Low light carpet ideas?

[Patty1980]

Hi. I have eco complete substrate in a 20g tall. I'm planning on having a school of corys and currently have 1 neon (left ) 5 zebra danios, and 2 ADF. Very low light LED that came with the tank. I'm wanting a ground cover look. Don't want it growing vertically. I mistakenly planted dwarf hairgrass. Epic fail. I use root tabs, Leaf zone, and Flourish Excel. Anything else you want to know just ask. Thanks for suggestions!

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[tony_540]

How was the experience with dwarf hair grass?

 

[Patty1980]

Well its been in a month. I thought I was doing ok until I saw others with high light and co2 getting crazy growth and spreading in a month or two. Now its browning and I fished out one clump already because it was dead. Here it is right now.

Its so pretty. I'm so bummed I was miss informed by someone I really trusted because she claims hers grows in low light with Ferts and liquid co2.

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[Khuligirl93]

I'm afraid there aren't many things that stay short under low light. The natural tendency is for the plants to grow taller in lower light in order to reach towards the light.
Dwarf hairgrass is a very high light, high maintenance plant :/
Dwarf sag is a nice ground cover, grassy-looking plant, except in lower light it can grow over a foot tall and look more like a val.
Even though it's not a ground cover plant, crypts are a very easy low light plant that I think are beautiful. They just need root tabs in the substrate by their roots and they'll grow nicely in almost any light.
Anubias, java ferns, crypts, and moss are probably about the only plants that will really grow well in that extremely low light.

 

[tony_540]

So what didn't work exactly? And how will u make it better?

 

[Patty1980]

I was looking at crypts, perfect. What is the pretty moss that people attach to dw? I love that look. Plus, I wondered if its better for the corys, anyway, to have open sand to root around in? I will pull it. My next tank will be high light with an actual co2 setup! Gotta make that money I cannot wait to try some of the plants I've seen around on here. So pretty! I just can't justify spending that much to save $10 in grass.

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[Khuligirl93]

I think java moss is the most common type of moss that people grow

 

[azmodan]

I was looking at crypts, perfect. What is the pretty moss that people attach to dw? I love that look. Plus, I wondered if its better for the corys, anyway, to have open sand to root around in? I will pull it. My next tank will be high light with an actual co2 setup! Gotta make that money I cannot wait to try some of the plants I've seen around on here. So pretty! I just can't justify spending that much to save $10 in grass.

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Crypt parva is a good grassy looking crypt -- just be aware that crypts are pretty slow growers and need root tabs. Look into the different variations of crypt wendtii to get some color into your tank too. As already mentioned Java moss is the most common moss but there are lots of other great looking mosses out there such as flame, fissidens, christmas, peacock, spikey, weeping, etc. Java moss tends to be the most common because it grows perfectly fine in low light and is a perfect starter moss.

 

[DMunoz84]

Riccia moss looks great!! but it's messy dwarf Gourami love it thou great for nests. You have to tie it or make mat's it won't really attach to anything so....

 

[KeeshyRee]

Take a big bunch of java moss super glue it to a flat piece of slate lay it flat and kinda push it into the sand. Then just mow it down with a clean pair of scissors when it get higher then you want it.

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[Patty1980]

Thanks for all the great ideas guys

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