Getting Ground Cover Started ...
- Thread starter WaywardSon
- Start date
Plant each planet individually in a checkerboard pattern in the area you want it. Add light, CO2 and ferts.
Glosso likes nutrient rich substrate/light/co2
Supply all that at a balance and you will get nice healthy full carpet..
And i agree with rich, planting each one separately really helps with any ground cover plant
Supply all that at a balance and you will get nice healthy full carpet..
And i agree with rich, planting each one separately really helps with any ground cover plant
A fine substrate is also extremely helpful as the plants will be able to anchor themselves better. If your substrate is somewhat coarse (gravel instead of sand) you can use the mesh recommended for moss walls and riccia carpets with most covers to keep them down.
My biggest problem with glosso was that it didn't anchor too well to the gravel (eco-complete) so my beautiful thick carpet would detach from the gravel around the edges and break apart when I cleaned the glass.
I would then swear a lot while I tried to fix it until finally I pulled it out entirely and switched covers. Now I have riccia mats, pearlweed and dwarf sag making up the foreground.
My biggest problem with glosso was that it didn't anchor too well to the gravel (eco-complete) so my beautiful thick carpet would detach from the gravel around the edges and break apart when I cleaned the glass.
I would then swear a lot while I tried to fix it until finally I pulled it out entirely and switched covers. Now I have riccia mats, pearlweed and dwarf sag making up the foreground.
Patience & long tweezers.
Plant individual stems by gripping their bases (as long a section as possible w/o getting leaves) gently but firmly and poking them too deep into the substrate. As you loosen your grip w/ the tweezers, pull the stem back out to a more appropriate depth - gently. When in doubt, deeper is probably better.
As your patience wears thin, you may try it w/ a few stems at a time.
Plant individual stems by gripping their bases (as long a section as possible w/o getting leaves) gently but firmly and poking them too deep into the substrate. As you loosen your grip w/ the tweezers, pull the stem back out to a more appropriate depth - gently. When in doubt, deeper is probably better.
As your patience wears thin, you may try it w/ a few stems at a time.
Thanks for the great feedback.
Substrate, nutrients, Co2, and light are all good to go!
New to the whole "tweezers" thing. Is it better (easier) to attach ground cover to a mat first and then secure the mat to the substrate?
I'm not set on glosso - to start with (I have no ground cover now) I would like to get something going (the easier the better). After while, I can move around, etc - like I have done with practically ever other plant in the tank. Scaping is definitely an evolving process!
Substrate, nutrients, Co2, and light are all good to go!
New to the whole "tweezers" thing. Is it better (easier) to attach ground cover to a mat first and then secure the mat to the substrate?
I'm not set on glosso - to start with (I have no ground cover now) I would like to get something going (the easier the better). After while, I can move around, etc - like I have done with practically ever other plant in the tank. Scaping is definitely an evolving process!
If you have the patience, a dry start method is the best solution. Basically, just add a wet substrate to the tank and don't fill it with water. You don't even really need to plant the foreground plants, just lay the plant nodes onto the wet soil they'll eventually anchor themselves. In a month you'll have a nice lawn that is securely anchored.
You just need to keep the substrate very damp and the tank humid. For small tanks covering the top with plastic wrap works well. No need to pump CO2 since the amount in the air is sufficient. When keeping the substrate wet add some nutrients to the water, or use ADA aquasoil and not add any at all.
The dry method works well with glosso, HC, and dwarf hairgrass. Doesn't work so well with dwarf clovers because their emerse and submersed growth are very different.
You just need to keep the substrate very damp and the tank humid. For small tanks covering the top with plastic wrap works well. No need to pump CO2 since the amount in the air is sufficient. When keeping the substrate wet add some nutrients to the water, or use ADA aquasoil and not add any at all.
The dry method works well with glosso, HC, and dwarf hairgrass. Doesn't work so well with dwarf clovers because their emerse and submersed growth are very different.