# Dwarf Hairgrass & Ferteliser question



## Atena (Apr 29, 2012)

I had run into some dwarf hairgrass at the petsmart and it looks like it would be a nice ground cover for my little fish tank.

I did not see it in the plant guide so I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this plant?

I am wondering if it a good one for a small tank and will be okay in slightly elevated ph?

My tank stays at ph elves of 7.4 with almond leaf treatment, 8.6 without it.

What is good way to guarantee the plant before introducing it to the tank?

I already have java ferns that seem to be doing well.

Is there a fertilizer that anyone prefers to use with their Bettas?

Do I need to use a fertilizer with my Java fern, I am pretty sure the grass would need it.


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

A drop or two of plain Flourish (not Excel) in a small tank every few days would be enough - I don't know how big yours is? But java fern lives just fine on fish poo alone in my 3.5 gallon, which has lots of plants in plain black gravel and is never fertilised - the only plant to suffer is wisteria.. after about 4 months, it gets an iron deficiency. Otherwise, the low light plants seem not to need tons of fertiliser.

Hairgrass is growing like mad in my lowlight tanks but seems to be doing better in the brighter spots. As long as your light will support plant growth (6500K or thereabouts) it should do okay. My ph is about 7.6, and it's good in that. 

Rinsing your plants in conditioned water a bit should be okay. If you're really worried about algae and snails, you could rinse under tap water a bit.


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## millefiore (Jul 2, 2012)

Not to hijack your thread, Atena, but Aus, just to clarify, for the tanks you have with the hairgrass, are you using only gravel as the substrate or do you have a layer of soil it?

(Thinking of setting up a planted tank.) :-D


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## Sundancex (Feb 24, 2012)

Aus, I'm really interested in what you have to say about hairgrass and dwarf hairgrass. Over on plantedtank.net, everyone seems to recommend CO2, Excel, root tabs, enriched substrate, and high light for EVERYTHING...including java fern. I'm about to start a planted tank and what they had to say basically convinced me anything I put in my tank will die. 

Could you give me the specifics of your tank that is growing hairgrass? I have an EBI and I'm doing 2 fluval 13 watt flouresent bulbs, fluval shrimp stratum, and plan to dose with root tabs and flourish. 

Sorry to hijack...


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## Sowman (Aug 19, 2011)

Sundancex said:


> Aus, I'm really interested in what you have to say about hairgrass and dwarf hairgrass. Over on plantedtank.net, everyone seems to recommend CO2, Excel, root tabs, enriched substrate, and high light for EVERYTHING...including java fern. I'm about to start a planted tank and what they had to say basically convinced me anything I put in my tank will die.
> 
> Could you give me the specifics of your tank that is growing hairgrass? I have an EBI and I'm doing 2 fluval 13 watt flouresent bulbs, fluval shrimp stratum, and plan to dose with root tabs and flourish.
> 
> Sorry to hijack...


I would be interested in this info as well. I just started a 5g planted.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

To get a really lush and fast-growing carpet, you ideally need a nutrient rich substrate and to have a consistent source of carbon (excel is fine in a small tank). 

I have had hairgrass send off shoots and grow in just plain gravel, but it wasn't until I put mine into a tank with ADA aqua soil that it really took off. Mine also grew exceptionally fast when I grew it emersed which is what I think the DSM works on.

Forgot to add it's best to plant hairgrass in as small a clumps as possible. This will encourage it to spread a lot faster.


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## Sundancex (Feb 24, 2012)

Does anyone know if it is safe to dose excel with java moss in the tank? Or is it likely to kill the moss?


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## Atena (Apr 29, 2012)

It is a a 2.5 gallon tank, I have gravel and glass pebbles, in it. I was not planning for anything else.

I have two strips of 6500k UV LED lights on each end of the tank, I had them for each of the ferns, then I have lower power white light that is not a plant light in the rest of the tank. I will try to get a picture tomorrow of how they are laid out in the tank.

The filter has carbon in it... not sure if this is what you mean by a consistent source of carbon.

Sorry it took me so long to reply, I have been away from my computer all day.


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

+1 ^ What Littlebettafish said. 

I have mine in a dirt tank, so that's probably providing all the nutrient it needs right now. It's grown in clumps, too, as I don't really want it to spread fast, lol (though it's doing so anyway..). The dirt tank's too crowded with plants for a 'lawn' but I am thinking of replanting to the 3ft as one under some taller bog reeds. 

Co2 is a carbon supplement, not the same as filter carbon. There's a whole science around that, not really my cup of tea as I am focussing on low-tech. Easy way is just what LBF said, dose with Flourish Excel from a bottle, which has liquid carbon in it. 

My way of doing things is a bit slap-dash right now. Stick it in the tank, see if it grows.. 

In my smaller tank, which sounds pretty much like yours, Atena, I have LED lights too and only low-tech low light plants, java moss, java fern on mopani wood (get shrimps if you use mopani, it molds up fast, or use malaysian wood which doesn't as much), susswassertang.. a few small crypts and anubias, a little wisteria which does much better floating than planted. No room for hairgrass, but the little bit I grew in there was healthy, just not growing particularly quickly, not enough for a lush hi-tech lawn look, anyway. 

So yeah, you may have to use Excel for that lawn. 

Millifiore and Sowman, I'd be happy to chat about planted tanks over in my journal so's not to derial the OP's thread.. http://www.bettafish.com/showthread.php?t=92906&page=22

In which you can see a bit of hairgrass my wild bettas pulled up when flailing around in it, lol.


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## Atena (Apr 29, 2012)

Since this is my first tank ever I do want to keep it simple. But with a plant that costs less than $10 I can afford to take a risk. I just think it would look nice growing on the "banks" of my blue glass river over which I have rock bridge that Guppy likes to swim under.

I do not want any tank buddies as he tends to be super territorial and I do not need more lives to be responsible for. LOL

I will also look into a taller grass to put in the corner where the heater is to cover it. I do not want floating plants as the tank is so mall already I don't want to cut off access to air, and plants at the top will baffle the light.

I have one question about the grass, how do I "plant" it in the tank. My java fern I tied with thread to rocks to keep if from floating away. Obviously, the grass is too small to do what with. Is it going to naturally stay at the bottom or do I need to do something to make it do so?


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

Just posted to subscribe. I have some java moss and cristmass moss but they dont seem to grow up.


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## Atena (Apr 29, 2012)

Well, I am pretty convinced that I will get them on monday on my break at lunch. I will put them in my half gallon tank till I have time to plant them. I will post pictures as soon as I get it in the tank.

Thanks for all the help... now all I need is a taller plant for that corner.


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## Atena (Apr 29, 2012)

Okay, one more question ... Is hair grass a good plant for helping remove ammonia from the water?


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

Re the planting - take little strands with roots and poke them in the gravel with tweezers. If your gravel's not too coarse, they'll stay there. 

Not too sure about ammonia uptake. But I do know the fast growing stems like wisteria take up the most.


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## Atena (Apr 29, 2012)

Okay, so I could not wait till Monday, I did it today!

Here is the newly planted tank:









and this is Guppy admiring his new landscape:










This how my lights are designed:









I hope it fairs well in my sub-standard turf. Time will tell.


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## Aus (Feb 3, 2012)

Very pretty! I hope it does well. 

I like your betta's little stone cave, too.


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## Dellilah (Jul 23, 2012)

@Atena, what kind of plant lights are those? They look like they stick to your lid, very interesting! Also, that cave of yours is too cute; where did you get it? I'm having no luck finding great caves like that, all I can seem to find are spongebob, beehives, or really awesome ones that are for very large tanks.


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## Atena (Apr 29, 2012)

Thanks guys, I hope it does well also. For now I like the way it looks.

I got the lights on e-bay, though I did not buy default, I had this set custom made. And yes, they simply stick to the lid, though I sewed them on top of my lid with clear thread to make sure they are a little higher up. This is the place I got them: http://www.21ledstrips.com

The cave I got at Pet Supermarket just down the street from my house. I found a similar one for you on e-bay, but I cannot find one exactly like mine. I was so thrilled when I found it, it was exactly what I wanted. 

Atena


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## Pilot00 (Jul 24, 2012)

That looks like a dolmen formation, nice.


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