# 3wpg not enough for hairgrass?



## KeIgO86 (Jun 23, 2005)

hi, I just bought some dwarf hairgrass (it should be dwarf, considering the height averages at 2-3cm) and planted it in my 2x1x1 ft tank. Planted them 5-10 stalks of leaves roughly 1-2cm apart.

The tank powered by 36w (that makes slightly less 3wpg). 30-40ppm CO2, and excess NPK dosed. I also dose traces roughly once a week. Thus nutrients shouldn't be the problem.

Here's the problem: No pearling observed even on the 5th day after planting. Only occasional pearling only by melting crypts should 1 of the leaves start melting. The crypts have been in the tank for almost a year. Anyway, back to hairgrass, I observed the tips yellowing. And I could not find a single new stalk of hairgrass growing.

Anyone has experience with hairgrass like this? FYI, i've successfully grown HC under 36w in the same setting. (Lost them due to negligence. [smilie=p: ) I've just changed the lighting to 55w and I got lots of pearling from anubias and crypts. Yeah I know the light is kind of strong, will be keeping a sharp eye on algae.

So my question is: Is hairgrass really such a high light demanding plant??


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Dosing once a week? I used to dose everday of the week.


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## KeIgO86 (Jun 23, 2005)

but the product i use: lushgro aqua has quite a high copper content. It wiped out all my invertibrates so i'm cutting down on it.


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## MantisX (Sep 2, 2004)

Ive had hairgrass grow with the stock lighting on a 10 gallon. In my experience, CO2 seems to be what makes it grow well(for me). What kind of substrate are you using? Hairgrass would rather take up nutrients from the roots than the leaves.

Hope this helps

MantisX


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Hair grass does most excellent without ANY substrate fertizer and at lower light.

I know because I've grown it and it looks better(thicker, better growth rates, less variability in the rug) than the ADA substrates.............

2w gal will grow very nice hair grass(@ 20-24" depth). 2-3w will grow anything you want.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## Pieter (Jul 3, 2005)

Are you sure your hairgrass is in its submersed form.
I think that if it was grown emersed before you bought it, it might take a wile before it really gets going. The emersed leaves might die also.

Pieter


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## KeIgO86 (Jun 23, 2005)

Maybe I got the emersed form. I'm not too sure how to differentiate emersed and submersed hairgrass. It certainly looks the same as the taller ones I planted a year ago.



plantbrain said:


> 2w gal will grow very nice hair grass(@ 20-24" depth). 2-3w will grow anything you want.


So do you observe any pearling for hairgrass at 2wpg? because for now all I see is some loose tiny CO2 bubbles flying out from a reactor after CO2 reaches 30+ppm and an air pocket builds up in it.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

Yep. I see pearling, Gloss, Hair grass, E. tenellus, R macandra etc

Hair grass takes about 2-3 weeks to get going in new tanks etc.
Then it grows like a weed and is easy to care for.


Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Hairgrass will grow in even lower light than 3 wpg. It just takes a little while to get going, but that's true with many plants.


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## Norbert Sabat (Jun 26, 2004)

I think that your problem is traces and NPK. CO2 level and light are very good. My hairgrass grow without problem under 1.4WPG (but this is only 10" high tank). I use TMG and thats all


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## trckrunrmike (Jan 31, 2005)

I almost never see pearling on my hairgrass but darn it sure grows fast in the first two weeks of planting.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I have Dwarf Hairgrass in 3.25wpg, pressurized C02, no pearling and no growth in a period of 3 months. 

I grew a thick lush carpet quickly in a tank with around 6wpg and DIY C02. 

So in my case light was/is a big factor. I also use/used Eco-complete in both cases.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

If you cannot grow it in 2w or 3 w/gal, something else is the issue, substrate is not the issue, it grows very well in plain sand with RFUG's as well as onyx sand, Flourite, EC, FB, ADA etc.

Main thing is good CO2 and some nutrients. It's not a picky weed.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## TripleC (Mar 11, 2005)

I picked up hairgrass from my LFS, but I don't know if it's "dwarf hairgrass." The blades are up to 4 inches in height. Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks.


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## ringram (Jan 10, 2005)

My hairgrass grows somewhat slow, but it grows nonetheless and sends runners. I dose every day of the week. Every other day macros and the in-between days I dose micros. Water changes every 5-7 days and I always dose macros the morning after a water change. My hairgrass is getting 5.5wpg, but a little bit of shade from a piece of driftwod that's covered with microsorium (java fern) and java moss.


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## trckrunrmike (Jan 31, 2005)

TripleC said:


> I picked up hairgrass from my LFS, but I don't know if it's "dwarf hairgrass." The blades are up to 4 inches in height. Does anyone have any thoughts?
> 
> Thanks.


I beleive thats what happens when they are grown emersed. Originally mine were like that but after a while they stayed to around an inch or 2.


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## KeIgO86 (Jun 23, 2005)

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll revert to 36W lighting and wait another week or 2 and see what happens. 55W seems to be so bright that the red on some of my cardinal tetras start fading. They also seem more reluctant to come out into the open under the 55W light. I guess its stressing them out.


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## standoyo (Aug 25, 2005)

TripleC said:


> I picked up hairgrass from my LFS, but I don't know if it's "dwarf hairgrass." The blades are up to 4 inches in height. Does anyone have any thoughts?
> 
> Thanks.


ime, at ~1.75W per gallon, my d hairgrass[E. acicularis] is taller at around 4 inch as you described...


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