Questions about aquatic grasses

[DrNic]

I would like to try added some grass to a couple of my tanks. I've never tried to grow aquatic grass and I wasn't sure if there were any tips or tricks.

All my tanks have gravel substrates, can grasses do will in this?

I normally use my python vac to clean my gravel, once the grass is in the tank should I stop cleaning the gravel (for fear of damaging the grass)?

How fast does the grass migrate? What percent of the bottom of the tank should I plant initially?

Will the grass smother out other plants in the tank?

Thanks for the help! If anyone has any grass that they would be willing to share please drop me a PM.

[AABatteries]

I have some dwarf hairgrass. I would plant at least 50% of the area you want covered. It is very slow growing (no more than a shoot or two a week).

[PUNISHER VETTE]

I had good luck with chain swords in my 29g.

It's not really a "grass" looking plant but when i had it really growing it covered the bottom of my 29g. Putting out a new one every couple of days and they're much bigger then a single blade of grass.

It's the stuff in the front

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[tybizzel]

What kinda grass do you have in the middle there. i Spent like 300 on the little 10g tank to grow so grass they had in the store. Went back the next day, and the guy i was taking to quit the day before now the wont sell me the grass. And they can tell me what the name of it is. It Kinda looks like the secound row you have there. It Really had thick blades and actually looked like grass. i should go take a pic of it.
EDIT: kinda like the stuff in the front will the cover the bottem of my tank buy it self or would i have to buy i whole bunch?

[Z Fish Man]

I have some micro sword (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) that looks alot like grass but like the other grass types it grows slowly and should be spread out when planted for faster growth. So far mine is doing ok but I didn't spread it out when I orginally planted it so it's taking awhile to spread. Most of these grass types need higher lighting as well and they usually do better in finer substrate as they need to root in.

[PUNISHER VETTE]

What kinda grass do you have in the middle there. i Spent like 300 on the little 10g tank to grow so grass they had in the store. Went back the next day, and the guy i was taking to quit the day before now the wont sell me the grass. And they can tell me what the name of it is. It Kinda looks like the secound row you have there. It Really had thick blades and actually looked like grass. i should go take a pic of it.
EDIT: kinda like the stuff in the front will the cover the bottem of my tank buy it self or would i have to buy i whole bunch?

yeah that's microsword in the middle. I never got it to grow in that tank even though the chain swords just flourished.

I had it in my 110g for a while and saw some growth but it was WAY too hard to keep it rooted and it got black brush algae and i just gave up on it. Too much of a hassle that plant was

[Lady Hobbs]

Grasses, like all aquatic plants, grow depending on the light that's available to them. Hairgrass needs high light and I don't believe it would do well in gravel.

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Check the site above, enter in the type of lights you have and see what comes up.

[doug z]

I like the E. tennelus in my tank..

You can vacuum it no problem, stays put.. Growth is fast, once it gets going..

You will have to weed it out, once in a while, as it will get pretty tangled and go everywhere, it you don't keep on top of trimming it back, once in a while..

Depending on your lighting, etc, you shouldn't need much to get a good bed started..

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]