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Micro sword or drwaf hairgrass? Comparison study/questions

3K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  AquaAurora 
#1 ·
I am planning to do a serious scape for my nano soon and cannot decide on which grass to use.
Details:
tank: Evolve4, display area roughly 9x6x6 (with substrate)
Substrate: Miracle grow organic potting mix capped with gravel (also Osmocote plus dry fert tabs)
Light: stock (still don't know if I need different?)
Filter: Stock (will be modded for gentle flow)
Temp: 78F (Ehiem Jagar 50w heater)
pH: 74.-7.6
ammonia: 0
nitrtite: 0
nitrtate: 40-80 (gets up to 160 since fishless using pure ammonia for BB)
gh-kh: very high 70+
planned flora: micro sword OR dwarf hair grass, riccia, echinodorus parvfilorus (small variety of sword), and .... some other fast growing plant (can't remember name)
planned fauna: 1 male betta
No co2 injector or liquid fert.


Questions comparing micro sword and dwarf hair grass:
Which grows (height) faster?
Which sends out runners/grows into a carpet faster?
Which needs less light?
Which tends to have a more/deeper green hue?
 
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#4 ·
You will need a different light probably. I tried DHG in my Evolve 4, and chain swords. No luck.

In addition, the stock light burnt out after less than a year.

DHG will love the dirt, but not so much the gravel. I find it hard to plant in anything but sand, since it tends to float up, and it spreads really easily in sand.

Chain swords look clumpy, not like a lawn, and have much bigger individual leaves. Mine grows much higher than my DHG.

DHG tends to be bright green for me, and chain sword is bright when new, then medium green when older.
Thank you for the feedback, I have considered Pygmy chain sword but for the depth of the tank I need a carpet plant I can trim, from my research I would not be able to cut its leaves.

What light do you use for your Evolve now?
 
#3 ·
You will need a different light probably. I tried DHG in my Evolve 4, and chain swords. No luck.

In addition, the stock light burnt out after less than a year.

DHG will love the dirt, but not so much the gravel. I find it hard to plant in anything but sand, since it tends to float up, and it spreads really easily in sand.

Chain swords look clumpy, not like a lawn, and have much bigger individual leaves. Mine grows much higher than my DHG.

DHG tends to be bright green for me, and chain sword is bright when new, then medium green when older.
 
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