[kidgrave]

I have a 10 gallon low tech dirted tank, and I would like to carpet my tank. I know that Dwarf Sag and Hair Grass are good for carpets. Are there any other plants that you would advise for me to use for a carpet? I want a plant that wont grow too tall, and one that would make a nice carpet. Here is a picture of my tank. I would like to cover all of my gravel. :help:

 

[kidgrave]

In .my 5.5 my "dwarf" sag in my NPT got HUGE.. when I say huge I mean HUGE. The leaves went to the top. I thought I had vals for a moment LOL.

Anywho, for a shorter (2-3 inches maybe?) I'd suggest chain swords.. I have that in my 55 and does well.

lol, how big does the dwarf sag get? Do you ever trim it short? What grows taller,
Dwarf sag or microswords?

 

[kidgrave]

Go with the dwarf sag. For your setup it'll be the easiest. Your tank being low tech kind of limits your options, but go with the dwarf sag.

Thanks for the advise. Are there any other options besides dwarf sag?

 

[kidgrave]

I don't add co2 to my tank. I have 2x 13 watt cfl bulbs. I have dirt underneath my gravel.

Carpets are difficult to create if you don't have the right conditions. What type of equipment do you have? CO2?

In a 10 gallon, you will need really small plants to create proper perspective and proportion. Glossostigma may work but also Hemianthus callitrichoides "Cuba".

 

[kidgrave]

You really can't go with any other carpets besides those two. I would look into DHG ( Eleocharis parvula or Dwarf hairgrass ), it's typically shorter than the standard HG ( Eleocharis sp. ). The only problem is it likes to curve which could set off your over-compulsive disorder; well if you have one like me haha.

Maintenance is actually very easy on DHG even in a high tech environment. All you really need is sufficient amount of light and nutrients (which eco-complete is a great choice on substrate roud. DHG will probably be a slow grower, but you could speed things up a bit with dosing Excel every few days (1-2 hours before lights come on).

You could also look into Staurogyne repen. Though this is a foreground/midground plant - you would have to learn to trim shoots to promote creeping growth. It does require a bit of Co2 though, but not as heavy as HC (baby tears), Glosso, or UG.

LOL, I do have OCD. When I planted my Ludwigia Repens, I did it without the tweezers, but because it looked a bit slanted, it drove me crazy, haha.
I want to grow my plants as slow as possible because on June I'll be gone to Australia for a month and I won't be able to do any tank maintenance, which is the reason why I went for a dirted setup so I don't have to worry ab out my sister adding ferts to my tank. Will Dwarf Hair Grass grow well in a dirted tank, without Excel, Diy Co2? As far as my lights go, I am using 2x13 watt CFL, and I'm hoping that's not too much light. My tank is a 10 gallon, and I plan on keeping 6x Neon Tetras, and 3 Amano Shrimps.