FraserNZ Posted April 16, 2011 Report Share Posted April 16, 2011 I have seen a lot of people carpeting stargrass which looks to be running across the substrate. What method would I need to use to train the plant into doing this? Currently I have two large star grass plants in my aquarium, however, they only seem to grow up and hardly across at all. My tank: 300L 120X50X50 Daltons aquamix under around 4cm of fine gravel 4 x T5 lighting with two of them being 10,000k and the other two 6,500k Lifeglo's (Plus another 4 10,000K T5 which are not being run however are contained in the same lighthood on a separate switch) DIY CO2 (only one bottle so is probably not cutting the mustered) I'm in the process of setting up the tank with a full pressurized CO2 system however that is probably still a month away. So anyone any advice on how to carpet this stuff would be very much appreciated. I'm a complete newbee when it comes to training plants, so if any one could point me in the direction of some good reading material that would be great too. Thanks, Fraser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 I have read about this, and the stargrass doesn't actually form a carpet, it is just the heads snipped off constantly and replanted. Personally I don't think it is worth it when we have a lovely little carpeting swordplant (Ehcinodorus tenellus latifolius I think) that looks just the same as a 'stargrass carpet' and no trimming is needed HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 A lot of plants will form a carpet (Rotala rotundifolia, H. polysperma etc). One way to do it is to get the plants established individually then bend them over and bury the top so the whole plant is accross the media and it will then send up a lot of vertical branches and reroot into the media. You still have to trim and replant as they grow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keane910 Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 I have read about this, and the stargrass doesn't actually form a carpet, it is just the heads snipped off constantly and replanted. Personally I don't think it is worth it when we have a lovely little carpeting swordplant (Ehcinodorus tenellus latifolius I think) that looks just the same as a 'stargrass carpet' and no trimming is needed HTH once i had a 180L tank, sizes as 90x45x45cm with about 110w of T8 lighting, combination of 840&865 tubes, average co2 injection, 2cm thick of peat moss laid underneath the gravel, the stargrass was naturally climbing in the bottom without any burying or trimming. every plant was so healthy and green not sure it was just a coincidence or what, it did sort of carpet the tank. only problem with the whole thing was really browny water :facepalm: photo attached Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted September 13, 2011 Report Share Posted September 13, 2011 I once created a carpet of stargrass accidentally. Using high lighting and keeping the tank full of hungry Rainbow fish. The rainbows used to eat the stargrass and keep it low. It used to then grow horizontally. I did this by accident really, but it looked really cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 Check out the main display tank in north shore animates A-town got that to carpet pretty well, and a year on still looks good - and that tank is such a pain to work on it wont get trimming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted September 14, 2011 Report Share Posted September 14, 2011 Wow very interesting keane910 and supasi, I never thought a true stargrass carpet was possible. I might have to give it a go one day :thup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FraserNZ Posted September 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2011 Some of the tanks at HHF in Albany have Stargrass carpeting... The leaves are also very small on their plants, so I'm guessing the lighting must have a lot to do with it. They run T8's I'm pretty sure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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