimate before it grows.