# need a dense fast growing carpeting plant.



## carisma02uk (Mar 11, 2005)

give us a hand peps i need to get my hands on a fast and dense lawn (carpeting) plant any ideas....
glosso ricca at the moment i have what i think is Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
any ideas....


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## chiahead (Dec 18, 2004)

mini riccia is great or even smaller HC


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## aquatic-store.com (Jun 23, 2004)

Micro e tennelles is a pretty fast one as well


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

If you want a fast growing foreground plant you should try Elatine triandra. In two weeks I can get it to cover a 12"x24" section of my foreground. It is a big nitrate hog so if you keep your NO3 low it may not grow as fast. I could be persuaded to make a trade  PM me if you're interested.


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## Praxx42 (Mar 4, 2005)

MatPat said:


> If you want a fast growing foreground plant you should try Elatine triandra. In two weeks I can get it to cover a 12"x24" section of my foreground.


How big of a patch of elatine are you starting out with? And what WPG, if you don't mind me asking...


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

I started with about a 2"x2" patch. I divided it into small pieces (maybe 24 individual branches) and planted it. After the first week I divided the plants into individual branches and replanted them again. This seems to get it growing quickly. 

The tank is a 75g with a total of 206 watts, so just a bit shy of 3wpg. There is a 110w CF strip in the back and a 96w Triple Tube Strip light over the Elatine. The front light is on 10hrs a day and the majority of the Elatine gets shaded by Java Ferns when the front strip is not on. I keep my NO3 between 14 and 18ppm, the PO4 around 2ppm and the CO2 between 34 and 54ppm depending on the time of day. 

I have been growing this in a 10g for about 3 weeks with 1.5wpg, no CO2 and very minimal fertilization. The leaves are a bit smaller than in the 75g but are still doing well. I don't think 3 weeks is quite long enough to say whether or not it will grow in these conditions so I will be keeping an eye on it for a while.


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## Praxx42 (Mar 4, 2005)

Excellent, more info than I expected. Gracias! I'm venturing into elatine myself in the next couple of weeks and wankted to know how it would fare in a couple of my tanks.


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## chiahead (Dec 18, 2004)

my ealtine is growing quite quickly as well and hugging the ground nicely. When I did glosso some tried to grow up and some didnt. The elatine triandra is better looking in my opinion also.


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## Phillyman (Dec 2, 2004)

I had both Glosso and Elatine in my tank until I decidedto remove the glosso. Both plants grow well. I think the Glosso is a little too obtrusive with the runners it sends out. Elatine is a little more graceful in the growth pattern and I think a better looking plant.


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## chiahead (Dec 18, 2004)

the elatine grows so much tighter together as well, a great looking plant


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