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hairgrass



Hey gang,

I've made some observations about hairgrass, and would
like your input as to their validity. 

Well grown hairgrass is certainly an incredible sight,
and when gently swaying in the current is very
hypnotic. I recently picked up a couple of pots of E.
acicularis and divvied it up between 2 tanks. 

The first was a hard driven 29 gal. tank with *all*
the fixin's. Hairgrass browned and died in 6 days.
Everything else is growing very well.

The other was a 10 gallon tank with nothing but DIY
CO2, aquaclear mini, and a couple of 15w Phillips cool
whites on it (4100K...They look great. Not red at
all). Substrate is very meager with an inch of 50/50
flourite and gravel capped with an inch of
sandblasting grit. Hairgrass is doing GREAT! It shares
the tank with a S. platyphylla, a couple of S.
subulata, and some Heteranthera, with 85-90% of the
substrate being covered by Riccia.

I have learned that Riccia is a nutrient sponge, so I
dose the water column *very* liberally 2-3 times a
week. About 1/2 as much as the 29 mentioned above
gets. With no real algae, I might add.

Here are my observations...Please comment:

1. hairgrasses get most of their nutrients from the
water column, and the "roots" serve mostly to hold the
thing down. Substrate content is of secondary
importance to water content.

2. *High* NO3 and PO4 are highly advantageous to good,
green, fast growth. ~20ppm and >1 ppm respectively. K+
*maybe* not as important at high levels.  

3. Master Amano often relates that Riccia and
hairgrasses are found together in nature, so it would
make sense that they would have similar requirements.
Hence the high macro nutrient requirement of Riccia
and hairgrass. Riccia seems to *relish* K+, though.

4. light is of secondary importance to water content.

Haigrass is my favorite, and has been difficult for
me. Even more so than E. stellata or Riccia. Am I on
the right track?

John Wheeler 

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