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Dwarf Hairgrass - How many tabs?(low tech)

17K views 24 replies 7 participants last post by  aokashi 
#1 ·
In a low tech tank, do I just use the amount recommended by Seachem Flourish tabs? Or does a carpet of dhg require more than usual amount of tabs?

This is in eco complete in case that matters.
 
#7 ·
Not saying it can't be done, but I've read countless threads about people having issues with it in eco-complete. I have DHG growing under a 30" Planted+ 24/7, in black diamond sand, no CO2, using EI dosing and Osmocote+ root tabs, and after 3 weeks is already sending runners. In eco-complete it may just take longer for the root system to establish. But the best advice anyone has ever given me with DHG is just have patience, and you'll eventually see it take off even overnight.
 
#11 ·
If just using tabs in Eco-complete can grow DHG every low tech tank will be carpeted with it....

just check out the display thread below and see what the average low tech tank looks like; and count the number that have lush full DHG carpets (in Eco-complete).

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=99729
 
#12 ·
I have a lush dhg low tech tank and I don't use ferts...? it will certainly take a while to carpet, I believe mine took about half a year to fully carpet. I started off with only a few very small emersed plants, and really never intended to completely carpet with DHG, but after much neglect, it eventually took over the foreground.

the substrate is used eco complete. I think the key to growing DHG in low tech is to give it lots of light. I try to make shade with floaters or stems in all other areas of the tank so I don't get algae from the light overdosage.

Someone mentioned that a trimming of the dhg at the beginning will allow it to grow back thicker, but I've yet to try this.

4 gallon cube tank filled half way:
Green Underwater Algae Aquatic plant Marine biology


edit:

neglected to mention that this is my second experience with a dhg carpet in low tech med-high light tank. The first time it happened it was completely accidental and I yanked it out. But from then on I know DHG would carpet just fine in low tech. I think people who tell you that it can't be done aren't people who work regularly with low tech. Low tech really doesn't mean low light.... I've never touched CO2 in my entire tank keeping experience, And that has given me the opportunity to test the limits of "low tech" tanks. I'd say go for it, you'll never know until you try!
 
#13 ·
aokashi said:
I'd say go for it, you'll never know until you try!
True words! I have a bunch of dwarf hairgrass on the way... so I will see what I can do with them. So by no ferts, you mean the only nutrients the hairgrass gets is from fish waste?(no tabs, no liquid, no dry..etc

Do you reccomend I bury the grass deep in the substrate, or just under the surface?(it's 3" of eco complete, and the tank is already filled with water)
 
#18 ·
I'd say try to keep a good balance and it should be fine. The only reason you'll have algae is because there are unused nutrients. My dhg needs light so I let the light reach the carpet, but marsilea doesn't need that much light, so I have a piece of drift wood to shade that area. There are floaters in the back which has an endless supply of atmospheric CO2 and can use the extra lighting very efficiently. So they help suck up the rest of the nutrients in the tank. The floaters also act as a shade for areas that doesn't require high light.

I don't fertilize. I feel like it's too easy to throw things out of balance that way. let nature do what nature does best, lots of mulm keeps the dhg happy. lol

Oh and snails. They are my official "cycling" buddy. Snails take care of decaying organic matter and act as an ammonia source. I can't start a tank without dropping a handful of mts and pond snails in the tank. lol!

That said, I do have some algae that came with the driftwood, but the algae doesn't grow, so I don't worry about it...
 
#24 ·
50 PAR is medium light and with CO2 you can grow anything under it.
You should consider lowering it and increase the circulation to get rid of the BBA. Spot treat with excel etc
In such a small tank, the seachem line of ferts and carbon should last a long time.
Will also increase the number of plants you can keep and make them look better as well.
Good luck;)
 
#25 ·
Are you trying to help me or the OP?
:p I'm not the OP, just in case you got us confused!

As for me, my tank is happy the way it is, it's been running for two years and a good year running by itself with the light on the timer and nothing else.

There are reasons I don't do lower lighting, if I lower my lights the rrf and l. Arcuata won't stay red, which is undesirable in my book, and there is nothing unhappy caused by my lighting that makes me need to lower it. CO2 is too much work and I don't do enough tank maintainance to warrant such a system, i'm also not growing any plants that needs CO2 to survive.

As for BBA I am unconvinced that this algae is caused by light and remedied by circulation. I've seen lush flowing forests of BBA in tanks that are so dimly lit I could not make out the color of the fish. As I mentioned before, the BBA on my wood doesn't grow, I don't want to scrape it off incase I spread it to other areas of my tank. It's just there, and fairly invisible. My shrimps also enjoy grazing in it so... If it ain't broke, then I'm not too keen on "fixing" it :D

I have a bottle of excel and a bottle of flourish, also a bottle of home made macros, and a bottle of home made micros (not yet moldy!) and even a bottle of long expired metricide. They have been used at some point in some of my tanks, but now they sit untouched.

50 something PAR was considered high light back in the days (2013) I measured it. Did the definition of high light change? I don't really keep up with these technicalities, so i apologize for my lack of knowledge there.

Either way, thank you for your help :)
 
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