Fast Growing Ground cover?

[partobe]

Hi Everyone! Im having problems with dust on my plant leaves. My cories are having a little too much fun stirring up my sand. Can you all suggest a fast growing easy ground cover? I have about 3 watts per gallon with pressurized co2.
Thanks.
patrick

 

[howze01]

Hey, How is the tank going? Seeing any results from the CO2 yet?

I have used and really liked Marselia Minuta as a really nice foreground plant. There is also Glossostigma but you are kind of on the edge with lighting requirements.

 

[partobe]

Thanks Howze no big changes yet but it has only been a week. Are my lights low for both plants you mentioned?

 

[howze01]

The Marsilea should be OK, especially with the CO2 running. I have seen it grow in shade even. I think you're right on the edge with the Glosso though. Are you counting the 2 "spotlights" in your 3 wpg?

 

[partobe]

no not counting the sl because they are pretty much aimed at plants that need high light and those plants seem to be happy now so Ill keep them there. Ill go check out marsilea

 

[smoq]

If you have that much lighting and CO2 you shouldn't have a problem growing plants. If you're not dosing ferts, marselia minuta is good choice, but I don't like the way it looks after some time growing as a carpet. Eleocharis parvula (Hairgrass) is a good choice too, had it growing even when I run the tank low tech. Right now my bottom is covered with Staurogyne repens (switched from hairgrass) and Limnophila sp Mini "Vietnam". I can hook you up with those two if you decide to go this way. They need dosing, though.
The only plant that pisses me off is HC (Hemianthus callitrichoides). It always grew a beautiful carpet for me and then started dying for no reason.

 

[partobe]

Thanks smoq I am fert 2 x a wk so marselia is out. I have two clumps of hair grass that I put in last week. I havent seen any growth but no die off either so prob working on their root system(I hope). I will check out Staurogyne

 

[partobe]

Smoq I love the Staurogyne
but in th epast cpl of months any stem plant that I have planted has died so Im a little scared of trying it

 

[jeffvmd]

If you have that much lighting and CO2 you shouldn't have a problem growing plants. If you're not dosing ferts, marselia minuta is good choice, but I don't like the way it looks after some time growing as a carpet. Eleocharis parvula (Hairgrass) is a good choice too, had it growing even when I run the tank low tech. Right now my bottom is covered with Staurogyne repens (switched from hairgrass) and Limnophila sp Mini "Vietnam". I can hook you up with those two if you decide to go this way. They need dosing, though.
The only plant that pisses me off is HC (Hemianthus callitrichoides). It always grew a beautiful carpet for me and then started dying for no reason.

Fert dosing is also not a problem with marsilea minuta. Fast growers too as I had them in my sand bottom shrimptanks before I tore them down.
I haven't had luck with HC too. It grows and carpets at first then die off on me.

Hey Marcin Maybe you can spare some of your Staurogyne. I've been eyeing those for quite a while now to try in my tank.:scratchch

 

[smoq]

What I meant is that if you fert dose and have co2 and medium-high lighting, you can grow pretty much any foreground plant (minus HC for me, while eurocalion thrived in the tank). Partobe, we can do that, I'll give you a couple of plantlets for free and you'll see how it's doing for you. Same for you Jeff.

 

[partobe]

thanks smoq
and Jeff
I just spoke with pacific and they strongly suggested a fine sand or gravel to keep the dust down. So I guess that way if I want to add gc I can

 

[Jzhou]

I agree with Howze on the dwarf clover plants, the problem i had with cories in plant tanks in the past is that they always tore up foreground plants like baby tears and pygmy swords the second you put a school of them in the tank.

 

[partobe]

Thanks Jshou
the folks at tlfs suggested gravel not ground cover but Im thinking Ill do both. Im hoping they have the clover if they do Ill add a layer of black gravel and the clover. They(tlps) keep telling me about some Fluval sand?

 

[smoq]

My opinion is if you want to grow a succesful carpet, you need a very fine gravel, otherwise plants have a hard time trying to grow between larger size pebbles and it won't look as dense and nice as you would like it to. Trust me, my first planted tank had regular, 1/4 gravel and I was changing it to sand after just few months. If you don't do DYI, I can suggest you Saechem Fluorite Black mixed with Saechem Fluorite black sand in the ratio 50:50 or even 40:60.

 

[partobe]

thanks smoq Would I just add that over what I have now? I have another thread with pix of my dusty leaves you can check out fluval plant stratum.
Im just wanting to layer something over what I have now.

 

[smoq]

Yes if you think the dust won't go you can add that on top. It's gonna mix up with your substrate eventually though, so think about if you're gonna like the look of it.

 

[partobe]

thanks smoq Ive thought about that and honestly I think I would either like a white sand or continue with black. Would a fine gravel or sand work?

 

[smoq]

What color is your substrate right now? Because Fluorite Black has an uniform black color, much better than other black substrates that end up being greyish. The best substrate I've used so far (and cheapest) is 3M Colorquartz Black (it's gravel they use to build pools) but I don't know if they are making it anymore

 

[partobe]

it looks black but if you look closely its a black and dark brown mix

 

[partobe]

ok heading over to pacific will let you know what I wind up with thanks for all the help