# Low-tech lawns



## frothhelmet

Anything hi-tech can do, we can do...slower. Showcase your low-tech lawn here.

_Updated list of low-tech lawn species: Marsilea Minuta, Echinodorus Tenellus, Ranalisma Rostrata, Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis, Eleocharis sp._

This is marsilea minuta. Got 55w power compact on 80 liters with ph6.5 kh4, ADA Amazonia I and Eheim Ecco canister filter. Only took 4 years to grow this. Also, no filter changes and one water change had been done in 2 years when the photo was taken (sister's tank in US I set up - what can you do...).


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## Edvet

Lol, looks like a terrestrial fern and palm.Which plants are that? (large middle and left one)


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## Rob P

Echi Tennellus foreground, 20 litre tank, 1 x 8W T5 on for about 7 hours (6 hours for 1st 6 weeks) and a splash of EI .

Planted early February



Two months later



Wouldn't want it growing any faster, already overdue a trim lol

Of course Big Tom will be along with his awesome Lileaopsis low tech carpet that simply trumps all!


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## frothhelmet

Edvet said:


> Lol, looks like a terrestrial fern and palm.Which plants are that? (large middle and left one)



Left = hymenasplenium obscurum - been in there 3 years - I tried to dig it out over christmas but the roots were crazy everywhere and would have ruined the entire scape!

Right = anubias afzelli -been in there 4 years



Rob P said:


>


 Nice ech ten lawn!


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## Alastair

Both low techs low light minimal water changes and occasional ferts 

E. Tennelus

Untitled by Mr-T-, on Flickr

Crypt and tennelus lawn:

Untitled by Mr-T-, on Flickr

And a mini ranalisma rostrata lawn:


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## frothhelmet

like the way you have an indian almond TREE stashed in the corner of the chocolate box  Also - impressed that your ech ten goes red even without CO2 - didnt know it was possible...


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## Rob P

Rob P said:


> Of course Big Tom will be along with his awesome Lileaopsis low tech carpet that simply trumps all!



Of course how could I forget Alistairs puddle!! Especialy when that ranalisma has struggled in many a hi tech tank!!


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## BigTom

Rob P said:


> Of course Big Tom will be along with his awesome Lileaopsis low tech carpet that simply trumps all!



Well if you insist 










The _L. brasiliensis_ is getting a bit of green spot sadly, but then most of the leaves are 1-2 years old I guess.


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## ourmanflint

Hi Alistair

if you ever sell any of your Ranalisma, would love to add it to my SE ASian cubes. Need something to replace my Eleocharis, as I don't think it looks right, whereas yours looks amazing!!

my lawn?



 

Cheers
Rod


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## frothhelmet

Would be interesting if everyone updated their lawn post with water, soil, and lighting/liter parameters. Cheers.


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## ourmanflint

you're right frothy! it would be better.
mine is 30 litre, JI NO.2 an Tesco Cat litter cap, lighting is 2x5w LED lamps on 12 hour photo period, flow is at 300lph, so 10x my capacity. Water GH 60ppm, kH 90ppm pH 6.8. Rainwater top up and that's it really.


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## Tim Harrison

Alastair said:


> Both low techs low light minimal water changes and occasional ferts
> 
> E. Tennelus
> 
> Untitled by Mr-T-, on Flickr
> 
> Crypt and tennelus lawn:
> 
> Untitled by Mr-T-, on Flickr
> 
> And a mini ranalisma rostrata lawn:





BigTom said:


> Well if you insist
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The _L. brasiliensis_ is getting a bit of green spot sadly, but then most of the leaves are 1-2 years old I guess.



Now that's just showing off...both of you...





Mixture of _L. brasiliensis, L. novae-zelandiae, C. willisii,_ and_ E. parvula_


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## Tim Harrison

frothhelmet said:


> Would be interesting if everyone updated their lawn post with water, soil, and lighting/liter parameters. Cheers.


Oh right...that'd be extremely hard water, pH around 7.6, very few small random water changes, soil 1:1 mix of aquatic compost and moss peat, lighting 0.33 w/l of T8 10-12 hrs/day; nutrients "Walstad way" for most of its life then dosed with a couple of mls of TNC complete per week.


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## Deano3

Stunning low techs I am thinking of going this route , how long did that take to grow troi and also alistair and bigtom how long did carpets take low tech ?

Thanks for sharing


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## Tim Harrison

Sorry Deano didn't notice you'd posted...Not too long in my case, maybe a couple or 3 months, but then I always plant heavily from the outset, at least 50% carpet coverage.


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## Sarpijk

I see how a successful lawn can be grown in a dirted low-tech tank but can the same be said for a tank with plain old gravel? I have a tank with Seachem flourite but lawns seem to struggle.


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## Tim Harrison

I don't know I've never tried to grow a lawn the low-energy way in just gravel, but I suspect it'd be very difficult. Aside from soils obvious biological benefits (the stuff in which plants grow) it has many other synergistic benefits, some perhaps not immediately obvious.
For instance, soil may guard against the impact of resource limitation, or it may give off just enough CO2 to lower the light compensation point of some plant species etc...all these little advantages probably add up to something that is more than the sum of parts and could conceivably make the difference when trying to grow a decent lawn.
Personally, I don't see the point in even trying to grow a lawn in just gravel, and it's just one more reason why I wouldn't attempt a low-energy tank without soil...


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