scottyd
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Can anyone recommend a good ground cover plant. I'd really like to stay away from Java Moss though, I think that has the potential to become messy.
ground cover
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What are your tank perimeters? Light, size of tank, and stocking. Depending on that, you could use dwarf sag, micro sword, chain sword, glossostigma, hc Cuba, riccia flutens. All depends on what you can provide the plant.
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scottyd
Aquarium Advice Newbie
I've got a 56 gal column tank. I've got 4 18 Watt full spectrum bulbs on it for about 8hrs a day. I just have a community tank with mainly tetras. The tank dimensions are 30" wide x 18" from front to back and 24" tall. I'm also using and undergravel filter with 2 maxi-jet 1500 power heads and 2 latch-on external filters
scottyd said:
A good way to keep the "messy" plants ie mosses and, well almost every aquatic plant I suppose, is to get a good nutrient-rich substrate with the areas you rather not have huge amounts of plants covered with same colored gravel- that's what I am doing as I want my Xmas moss to go certain places but the areas I want clear-no plant-loving substrate. Hope that helps!
aqua_chem
Aquarium Advice Addict
The key to good ground cover growth is light and CO2. In a tall tank you will need quite a bit more light, which can cause its own problems. UGF are usually bad news with planted tanks as well.
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scottyd
Aquarium Advice Newbie
What kind of problems can occur with a UGF? I'm just wondering if I should think about taking it out before I try to get a ground cover plant.
Coursair
Aquarium Advice Addict
scottyd said:
Roots get sucked into it. Clogs filter, kills plants.
aqua_chem said:
Those are certainly the best choice, but in my tank, after receiving a package of plants which were lost in the mail for a month- I had minimal light, no co2 and after a simple dose of fertilizer- they had grown nearly an inch and a half in less than a day.
Coursair
Aquarium Advice Addict
I've also seen plastic strips used as borders hidden in the substrate to keep runners from popping up plants in unwanted areas.
Coursair said:
The runners are just fantastic to keep procreation... I almost think some of those strips are too this as the thickness of my w. tropica runners are a good 1/16" thick and went threw a small area of a net pot which they were living in for a few weeks. These plants were made to survive, though I find that stalk plants hold up in shipping so much better than mosses. I have had almost all my stalk plants take root and go nuts but java/xmass moss is harder to keep going... Still, when buying plants on the net, find one with a no issue resend policy. Aqmagic on ebay gets my vote, they have reshipped several times because all my plants were not perfect when I received them. They don't ask questions and just reshipped- good people get recognized today!
aqua_chem said:
I forgot to mention, yup- almost any plant will grow at accelerated rates compared to non co2 to a point, as some plants need very little light and little co2- when adding more light/co2 this may in fact may be bad... Just know the plant, the levels of what it needs and -stay within a range of what it needs-
Discusapisto
Aquarium Advice Freak
I have hygrophilia araguaia as a ground cover in my 40 breeder and it looks great with it's maroon to olive colors. It's still somewhat newer of a species but easily found online and is pretty hardy in my experiences so far. It's not as dense as say hc or hairgrass but a neat low lying carpeting plant none the less.
aqua_chem
Aquarium Advice Addict
Ah, but you are confusing survival and flourishing. The nice carpets that you see online are from plants flourishing in an environment where all their demands are both met and exceeded. Surviving plants will take months and months to cover the front of a tank, and even then will be look thin and scraggly.
aqua_chem said:
I thought that my post was explaining flourish(ing) -great product- and surviving...? Anybody? Well the carpets online are typically as polished as some photos I had to work on in photoshop, and even so- carbon, being the basis of all life and building block here on earth, will help anything in the correct form. And in summation, it is silly to say increase of co2 will harm a plant, because on the flip if we run we, take in...less 02? No- more is always better.
Ps - I'm investing in a Dr. F&S co2 injection w/ solenoid as I will grow lace to 2' in my 55g tall. It will flourish.
Discusapisto said:
I was just looking at that same plant earlier- it is totally beautiful, and why do more people not have it? The general needs were that of a semi-hearty with great dimension and even changes shape depending on the cooler or warmer the water it's living in right? Nice pick, I have my eye on some lace plants.
Discusapisto
Aquarium Advice Freak
Nreal said:
In due time it will catch on it's new and only the die hard green thumbs are acquiring it since it's still new and not widely available as say java moss etc. I hope it gains popularity it is versatile if it's needs are met and kept. In my discus tank it is taking on a different growth form than in my 40 gal it's a bit more low growing and compact. I have crypt Parva growing in a long row next to it and the hygro's maroon color goes beautifully with the parva's bright green. Im giving it away to fellow plant enthusiast in my fish club and some of my colleagues back home so hopefully it gets out there a bit more. Lace plants are a nice choice as well!
Hmmmm... I still am looking at photos of tanks to refill my crayfish-eaten moss and why they go clipping leaves off the red Wendi. I will never get it. I need a fast grower and your suggestion has me on the watch. Hearty+fast growing+unique=in my tanks! Thanks.
JesseMessykinn
Aquarium Advice Freak
I cant tell you the name of the plant Im using as my ground cover, im sure someone knows the name of it. Ill send you a pick later, I started off with 6-8 sproutlets. After about 6 months its about covered 80% of my ground tank, and looks really cool. Its doing wonderful with just over a watt per gallon. You can swing by my ablum to check it out. Id recomend a eco substate tho, once i switched out my plants boomed like a mad house.
