hair grass and dwarf baby tears, tell me everything!

[panchovilla1133]

I have a 10 gal tank that I would like to add some baby tears or some hair grass to but am not sure if I have what it takes. It is pretty plan, HOB filter and a 19 watt light. right now I just a plan black gravel in the tank but have a some eco-complete I could add to the spot where I would plant it on top of a little raised area in the corner. My PH is about 8. I have a DIY co2 but never really use it, everything dose fine. Only have 6 amano shrimp in there, drift wood, anubias, java moss, some crypto's, Japanese moss ball and bamboo. No money for new lights but could make a DIY sponge filter if needed
I need to know which would be better for this set up baby tears or hair grass?
I need to know about fertilizer and...everything else. Maybe a good place to order from ( Im in Idaho )
Not sure what else you need to know. THANKS

[tryank]

Hey O pancho

I did both dwarf hair grass and HC in a 10g with DIY CO2 about a year ago. My light was just a cfl (one if those spiral Compact Fluorescent Lights) I think 24 watts, but it said it was a 75w equivalent? It was in a reflector to get the most out of it, and I got that at Cal Ranch. It was a dirt tank capped with sand, the dirt was from behind my apartment. It took a few weeks, but the HC took root and started to grow great, the hair grass seemed to take a little longer, but that could have been because I bought it from petsmart that sold it in a bag with gel stuff on the roots. Who knows. But it eventually sent runners out and started to spread. But it seems to me that the nature of the plant prevent it from getting "thick" like a carpet. Maybe if there were a bunch if runners overlapping.

With that said, I say try HC. Your ecocomplete substrate should work great. I just started a tank a few months ago, planted HC, and it's thrived. Just added CO2 yesterday, so it might take off even faster. Have a gander at my tank journal... The red cherry shrimps you asked about are in there.

And if you're planning on getting some RCS and wanna have them breed, put a sponge or nylon over your filter intake so the little dudes don't get sucked up.

[tryank]

Here is my old tank, the one that had HC and the Hairgrass, next to the new one as I was setting it up. They were both pretty dirty when I took the pic.

You can see A) the light I used on the 10g I was talking about, and B) all of the HC I put into the new 20g that grew initially in the 10g from one of those little rocks with HC attached you get at petco.



Here it is now:


Go for it pancho!

[tryank]

More of the light I used, to show that you don't have to have a fancy pants set up to grow HC...



I could hover it a ways from the water or lower it right down next to the surface; it was usually the later.

[tryank]

About the Hairgrass, you can see it here throughout the tank. This is after a few months of growth. I took this picture right after I pulled out all of the HC (pictures of that in my journal).



See how it's kinda scraggly? It reminds me of those sideburns some guys try to grow before they should. Long and sparse with bald areas, not thick and uniform. Which is why I suggest HC. Hopefully someone else responds on here with some info on how to get Hairgrass to grow in thick, with pictures as evidence!

Here's the light in the high position...

[Monster Fish]

Originally Posted by panchovilla1133

I have a 10 gal tank that I would like to add some baby tears or some hair grass to but am not sure if I have what it takes. It is pretty plan, HOB filter and a 19 watt light. right now I just a plan black gravel in the tank but have a some eco-complete I could add to the spot where I would plant it on top of a little raised area in the corner. My PH is about 8. I have a DIY co2 but never really use it, everything dose fine. Only have 6 amano shrimp in there, drift wood, anubias, java moss, some crypto's, Japanese moss ball and bamboo. No money for new lights but could make a DIY sponge filter if needed
I need to know which would be better for this set up baby tears or hair grass?
I need to know about fertilizer and...everything else. Maybe a good place to order from ( Im in Idaho )
Not sure what else you need to know. THANKS

19 watts of what kind of light? Stock fluorescent?

[tomfromstlouis]

Well, light is certainly an important factor but if you are not using your diy co2 I wonder how much success you will have. Both of those plants almost require co2 IMO. I have heard on this forum people growing HG without it but have not seen a nice lawn of it without co2.

Perhaps someone with experience growing either of these without co2 can tell us about it.

[amberoze]

I grow hc without co2 or ferts just fine. Given, it grows much more slowly and thereby takes longer to carpet. I started with maybe five or six finger length pieces, and through trimming and propagation, I now have this...



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[CPDzeke]

I think you need more light, co2 and make sure to take the rock wool off the roots. Mine always melts where it still has rock wool on the roots