# Which plants are "ground cover" ?



## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

OK so this is the plant section and I would like to know if there is any such thing as a list of those which are called "ground cover plants".
I would also like it if anyone who has one or more of what they believe to be that kind, could you tell me the name of it and perhaps what amount 
of light you needed to have for it to grow in your tank ?

One other thing...I had Java moss. As long as I had ferts and med light it grew normal. Then I started dosing Co2(Excel) and it became stringy...
very thin compared to how it looked before I added the Co2. Except for a couple of sprigs of it, most is now gone but I bought "Christmas" moss
to replace it hoping to get one less aggressive but that is now growing thin and eradic...nothing like pictures I've seen of it in advertisements.
I now have high lights(2x18"[email protected] each=3.6WPG) ferts, Co2. BTW there is a sprig of the Christmas moss in a corner which gets less light but
that is doing nothing except existing...not dying but if growing it's so little you can't tell.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Here's alink to excell and some mosses.Bradbury is on our site also so maybe you could PM him for more info?
Excel KILLS plants?!


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Excel also works like an algaecide and mosses are some of the lower class plants just above algae and will work against it. Depending on the size of the tank and at those high lights you would benefit more with pressurized co2 or if the tank is small enough you might get away with diy.


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## manninge20 (Jun 17, 2012)

If you have a good substrate you could try some dwarf hairgrass or glosso but I wouldn't recommend it for an inexperienced hobbyist. If you choose hairgrass cut it up onto small squares and plant them like that. I hope that the tank turns out well and good luck


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## tbub1221 (Nov 1, 2012)

susankat said:


> Excel also works like an algaecide and mosses are some of the lower class plants just above algae and will work against it. Depending on the size of the tank and at those high lights you would benefit more with pressurized co2 or if the tank is small enough you might get away with diy.


+1 to all this.
Also if this is the same tank you and I have discussed make you a DIY co2 and look to ebay for a glass diffuser 4$ w/ free shipping , it really makes a difference. Everything else you need you probably have and done even realize it .

I have so much javamoss now its ridiculous , I'm throwing it away .
The ground cover plants I grow are 2 types of hydrocotyle . The sp japan don't get much larger than an 1/8" but its hard for me to keep it in the sand bed , my fish dig.
The other is called pennywort , it gets a little larger than a nickel or quarter and stands 1.5-2.5" tall.
I have a local pond where it grows , I could send some if u want, but chances are you could find it yourself easily.
It's a cool planet , hardy and grows kinda slow but fast enough to see regular growth.
But this same plant can grow out of the water as well if its moist enough , and is considered invasive.
If you do decide you would like some let me know and ill get it and clean it up and quarantine it a bit before sending it.


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## slonghi (Jun 28, 2013)

manninge20 said:


> If you have a good substrate you could try some dwarf hairgrass or glosso but I wouldn't recommend it for an inexperienced hobbyist. If you choose hairgrass cut it up onto small squares and plant them like that. I hope that the tank turns out well and good luck


Why don't you suggest dwarf hair grass?


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## manninge20 (Jun 17, 2012)

In saying hairgrass I mean either dwarf or normal sized hairgrass. Dwarf hairgrass is obviously smaller and more compact than regular hairgrass, but also can clog up with debris more easily. Either type would be fine just add some catfish (cordayas varieties are best) and the hairgrass will be free of debris that would otherwise clog its leaves. Hairgrass is a relatively undemanding plant if it has a good substrate, and the lighting that you have should be plenty. Sorry for not being too clear about that. Have a great day!


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

All of you have been very helpful. As I learn more and more about this and related issues, it looks more complex than it first appeared.
You'll likely laugh at this one as I know it to be a perception issue. In the 70's when you just bought a plastic "box" filter and put in real fiberglass floss
over "activated charcole" filter...I had a 30L tank/w a shop light over it that had 2 "cool white" bulbs in it. Al; was fine. It also had an underground
filter which I built myself. Everything worked perfect. I just had a few fish and hardly ever changed water. Only on rare occasions did any fish die.
The whole set up cost under $100.
Now I have 2 ten gallon tanks/w high tech lights, bio-filters, high tech substrate and perfectly balanced water using a regulated percent of R/O at
changes to keep a good Ph and what seems perfect water test...and I'm just not happy with the results so far. Cost being the major issue here
because I have decisions to make about this high tech thing. Do I keep going(the last step would be out of my price range....injected Co2) and
BTW does DIY Co2 have this toxic to algae issue/w it ?
I strive for what I consider to be a natural look. That includes algae, deliberate, controlled and nurtured. That experiment is still in progress.


Think I followed the directions right but this is at first in 12 of 2011 and then in this month.
This is a low tech tank, but with 2x 18" T8 bulbs...
Perhaps I just haven't given it the time to work but in 6 months you can hardly tell the difference in my high tech tank.


Don't know if I'm making it clear but the high tech seems counterproductive to my direction. But I will keep things as is(ferts/lights/Excel) for
a few months more to see results.


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