# What is happening to my Eleocharis sp mini



## Kam Sandhu (16 Sep 2014)

Hi

Could someone please help.

Everyday when I come home from work I find this floating in my tank and stuck to my filter.




 

Its from my Eleocharis sp mini, what is going on?

Is it lack of CO2?


----------



## GHNelson (16 Sep 2014)

Yes and lack of fertilizers and patience...you need to give the forum more information bud!
Regarding...your set-up!
Cheers
hoggie


----------



## Kam Sandhu (16 Sep 2014)

hogan53 said:


> Yes and lack of fertilizers and patience...you need to give the forum more information bud!
> Regarding...your set-up!
> Cheers
> hoggie



Cool. 

Rio 180.
Eco complete substrate. 
1000lph filter pump
2 x 45w T5 bulbs 
Dosing 1/4 excel 
And 1/4 aquarium plant food UK ferts. 
6 hours of light

No direct co2 injection. 

What would be a good course of action? Increase dosage of ferts and excel? Add co2 injection? Or just sit and be patient?


----------



## GHNelson (16 Sep 2014)

Hi
I've always found that mini grass takes ages to get going....maybe its just me!
I would up the ferts and try and add some Co2 injection!
I'm not so sure on liquid carbon being added maybe it is having a detrimental effect on the mini hair grass.
Regular water changes will help...as grass tends to pick-up a lot of muck/detritus.
hoggie


----------



## Kam Sandhu (16 Sep 2014)

hogan53 said:


> Hi
> I've always found that mini grass takes ages to get going....maybe its just me!
> I would up the ferts and try and add some Co2 injection!
> I'm not so sure on liquid carbon being added maybe it is having a detrimental effect on the mini hair grass.
> ...



I know eleocharis sp mini is medium difficulty and I may need co2 injection. 

I wasn't planning on co2,but if that is a sign that the plant isn't doing to good I will buy a co2 kit tomorrow. 

I read that it is a slow growing plant bit didn't expect to see leaves floating in the tank.


----------



## GHNelson (16 Sep 2014)

To be honest those roots don't look that great!
Maybe another member who grows grass regularly can comment!
Cheers
hoggie


----------



## Kam Sandhu (16 Sep 2014)

hogan53 said:


> To be honest those roots don't look that great!
> Maybe another member who grows grass regularly can comment!
> Cheers
> hoggie



Not great, for now I'll dose ferts and excel at 1/2 doses till I get a co2 kit.


----------



## Kam Sandhu (16 Sep 2014)

If anyone else has any advice it would be greatly appreciated before I spend money I don't need to.


----------



## tim (16 Sep 2014)

I had eleo. Mini low tech, http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/buceps-bluff-thread-finished.30855/ painfully slow to put its roots down ime but once it gets going its a great plant, doesn't need to intense lighting low tech as hoggie stated can be a real algae magnet.


----------



## Tim Harrison (16 Sep 2014)

It grows relatively quickly in my injected tanks. I don't think I'd fancy my chances with it the low-energy way tho' and what Tim managed to achieve is pretty astounding.
IME it likes much more light than it's often fashionable to admit and therefore CO2 and fertz to match.
About 6 weeks growth-
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3674/9839231296_beb80f4051_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7460/10575948724_b70ab7536d_b.jpg


----------



## tam (16 Sep 2014)

Do you have anything fish/shrimp wise that could be disturbing/digging it up before it's got a chance to establish its roots?


----------



## Kam Sandhu (17 Sep 2014)

Wow, some cool looking tanks.

I dont have any shrimp (yet). I have seen the fish digging their noses (mouths?) in them.

It's just annoying.

I suppose the main concern is, that if the plants are dying because of the lack of co2/ ferts or something else, I want to correct it asap before I lose a lot more.

I dont have an issue with spending money for a co2 kit to correct the problem.


----------



## nebula (17 Sep 2014)

How old is your setup? E.mini is really slow if not in high tech environment. Needs plenty of light and without co2 it is very hard to grow. Therefore it can be that it simply had no time yet to build roots long enough to keep it in the soil, especially if - like you wrote - fishes are messing with it. I've seen bits and pieces floating around for weeks after I planted it in my low texh tank. And as it is so slow, in the end i've decided to get rid of it.


----------



## Kam Sandhu (17 Sep 2014)

nebula said:


> How old is your setup? E.mini is really slow if not in high tech environment. Needs plenty of light and without co2 it is very hard to grow. Therefore it can be that it simply had no time yet to build roots long enough to keep it in the soil, especially if - like you wrote - fishes are messing with it. I've seen bits and pieces floating around for weeks after I planted it in my low texh tank. And as it is so slow, in the end i've decided to get rid of it.



My setup is very new, it was just a concern really, last thing I want is a plant dying on me.

I happy to add co2 to the setup, I've done days of reading and I'm happy with daily ferts, 50% water changes and maintenance of the tank.


----------



## nebula (17 Sep 2014)

Then just give it time, and if you have the patience, just put the floating pieces back into the soil.


----------



## Ady34 (17 Sep 2014)

is eco complete very light?
id try planting at an angle as this offers more resistance to uprooting and gives the roots time to establish


----------



## Kam Sandhu (17 Sep 2014)

Ady34 said:


> is eco complete very light?
> id try planting at an angle as this offers more resistance to uprooting and gives the roots time to establish



From what I can see, it has small grains towards the bottom and bigger towards the top.

I used the Tropica 1-2 grow pots, so the plant was small to start with. I think they are planted about an inch in. Any more and I wouldnt be able to see it.


----------



## NattyAntlers (17 Sep 2014)

Ady34 said:


> is eco complete very light?



I use it and unless you have a good couple of cm of root or stem to push in it can be a bit of a challenge to get the plant to stay in at first, pogostemon helferi and staurogyne repens in my case.


----------



## kirk (17 Sep 2014)

Hi all, Ive always struggled with hair grass.  I've recently put a load into the tank after growing it outside in a tray for a few mths. It was doing well until then  our co2 has been all over the place and now it's ran out and the tank is in darkness. Will be interesting to see if it survives at all as it's going to have at least two  weeks in darkness without Co2 injection


----------



## Mick.Dk (17 Sep 2014)

There is a reason, the Eleocharis sp. 'mini' is in the yellow/medium category of Tropica range plants.
If this plant was easily capable of growing without added CO2 and in very low light.........it would be in the green/easy category.
- and yes, the Eleocharis sp. 'mini' is often a slow starter. This means it is difficult for the tiny plants to get hold in a substrate, that doesn't really hold on to them ( a "light-weight" type of substrate). If tben flow in the tank is quite strong........you're not giving the tiny plants much chance to settle !!!


----------

