Fish uprooting plants

[ddavis1979]

I am trying to find a good ground cover type of plant and so far I have tried dwarf hairgrass and microsword. I have tried both plants rooted in gravel and in sand.

In both instances I feel like there was a daily routine of having plant particles float around the tank and weekly replanting due to the plants being uprooted.

So far the biggest culprit seems to be the rainbow shark, but I have also found that corydoras and algae eaters participate in the plant rearranging.

I also find that when the plant tries to spread, it seems to send runners ontop of the gravel creating long strands floating around opposed to running roots under the substrate and sending foliage up.

anyone have any tips or tricks for me?

[Lady Hobbs]

It's a losing battle trying to have a ground cover and bottom feeders in the same tank.

[KingFisher]

Try some dwarf sag. Once it is established it is very hard to uproot. What substrate do you have? Dwarf hairgrass is difficult to keep rooted in gravel even without fish that uproot it.

[Aeonflame]

For easily uprooted plants, a more compact substrate works well. Agree with kingfisher on the dwarf sag. It grows a more fibrous root system.

[ddavis1979]

One tank has pool filter sand, and the other tank has the regular gravel substrate.

What is sag?

[Cliff]

I do beleive they are talking about Dwarf Sagittaria

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/my...taria_subulata

If you google "dwarf sag" you can get a lot info as well

[ddavis1979]

It looks like it could be a fun plant to have, I will keep a sharp eye out for it at all the LFS, but I have no recollection of seeing it for sale anywhere as of yet.

[Greentoads41]

Dwarf sag is also on aquabid.com all the time at reallllllllllly low prices, like $10 for 50 plants, and I have yet to see it at my lfs. Shipping is usually $8 too.

[ddavis1979]

Thanks! I do love browsing aquabid at a minimum.