# Dwarf Hairgrass or Java Moss? (Low-tech 10g tank)



## orion2001

Hey everyone,

I've been going through a lot of posts on this forum in the last couple of weeks. I finally got around to registering and here I am with my first post! 

So currently I have a 10g betta sorority tank (not planted). Right now my girls are recovering from a serious bacterial infection. I want to start a low-tech planted tank although I do plan to fertilize with Excel and Flourish. My substrate consists of around 4 inches of Seachem Fluorite and an inch of regular gravel. My current lighting is 2, 11 Watt Compact fluorescent bulbs. According to the watts per gallon rule this is in the low region (2.2 WPG). I don't know how many lumens these bulbs are rated for, but they are definitely a lot brighter than the old incandescent 25watt bulbs that game with the tank. So I'm not sure if the Watt/gallon rule was made with incandescent bulbs in mind or Fluorescent lamps?

In anycase, thats the background info. I want to create a really nice low-light planted tank, something along the lines of this tank ( http://www.jassarbrush.com/big-aquarium.htm ) which I am using for inspiration. I really love the idea of having a carpet plant, and in the tank above, the person has used Java Moss and I quite like the result. However I have read posts with people saying that the Java moss took over their tanks, etc., and so they removed it completely and used other plants. I was wondering if anyone having experience with Java Moss could tell me how difficult it is to manage Java Moss...and more importantly to be able to keep it such that it looks more like a carpet as in the pic below while giving all the other plants a chance to grow too. Also I'd be grateful if you could tell me what the best way to planting Java Moss would be (to get a carpet effect)










I was also wondering if anyone who has grown Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis) can tell me how hard/easy it has been to grow them and make a nice carpet out of it. I really like how it looks but since I'm a noob at this stuff (Although I have read tonnes) I don't know if I should even bother trying , or just stick to Java Moss. I'd really appreciate any pointers/advice you guys might have for me. Thanks!


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## Bert H

Welcome to apc! A couple of points from your post - you mention you have 4 inches of Fluorite plus one inch of gravel. That's 5 inches of substrate in a 10 gallon tank?? I would suggest you drop that some, you don't need that much, plus in time, I can see some anaerobic pockets developing in the gravel which you do not want.

Regarding your lighting, 22W is not a lot of light, and you will certainly be in the low light range, so keep that in mind when choosing your plants. The pic you show is a beautiful tank, but I am not sure I would go with a foreground carpet of moss. IMO, it will be difficult to maintain. Java moss will spread to other places if some pieces break off and attach elsewhere. I believe dwarf hairgrass will grow, albeit, slowly in the setup you're describing. Keep in mind when setting up a new tank, you really want to load it with lots of plants, of the fast growing variety. So you might want to get the tank established first, then plant it however you desire.

Using Excel as a carbon source in this type tank is an excellent idea. But keep in mind you will need to dose a little bit of macro nutrients (N, P, K) as well as the micros (your Flourish). 

HTH.


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## orion2001

Hey Bert,

Thanks a lot for your informative reply. I think I'll steer clear of Java Moss for now. I do agree on the substrate being too much...it was a little silly of me and it looks a little stupid too . I'll change that around before I setup the tank.

Since you suggested that I should think of using fast growing plants (and I understand the reasoning there) could you suggest some fast growing, low-light plants? 

Also regarding the anaerobic pockets, could you point me towards where I might find more info regarding that? What effect does it have on the tank? It also reminded me that I am using Seachem's Matrix biomedia for my filter and it has been keeping my nitrates down too (due to anaerobic processes which convert my nitrates to free Nitrogen). Would this nitrate conversion be bad for a planted tank and would I need to change my filter media to something that didn't do this nitrate conversion?

Btw, I'm definitely going to be fertilizing with Excel and Flourish, and I'll also get the NPK components (similar Seachem products) once I'm ready to set the tank up.


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## Bert H

> Since you suggested that I should think of using fast growing plants (and I understand the reasoning there) could you suggest some fast growing, low-light plants?


I would direct you to the plantfinder here. From the top of my head: C. demersum (hornwort); Rotala rotundafolia; Bacopa australis; Hygrophila difformis.



> Also regarding the anaerobic pockets, could you point me towards where I might find more info regarding that? What effect does it have on the tank?


Again, I would do a search here and see what there is. Basically what can happen is you can produce a pocket of hydrogen sulfide gas (rotten egg smell) and you don't really want this getting out into your tank.

I am not familiar with the Seachem biomedia you're talking about. Free nitrogen (N2) is a gas, so I don't understand how this Seachem product would be doing this. What you don't want are ammonia (NH3) and nitrites (NO2) which are toxic.


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## cs_gardener

I agree with what Bert has said, the substrate is too thick, 2.5 to 3" would be plenty thick. And yes, moss can get into everything. Miss one little piece and you find a 6+ inch long mess tangling up other plants in short order. It always seems to grow faster when you don't want it anymore. 

Another good fast grower for low light is Rotala sp 'green' and I've had good luck with Hemianthus micrathemoides in lower light keeping it as a bush. Once your tank is established you might want to consider Anubias nana 'petite' as a foreground. My betta girls love to search through the leaves for missed food and it stays small enough to serve as a foreground plant. If you were to put it in right at first it would attract algae like you would not believe since it's a slower growing plant. Crypts and ferns will also be good once your tank has settled in. 

Don't forget the floaters as bettas like to hang out under them. I like Amazon frogbit and red-root floater. You can corral them in one part of the tank with airline tubing so they don't block the light.


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## orion2001

Thanks a lot for the replies guys. That was very helpful. I'm going to go research and read some more. It sucks that the only place I can get plants from is the local petsmart and they don't have a great selection. Ordering fast growing plants online in one batch, and then another batch of low-light plants for once my tank is established will probably end up costing me quite a bit


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## NatalieT

orion2001 said:


> It sucks that the only place I can get plants from is the local petsmart and they don't have a great selection. Ordering fast growing plants online in one batch, and then another batch of low-light plants for once my tank is established will probably end up costing me quite a bit


Why not buy all the plants at once? It would certainly save on shipping. Put them all in the tank, and as the slow-growing plants get established, gradually remove the faster-growing ones. You can start with small portions of each plant you ultimately want, if you're willing to be patient while they grow bigger, and let the fast growing ones soak up the nutrients in the meantime.

Also, try looking in the "for sale or trade" forum: you can often get a pretty good deal, especially on the fast growing plants--they grow so quickly, people often have extras.

Natalie


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## orion2001

NatalieT said:


> Why not buy all the plants at once? It would certainly save on shipping. Put them all in the tank, and as the slow-growing plants get established, gradually remove the faster-growing ones. You can start with small portions of each plant you ultimately want, if you're willing to be patient while they grow bigger, and let the fast growing ones soak up the nutrients in the meantime.
> 
> Also, try looking in the "for sale or trade" forum: you can often get a pretty good deal, especially on the fast growing plants--they grow so quickly, people often have extras.
> 
> Natalie


Ooh, thanks for that bit of advice . I like that plan. I'll probably get a mix of fast and slow growing plants and then gradually take the fast growing ones out once the plants establish themselves. I'll definitely check out the for sale/trade forum when I start buying plants.


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