Eleocharis vivipara:
*In the pictured scape, Eleocharis vivipara is used to fill out the background as well as provide some airier accents in the right foreground.
Eleocharis vivipara:
Light requirements: Medium/High
Substrate: Rich
Ease of growth: Easy/Moderate
Placement in aquarium: Mid/Background
Eleocharis vivipara is a beautiful and relatively easy to grow plant with a variety of different applications in the planted aquascape. In size and appearance, it sits comfortably in the space between giant hairgrass (Eleocharis montevidensis), and dwarf hairgrass (Eleocharis parvula). It is similar in appearance to acicularis and minima, but differs from them in its tendency to throw plantlets from the blade tips in addition to propagating by runner. Like its other commonly grown relatives, it appreciates a nutritious substrate and moderate to bright light. In my experience, CO2 injection has not been necessary for healthy growth, and the plant has been so far very unfussy.
This is a plant that is perfectly suited to both mid and background use. With judicious trimming, there is no reason it couldn’t also be used as a foreground, but other species in the genus are far more suited to this use. Because of the thin blades and somewhat wild look provided by the plantlets, it is an excellent choice for the background of even the smallest iwagumi layouts. The light green color and pleasant motion of the blades in a current make this plant a welcome addition to any scape in need of some grassy accents. The only main drawback that one should be aware of, is that its fine and dense growth habit can easily become a detritus/algae trap. Good flow, a regular water change schedule, and a low bio-load will go a long way towards avoiding these problems.
Additional photos can be found here:
http://www.emugii.com/plant1layout/files/attach/images/310055/009/320/17.jpg
http://www.aquascapingworld.com/images/eleocharis vivipara.jpg
*In the pictured scape, Eleocharis vivipara is used to fill out the background as well as provide some airier accents in the right foreground.
Eleocharis vivipara:
Light requirements: Medium/High
Substrate: Rich
Ease of growth: Easy/Moderate
Placement in aquarium: Mid/Background
Eleocharis vivipara is a beautiful and relatively easy to grow plant with a variety of different applications in the planted aquascape. In size and appearance, it sits comfortably in the space between giant hairgrass (Eleocharis montevidensis), and dwarf hairgrass (Eleocharis parvula). It is similar in appearance to acicularis and minima, but differs from them in its tendency to throw plantlets from the blade tips in addition to propagating by runner. Like its other commonly grown relatives, it appreciates a nutritious substrate and moderate to bright light. In my experience, CO2 injection has not been necessary for healthy growth, and the plant has been so far very unfussy.
This is a plant that is perfectly suited to both mid and background use. With judicious trimming, there is no reason it couldn’t also be used as a foreground, but other species in the genus are far more suited to this use. Because of the thin blades and somewhat wild look provided by the plantlets, it is an excellent choice for the background of even the smallest iwagumi layouts. The light green color and pleasant motion of the blades in a current make this plant a welcome addition to any scape in need of some grassy accents. The only main drawback that one should be aware of, is that its fine and dense growth habit can easily become a detritus/algae trap. Good flow, a regular water change schedule, and a low bio-load will go a long way towards avoiding these problems.
Additional photos can be found here:
http://www.emugii.com/plant1layout/files/attach/images/310055/009/320/17.jpg
http://www.aquascapingworld.com/images/eleocharis vivipara.jpg
Last edited by a moderator:
