# good plants to use for a "grass" substrate and how to make it?



## Pogthefish (Mar 24, 2012)

So I was talking to someone and the idea of just plants as the substrate.. like grass in a yard, would be really cool, so I decided I would try it, but I want an idea of how to make something like this. I was thinking of like getting some sort of like.. sorta liek the stuff on the end of the algae scrubber, and putting some seeds for this plant in it, growing it in a separate tank where I can have higher co2 and ammonia, then laying it out like turf. What would be a good plant to use for this, where can I get seeds, and where can I get material? Thanks!


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## Meggie6347 (Jun 18, 2012)

Not sure about "seeding" something like that, but you could always carpet a plant...something like glosso, dwarf baby tears, dwarf hairgrass..Try looking those up and see if that is what you are talking about :thumbsup:

If you do those, I believe they are more high tech...not sure but you might want to check on that. I know that the dwarf baby tears are, not sure about the other two.

Edit: you could also do that kind of thing with java moss so you wouldn't need anything high tech, but I think that stuff can get pretty messy for carpeting


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

microswords, or dwraf hairgrass


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## Pogthefish (Mar 24, 2012)

Andy ideas how to go about this?


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

grow them emmersed on an inert medium which you will fertilize then when it carpets, you can plant it in.


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## Pogthefish (Mar 24, 2012)

cool XD if I actually do it successfully I will ad pics


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## deso (Apr 24, 2012)

Flame moss also looks pretty cool as a carpet and requires virtually no upkeep compared to dwarf hairgrass. If you can find it, I'd recommend you give it a shot, because unless you're up to purchasing a co2 kit, good lighting, and dosing ferts daily, many of the "carpeting plants" won't carpet properly (or last very long, for that matter). I can post a photo of my tank here that has a small flame moss carpet if you like, so you can see what it looks like.


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## Pogthefish (Mar 24, 2012)

Yeah, sure  That would be great ^_^


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## deso (Apr 24, 2012)

Bottom right-hand corner is the carpet:








In case you were thinking to carpet the entire tank, eBay has flame moss on stainless-steel mesh squares. If you buy enough of those, it would easily cover the entire substrate.


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## Pogthefish (Mar 24, 2012)

That is really cool  do you know where I can get some?


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## Pogthefish (Mar 24, 2012)

Btw that fish is GORGEOUS! Super delta?


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## deso (Apr 24, 2012)

I bought mine from this seller on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3x-Flame-Mo...ultDomain_0&hash=item3a78d175c6#ht_4540wt_956

Thanks for the compliments  and nope, he's a halfmoon! But he never flares unless you put a mirror in front of him, so it's hard to tell.


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## Pogthefish (Mar 24, 2012)

Actually, my parents don't believe in ebay  they are very against buying online, they don't even have paypal D: I can buy stuf using a credit card though, just not on ebay


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## deso (Apr 24, 2012)

http://www.freshwatershrimp.co.uk/product.php?id_product=91

Not sure where you're located, but this is the only site (UK-based) I could think of that sells flame moss carpet squares. Not eBay, but still online...unfortunately, I don't think Petco/Petsmart sells flame moss. I've ordered from them before as well and they're legit and quite fast. The only problem is that the squares they send aren't fully grown, so it may take a while for you to get that grassy lawn look in your tank.


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## Pogthefish (Mar 24, 2012)

Ok, do you use your credit card for that?


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