# Carpet grass that doesn't need pruning?



## rah_rabbitry (Jun 18, 2010)

Hello all!

I have a low tech tank (Eclipse tall 12 gal). It sits 10 feet across from a south facing window, so on sunny days gets amazing light. It also gets dosed weekly (or bi weekly) with Flourish. Substrate is Eco Complete.

I would like to have a petite carpet grass that doesn't need pruning to keep it moderately short. I love the look & quick spreading of Eleocharis Parvula, but I don't want to have to prune it to keep it short.

I would looove the picture below in the end. I am but a simple, low maintenance admirer of aquascaping.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Don't use CO2? Or very little of it. You won't get much growth, but that'll keep the grass short too.

Or the other option is you use high light and CO2 to get the grass to throw out runners then cut down on the light and some of the CO2 to slow down growth and maintenance.


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## rah_rabbitry (Jun 18, 2010)

I have no CO2, just crazy south facing light that made me get craaazy green algae on my glass this summer (thankfully, only on the glass).

You think with just normal 10 hour light cycles it would stay short?


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

It won't stay short. If it lives, it'll grow. That's the reason I'm ripping out all my HC. Too much work. No matter what you use it will have to be trimmed.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

I'm sorta with 2wheels but without co2 you aren't going to get a carpet. I had a bunch in a low tech tank I saw probably 20 new blades in a year.


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## rah_rabbitry (Jun 18, 2010)

Hmmm, suggestions then? I am going for a miniature meadow landscape-like look, so dainty looking plants. Is there a kind of moss, besides java moss (that is for the tree) that would work with my specs


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

You could try Fissidens fontanus. It would grow slow, but you would still have to trim it once in a while.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

I think a marsilea spp would work, but that will take time as well.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Really, the problem is that anything that grows slow won't carpet for a long LONG time, if ever, and anything that carpets will need to be trimmed so the two conditions are mutually exclusive.


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## rah_rabbitry (Jun 18, 2010)

Hmmm.... very good point. Thanks all!


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