Dwarf Baby Tears Carpeting trick, maybe?

[AquariumBot3000]

Okay so heres the deal. I bought a small 2 inch pot of baby tears a few months ago and my cory's have pretty much torn it all up except for a small patch about 1/2 inch in diameter.

I have T5 HO 110W 6500k and 10000k (1 bulb each) lighting. I bought dry ferts and they should be coming Tuesday. I currently am doing 4 bottles liquid ferts (I dont really know which they are, I know one is flourish excel, I just kind of put one capful every water change). I also have pressurized co2. In a 55 gallon long.

Heres my question, if I put a thin layer of substrate at the bottom of breeder net and place the breeder net closer to the lighting and put the dwarf Baby Tears in, could that help the plants carpet?

My logic is that I know that you need more lighting the deeper your tank. I have a 55 gallon long tank and so the light needs to travel about 23 inches to get to the plants. However if that distance is reduced then the plants receive more light.

I also have read that when traditional carpeting plants don't receive enough light, they grow tall and when the light is high enough, they grow outwards and carpet.

I hope that by moving it up I can at least get a nice carpet inside the nursery that I could transplant back down to the bottom of my aquarium.

Thoughts?

 

[Rivercats]

You could try doing the DBT that way but you have to be sure the CO2 can get into the breeder box. Also Flourish Excel is a liquid carbon not a fertilizer. It only stays in solution 12-24 hours which is why it is normally used daily.

You also might have a hard time transplanting the DBT's from a breeder box as it will likely come apart in chunks when moving it. I would suggest if you try this method that you use a mesh on the bottom with a little left up the sides so you can grasp it for easier removal, then put a bit of substrate on the mesh to put the DBT in.

 

[AquariumBot3000]

You also might have a hard time transplanting the DBT's from a breeder box as it will likely come apart in chunks when moving it. I would suggest if you try this method that you use a mesh on the bottom with a little left up the sides so you can grasp it for easier removal, then put a bit of substrate on the mesh to put the DBT in.

Ill try the mesh and take pictures of before and after. Thanks for the advice! Just real quick, what kind of mesh should I use? Is there a special aquarium safe growing mesh? Or can I use anything as long as its not (insert condition here)?

 

[Rivercats]

I don't use mesh personally but if you check around or google aquarium plant mesh you should find what types are suitable.

 

[Coursair]

The major "trick" with carpeting plants is to do the Dry Start Method. You already have fish, so that won't work.

Dry Start means just that. Grow just the plants and only add water and fish AFTER plants are growing well.

You can google for more info...maybe your next tank ?

 

[AquariumBot3000]

I think I'm going to do the dry start method in my QT tank as long as I don't need it for any fish. Then I'll transplant it to my main aquarium. Thanks all!

 

[Coursair]

I don't know if you can just move a carpet like that ? Most Dry Starts stay in original tank ??

 

[AquariumBot3000]

Well it's the best I can do. I just learned about DSM. It's the same thing as someone ordering a plant and putting it in their tank. I'm just growing it in a separate tank is all. If I have trouble transplanting it, I'll just turn my QT into another tank and buy another tank for QT.

 

[Rivercats]

Just so you know when you do DSM the leaves will grow in their emersed form but once submerged they will have to change over to their immersed leaves.