Aquarium grass / ground cover

[AussieGal]

I was wondering if anyone can tell me how you get grass to grow in the bottom of the tank... i would love some ground cover.

The problem is that where I live, it's difficult to get aquarium plants at all. If anyone can suggest any ground cover plants that I could buy from a nursery, that obviously wouldn't be harmful to my fish or water, I'd appreciate it.

BTW, I have gravel in the tank at the moment.

Thanks in advance

 

[Wes910]

Have you tried lookin online to buy some plants?...heres a few links

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?siteid=26&pCatId=768
http://www.azgardens.com/newaquar2.php

 

[TankGirl]

I will move this over to the planted forum where you will likely get additional responses. There are several plant varieties that people use to create a "grasslike" appearance, but often they require higher lighting and CO2 to get the look you want. Certainly dwarf sag has that monkey grass (liriope -sp?) look that people use for planting outside.

 

[Guest]

I agree with tank girl. Most foreground/grasslike plants like 3+ WPG, C02 and ferts to thrive.

Figure out how many WPG your tank currently has and research what plants will work in your set up.

Remember, the further away a plant is from its light source. The more light intensity that plant will need. Thats what makes most foreground plants require intense light. The light breaks down the further it has to travel through the water to get to the bottum, where the shorter plants are.

 

[TankGirl]

BTW, speaking of "monkey grass," sometimes this is offered as an aquatic plant at PetsMart and the like (though it is not suited for this use), so be sure the plant you are buying is actually a true aquatic plant.

 

[malkore]

Living in autrailia, a lot of the sites we'll recommend are in the states, and they can't ship overseas because the plants just won't make it.

see what your local fish store can special order for you. they can usually get a lot more than what they sell, but their plant tanks are low light, so they won't keep high light stuff like glosso in-stock.

 

[AussieGal]

Thanks for your help guys, will see what I can find.

Living in autrailia, a lot of the sites we'll recommend are in the states

I'm actually living in the middle east at the moment and my lfs aren't able to sell aquarium plants anymore... something to do with their trade license only allowing for fish
At the moment I'm going to a dodgy little shop in a crappy area, but they don't get too many plants in either - hence the need for discovering what I can buy at a nursery. I'll check out the websites, thanks wes

 

[medge00]

you may have a little trouble with regular gravel. many plants need nutrient rich substrates like eco complete or flourite. just food for thought

 

[betowess]

Its not grass like but you can certainly train green hygro (with sizzors ...Hygrophila polysperma) to grow laterally given enuf light and it grows like a weed and will stay green if not too much light... say 2.5 watts per gallon. Too much light and it turns more tan in color. If not enuf light it will grow more up right reaching for the light... Jay Luto said they found it growing in irrigation canals in Florida. Maybe you can find some as its so common throughout the world today. Its practically a noxious weed and prolific. Basic ferts and no CO2 or fancy substrate needed. HTH you AussieGal. Bob

 

[AussieGal]

Thanks Bob, it does. I have to check the lighting in my tank. The setup I bought came with two long fluro bulbs, and after a major algae outbreak, the guy who sold it to me at the lfs admitted the lighting was too strong and to take out a bulb. The plants I have at the moment are doing well, are nice and green and growing. I'm just bored with them lol and looking for something different. I'll be heading to the nursery with all this info soon. Thanks

 

[TankGirl]

I have trained some of my hygro to grow laterally across the gravel, as it happened kind of by accident and I wanted to see if it would stay that way. It is no grassy carpet, but it does have an interesting effect.