"NetMax" wrote in message
...
"Bill Stock" wrote in message
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What's a good ground cover for a tank with moderate hardness, good light
and CO2?

A Tropica search turned up this one Lilaeopsis mauritiana , any better
choices? Also, what about gravel vacuuming when you have a ground cover?
I gather skimming the surface to remove any loose debris is safe? I
imagine the fertilizer requirements really jump with a ground cover? I
have a bit of shade from the Ludwigia, will this be a problem for the
Lilaeopsis?

Thanks.


A co-worker planted Hygrophila polysperma "Rosanervig" Sunset Hygrophilia
along the entire bottom of a 60G Neon tetra species tank (several hundred
Neons, 80W lights, no CO2). He planted them deeply and sideways with the
intention of making a Sunset ground cover. After about 6 months, most of
the bottom was covered in Sunset Hygro to a height of about 2 inches. The
only maintenance was to re-plant any shoots which grew towards the water's
surface (or cut them after the bottom was covered). This made a very
interesting layering of the tank, with the Neons above, and we later added
a few Otos and a shrimp colony which lived underneath the Hygro's canopy.
Note that Sunset Hygro is not a ground cover plant, but many plants can be
'trained' and pruned into a ground cover configuration, with very
interesting and unusual results.
--
www.NetMax.tk


Thanks, I went looking for ground cover today, but got the "those are coming
in next week" refrain.

I ended up with Hydrocoytle Verticillata and Hydrocoytle Sibthorpioides,
neither of which seems like what I want after a little research. Oh well, I
did get a couple of decent swords for the 10 gallon and a boat load of Otos
to replenish the herd.