# carpetting / foreground cover



## Joecoral (21 Feb 2008)

what is a good carpetting / low growing plant to cover forground for a 180L 2WPG, tetraplant complete substrate, no CO2 but will start to dose excel/easy carbo or the like very soon?

JC


----------



## Ed Seeley (21 Feb 2008)

Under the lighting you've got with good reflectors you can grow hairgrass and glosso (as I am!), but I would try them without CO2.  I have E.tennellus growing brilliantly and have grown that, and Marsilea crenata, in lower tech tanks in the past with decent success, but I'd really try and get CO2 in.  DIY with yeast and ladders are better than nothing IME.  I had a yeast unit and dosed Easy Carbo as well on my nano with pretty good results in the end, but for a 180 you'd be best with 2 or 3 bottles and change them on different days to keep a more stable CO2 level.


----------



## Dan Crawford (21 Feb 2008)

glosso all the way mate although I'd suggest investing in Co2 if your thinking of carpeting plants. You might be alright without but you would defo get better results with Co2 injection.
cheers Dan
sorry posted at the same time.


----------



## ceg4048 (21 Feb 2008)

Gosh, carpet plants in a non-injected tank? I hate to sound like a pessimist but that's like entering the gladiatorial coliseum armed only with your loincloth.   It could get ugly as these plants are difficult even under the best of conditions. Excel/Easycarbo will help definitely. 

E. tennelus might be the way to go. My list of which plants _not_ use is as long as my arm, but hey, I'd love to see you prove us wrong. 

Here is a really cool cover plant that loves Excel so you might have some luck with it. Pogostemon helferi.




Cheers,


----------



## Themuleous (21 Feb 2008)

Yeh low light carpets tend to be tricky and its the high light that keeps the plants growing low.  Glosso tends to grow upwards under low light.  The P.helferi might be worth a try though.

Sam


----------



## TDI-line (22 Feb 2008)

Does anyone know where to buy  P.helferi from, other than Tropica, as it is one of there more expensive plants.


----------



## Themuleous (22 Feb 2008)

Aquaticmagic on ebay sell it but its around the same price as tropica.


----------



## ceg4048 (22 Feb 2008)

Yes, but this plant doesn't really travel that well from what I've seen so if it has to come from Asia I would be a bit nervous (It could have been just bad luck in my case though.) In my opinion, best to get it from a closer supplier such your nearest Tropica stockist, prices being equal.

Cheers,


----------



## Joecoral (22 Feb 2008)

thanks for the advice everyone, i will see whats available 
JC


----------



## nickyc (23 Feb 2008)

I've got a couple waiting for me to collect at Birstall       It's not cheap but it's also not particularly easy to find in this country.  I'd agree with ceg - it doesn't travel well.  I've ordered it from abroad before and it was DOA


----------

