Saltwater & Reef

bruinsbro1997 · 06-30-2011, 02:15 AM

So I was thinking about getting some low-growing plants, like java moss and baby tears, to spread on my substrate to make it look like they're on grass or such, I think it'd be cool. I looked into some and the best I found were java moss and baby tears. I know java moss roots to driftwood, problem is I have none. Can I just plant it into the gravel? Also how should you take care of baby tears? Any special needs? Please reply! Thanks

allaboutfish · 06-30-2011, 02:25 AM

java moss can be used as a carpet but ill take a good bit of time to carpet. what are your light watts and tank size? a good low light carpet is dwarf sagitaria and a medium is dwarf hairgrass.

jetajockey · 06-30-2011, 02:34 AM

you can just lay the java moss out on the gravel and sprinkle some gravel on top of it to keep it down. That works, but it does take time to start latching on to the gravel.

Baby tears tends to grow upwards so you likely won't get it to carpet. As mentioned, dwarf sag works, also pygmy chainsword is another good one, but it takes decent lighting to get it to really fill out.

Hubert90 · 06-30-2011, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruinsbro1997

So I was thinking about getting some low-growing plants, like java moss and baby tears, to spread on my substrate to make it look like they're on grass or such, I think it'd be cool. I looked into some and the best I found were java moss and baby tears. I know java moss roots to driftwood, problem is I have none. Can I just plant it into the gravel? Also how should you take care of baby tears? Any special needs? Please reply! Thanks

I've heard baby tears ain't a low light plant! Especially when u want it to grow like carpet. It needs high light to achieve that. Low lights will result in vertical growth I believe.

Mr. Limpet · 06-30-2011, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hubert90

I've heard baby tears ain't low light plants! Especially when u want it to grow like carpet. It needs high light to achieve that. Low lights will result in vertical growth I believe.

+1

If you want to use it for low good growing carpet, high lights and co2 are pretty much a necessity from what I've heard.

http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_viewer.php?id=160

I wouldn't try it with java moss, as it'll get long and stringy and you'll have to trim it all the time. If you want to try moss for a carpet effect, get some mini christmas moss.

bruinsbro1997 · 06-30-2011, 11:30 AM

Christmas moss...is it better than java moss? I have heard java moss is super easy. Does Christmas moss need any special requirements?
Baby tears don't really sound like a carpet plant I guess, and I only have 1, possibly 2 watts per gallon going on in my tank. Is that okay for dwarf sagitaria, dwarf hairgrass, and pygmy chain sword plants? I looked up the link, actually baby tears growing upward doesn't sound like a bad idea, that would look pretty cool...

mfdrookie516 · 06-30-2011, 11:51 AM

baby tears might do fine in high light, but it'll do ok in lower light too IME. I kept baby tears (HM) in a 10g with a 15w stock flourescent hood with no issues other than some algae from knowing nothing about planted tanks at the time (not that I dont have algae now haha). I also kept some in a 55g with two 32w T8's in a shop light.

Mr. Limpet · 06-30-2011, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruinsbro1997

Christmas moss...is it better than java moss? I have heard java moss is super easy. Does Christmas moss need any special requirements?
Baby tears don't really sound like a carpet plant I guess, and I only have 1, possibly 2 watts per gallon going on in my tank. Is that okay for dwarf sagitaria, dwarf hairgrass, and pygmy chain sword plants? I looked up the link, actually baby tears growing upward doesn't sound like a bad idea, that would look pretty cool...

Nope, mini xmass moss is great and I'm using it to create an ivy effect on a 3D wall. I have small clumps of baby tears in my low light fry tank and it does ok, but it is getting long and certainly not producing any carpet effect. Check out some of the plants you listed on plantgeek.net and see what they need and if you're not concerned about a low lying carpet effect anymore, there's lots of plants to choose from.

bruinsbro1997 · 06-30-2011, 01:05 PM

No, I still think Christmas moss would be good as a carpet effect on my gravel. When you say you're going to put it on your wall, does that mean your going to put it on the glass and it will have an ivy effect? I will check out plantedgeek.net and see what it says about the plants. Baby tears sounds like it would do better in the background to cover up my hideous heaters...

Hubert90 · 06-30-2011, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruinsbro1997

No, I still think Christmas moss would be good as a carpet effect on my gravel. When you say you're going to put it on your wall, does that mean your going to put it on the glass and it will have an ivy effect? I will check out plantedgeek.net and see what it says about the plants. Baby tears sounds like it would do better in the background to cover up my hideous heaters...

He meant shoving varies clumps into his 3d walls which is made of Styrofoam!