# Dwarf hairgrass from Petco



## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

I went to Petco yesterday and I was surprised to see live plants in little plastic bags (like the ones in tubes but in bags). Well, I've seen them before but they were plants I never heard of. But yesterday they had dwarf hairgrass, moneywort, and a couple of other types of plants in gel in little packages. The dwarf hairgrass actually looked really good (better than one time that i bought it from the tank), so I bought some. It's really small, but really healthy looking. I planted it in my tank and it looks great. I don't know if I just hit it at the right time and they just got a new shipment in (it was fairly wet inside the bag), but I was pleasantly surprised.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Our Petsmart has those, the Petco has both the ones in the tubes and still had a lovely tank set up for the plants. But the ones in the bags/tubes are still the same at both stores. I agree though, I was happily surprised when I saw the DHG I immediately took it home and it grew very well in my tank! (until I had to take it down for columnaris break out)


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## mushumouse (Dec 29, 2012)

lucky you! i've seen those both at petsmart and petco, but every time they've been stocked they've only had crystalwort plants that were 90% melted goo so i've never chanced it.


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

I got a pack and will plant it shortly and see how it goes.


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

here you go, it was a hassle to plant it as the gel is embedded with the roots and I was not sure if I was tearing the roots or not. so I decided to plop the whole thing in and buried it with Floramax, at least enough to anchor it into the substrate. Caroline is loving it so far. Oh wrapped some java moss with craft mesh onto a little stone if you can see it behind the DHG. I also tied the hairy roots of the Annubias Compacta onto a stone and it is not wrapping around the stone yet.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

was there a scientific name for the dhg?


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## Aluka (Dec 25, 2012)

they sell acicularis and parvula. no belem tho (not that i have seen) but for 6.99 it was a good deal! about 3 plugs worth!


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

thanks!


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

FYI, label info. My DHG was from PetSmart for $8.99 and have about 4" x 1" patch.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

thanks ^_^ I've been looking for the non belem dhgs for a taller hairgrass


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

aokashi said:


> thanks ^_^ I've been looking for the non belem dhgs for a taller hairgrass


U r welcome, but the name sounds like Greek to me, hope this info will help you find what you need. BTW, is it ok to plop the whole thing into the substrate since the gel is safe for fish?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

It's better to tear it into about 3 or 4 sections and place them 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches appart from each other so that over a month or so it will fill in to make a nice carpet. but if course if you don't want the carpet than sure. I would clean the gel out anyway, I didn't do it my first time and I was constantly picking out gel pieces as they floated by in the tank. It also clogged my filter a bit too. Also trimming the roots will inspire new and faster growth in any plant


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## VJM (Feb 7, 2013)

Must. Not. Go. To. Petco. 

Who am I kidding? It is tank trim and rescape day. I obviously need some of this.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

VJM said:


> Must. Not. Go. To. Petco.
> 
> Who am I kidding? It is tank trim and rescape day. I obviously need some of this.


Haha, Tank cleaning/rescaping/buying things is my Saturday! If I actually happen to have money for next week I'm definitely going back to get some more, I don't have any yet in my 33!


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## VJM (Feb 7, 2013)

They didn't have any. Just the usual line up of tube plants. I suppose I should be relieved.


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## Aluka (Dec 25, 2012)

they out it in a different place as the tube plants, on like the side =/ i totally didnt see them the first 3 circles i walked in the aquatics department.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Aluka said:


> they out it in a different place as the tube plants, on like the side =/ i totally didnt see them the first 3 circles i walked in the aquatics department.


All to better deceive you with! haha

Actually it's my Petsmart that has the DHG, my Petco doesn't have much in the line of the tube/bagged plants. We still have a very lovely looking tank filled with plants but it's been redone so there aren't many snails yet or moss overtaking the tank haha


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

My DHG all turned yellow in my tank! Is it because I didn't separate it enough and kind of stuck it in the sand in a few big bunches? There is like one really long green stalk coming out of it, though. :question:


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Hmmm, pictures please? Do you use ferts because they need at _least_ liquid ferts to grow properly. I have some that hasn't been growing but it hasn't died on me yet either nor has it turned brown.


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## Aluka (Dec 25, 2012)

they are grown emersed, they will yellow a bit because you just submerse them. They would come back if you have enough light for the species.

when plants transition from emerse to submersed they do thru a transition period, sometimes losing leaves, melting a bit, or turning yellow.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

OrangeAugust said:


> My DHG all turned yellow in my tank! Is it because I didn't separate it enough and kind of stuck it in the sand in a few big bunches? There is like one really long green stalk coming out of it, though. :question:


Oh dear. maybe they're still transitioning. Mine did fine without ferts. lol but I separated them all out into individual plants and planted those >.< so the clumping could be a contributing factor. 

But still....Green leaves are a good sign!


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

Ok, I'll wait a while and see if it shoots up any more green. I also got brighter lights. It's in my 55 gal and I'm up to 2 watts per gallon with 2 bulbs now. Before I only had 1 watt/gallon if even that much. I don't know the wattage of my old bulb. But anyway, it could have responded badly to the low lighting at first. I'll see how it does. Maybe I'll try to separate it, too. When I first took it out of the package it had no roots so I wasn't sure how to separate it and I didn't want to rip it apart at the wrong places or something. I'll maybe take it out and see if there are any roots starting.


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## Greylady (Jul 15, 2012)

I got my DHG from petco also. The first batch I tried to, seperate to spread it out a little so it could fill in better. They where so tiny I couldnt keep them in the substrate. Every day I'd look and there would be more and more floating, of course I think some of this was because the ghost shrimp and MTS wouodnt stay out of it! Lol. 

Anyway, the second batch I just took scissors and cut it into thirds and planted it that way. It did fade a little and a few strands "escape" once in a while but it seems to be perking back up and getting greener now. I've had it about 3 wks. It's in my 6.6 gallon bookshelve tank which is shallow (approx 8 inches after substrate) so the DHG does get some light. It's a 15 watt, 6700k bulb.


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

my DHG is still green and grew maybe 1/8". I just plop the whole patch in there. Yes, it still tried to "float" as a patch of 4" X 1". I had to anchor it with quite a bit of Floramax. Now I am dealing with siphoning little gel bits...from hindsight, I think getting a matted patch from plantedaquariumcentral.com might not be too bad for a beginner like me. Unless, I learn how to "mat" it....hmmm


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

I grow my own emmersed, then use it in my tank when I have enough. 
I simply wash the soil off the roots~ they don't go through a transitioning phase at all =D


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