question about Dwarf Hairgrass

[Hurley]

I just bought some Dwarf Hairgrass and it came in a little pot that was filled with a spongey, peat like substance which the grass was rooted in. I was wondering if i just plant the whole thing or am I supposed to remove the grass from the substance?

[phanmc]

I would remove the rockwool because it contains alot of nutrients which can get into the water leading to algae problems. About the only times you would want to leave the rockwool on are for plants that have very delicate root systems or if you are using a substrate that are not beneficial to plants, like sand.

[Leopardess]

Remove the wool (rinse in a bucket of tankwater). Use a pair of tweezers if you've got 'em (and your fingers if you don't) and plant small bunches of the grass in a grid-like manner. The smaller the bunches of grass, the faster you'll get a full lawn.

[telecubby]

The rockwool eventualy breaks down & can be indgested by fish.my dwarf hairgrass came from a lake & gets dug up by loaches, I have a 10 gallon sized lawn of it in my refugium but it only transplants in places the loaches dont dig . ANY IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO ANCHOR IT DOWN I was going to maybe crochet a chain of it with natural fiber & tuck it in lines just under the substrate that may stay long enough for the grass to carpet & yarn(thin natural cotton) to bio degrade in time. it seems to root on upper levels closer to the light & awa from bottom feeders.

[Hurley]

Thanks for the advice. Im with telecubby when I ask how do you anchor it without the rockwool. Will there be enough of a root system when I remove the rockwool? Thanks again.

[telecubby]

theres about as much root as grass with that stuff the roots are white .I planted mine awhile ago & still find a bit every morning floating ,looks great in the 10 gal refuge though. I find the roots pull out if jiggled by curious fish because the plants sometimes trap food. my dwarffrogs try to get under it. but they are too cute to remove in either case. gotta love a nice patch of aquarium lawn , its like a front yard for your fish. My dwarf hairgrass comes attatched to sandy mud so ive only tried to tuck it into the substrate in clumps (it comes as sod if you slice it out nice with your fingers) best under the edges of large decorations like rock or wood ,tuck grass under the edged so the roots are coverred but the green tops catch light

[telecubby]

the pieces that come dislodged I tuck back into the refugiums sandy bottom & it pops back to life.