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Best carpet plant for low-tech?

11K views 16 replies 15 participants last post by  jackrythm 
#1 ·
Hey there! I am looking for suggestions on a good plant to use as a carpet in a low-tech situation (no CO2/Excel) - if possible, one that will grow okay in gravel (with no planting substrate). If I can't do a carpet with no planting substrate, I will have to think about mixing some in with the gravel. My tank has planting substrate at the back and gravel at the front, but I have decided I want to get my tank more heavily planted - the pics on this site are making me too jealous!
 
#2 ·
I have been researching this same question. Only, I will have ADA Aquasoil as a substrate. At this time my opinion is that we are pretty limited if we want a low growing substrate, perhaps with Marsilea minuta being the only one that will reliably grow well and low. I plan to use Sagittaria subulata, but it will give me a "lawn" that is much more likely to be 3 inches tall than 1 inch tall. The usual low growing, carpet plants all seem to need more light and/or CO2 to do at all well at growing low and dense. I think most people who have success with those in "low light" actually have much more light than they think.
 
#4 ·
I'm doing DHG in a 10 gal, 2x13w cfl's in a standard hood, excel 3x a week, aquasoil and root tabs and in the past month since I set it up, I can see 30-40 runners starting all over the tank, so in a few months I expect it to fill in the entire tank. Not sure how well it would do without the excel, root tabs or aquasoil though.
 
#14 ·
Marsilea Quadrifolia
Marsilea minuta
Crypt parva
Moss

Anything else, I think will grow but will grow tall and leggy.

I'm also growing Echinodorus tenellus in a low light tank but seriously grows so slow!
after about 3 weeks I finally see runners.
 
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