Staurogyne repens?

[WhistlingBadger]

Thinking about trying this plant as a foreground for my Orinoco tank, since I just do not appear to have the gift of dwarf hair grass. I'm especially interested in the possibility of growing it attached to wood/rocks, like java fern. Anybody have experience with this plant? Please tell me about it.

Thanks!
Tom

[angelcraze2]

I was growing it in my 90g dirted tank, and it did well until I reduced the lighting. It did ok with 2 t5s on 24" of height. I really like this plant, but it's fairly slow growing and it succumbed to BBA in my tank. I think the plant loves a dirted tank, go for it!

I don't think it would grow on driftwood or rocks. It grows quite the root system for a small plant.

[WhistlingBadger]

Thanks, Kat. T

[Boundava]

Yup it likes light and you have to keep on top of trimming it once established, longer it gets then the lower leaves die off.

I had a nice population in my 20L-was doing very well sending out roots and runners, and my Sis did a tank rescape and pulled it all out on me. Kinda ticked me off. I recommend trimming of about 4-6 of the lowest leaves to encourage root growth if you get them. I also tried and do not recommend hair grass to anyone-fussy, fussy, fussy plant!

[angelcraze2]

I also tried and do not recommend hair grass to anyone-fussy, fussy, fussy plant!

Ahhh :( funny, it was just capturing my interest, thanks, I won't bother with it then.

[WhistlingBadger]

Yeah, I've about had it with hairgrass. I've tried it four times in three different tanks, and just cannot get the stuff to grow. I think this might be a good alternative for a low-grower among the rocks in the "creek".

[Boundava]

I would like to give it a try again- the staurogyne, not the hairgrass, lol.

Would also love to try this again too, she puled it out on me as well. Tool a little more to get established, but an alternative too:

Pogostemon helferi (google photo) Trim it like the staurogyne to keep it low.

Pogostemon helferi.jpg
download.jpg

[angelcraze2]

Oh man, helferi for me melts if I sneeze too close to the tank. I think it does very well with co2, from what I've seen in others' tanks, but with only a dirted tank, it's best to let the tank mature; too many changes in parameters at first. But then again, crypts melt when I sneeze too close as well, I just find helferi to be particularly finicky. It's so pretty though, I would be pretty upset if someone ripped them out on me. Staurogyne fits your SA biotope as well.

[Boundava]

Lol, that is hilarious. I didn't have issues in the 20L with them. Funny they didn't like the 75 with CO2

[angelcraze2]

Well then, I have no idea. One of the local aquarists here in Ottawa keeps a huge heferi section in his 75g. The tank is ridiculously regulated though, co2, pH controller, crazy filters, just everything you can think of for equipment and he DIYs most things, buys good quality materials and builds things the way he wants it. Idk, maybe it likes stable conditions better than co2. A friend of mine still has some in his dirted-only tank, just nothing compared to this other guy's 75g.

Back in the day, I wanted helferi in my 120g, even though it didn't fit the biotope, it's just so darn pretty!

I substituted helferii for stargrass instead, I just keep the stargrass short and spaced out so that I get nice big crowns. Looks a bit like helferi, soooo much easier to grow, and fits a SA themed tank.