Creating a carpeted tank is one of the most common goals, and for good reason—it’s a beautiful style to achieve in an aquarium. The pearling effect and vivid green perfectly accents many styles of Aquascaping used today.
However, it can be tricky to do, especially if you aren’t experienced with optimizing plant conditions like CO2, light, and fertilizers. Give yourself some patience, the right knowledge, and some time, and you’ll have that beautiful green carpet.
There are a few great resources like this one online.
First, let’s take a look at the types of plants that are best suited for what we’re trying to do:
Table of Contents
Choose Your Plant
Certain types of plants will naturally tend to create the ‘carpet’ effect. These plants require certain types of lighting conditions, and you’ll need to make sure they’re met properly in order to encourage proper growth.
Here are a few of the most common species:
Cuba (Hemianthus callitrichoides)
Cuba is one of the smallest aquarium plants in the world. Its grows over the bottom of the tank with tiny round leaves, and—like most carpeting plants—it spreads rapidly when separated and planted in clumps with a grid-like pattern.
- Light: Medium-High
- Growth Rate: Medium
- Difficulty: Challenging
- Temperature: 64-82 Degrees Fahrenheit (18-28 degrees Celsius)
- LIVE AQUARIUM PLANT : Dwarf Baby tears, the preferred carpet plant sometimes called HC, Cuba. The beautiful...
- IMPROVE WATER CLARITY : Under proper conditions, HC will provide Oxygen bubble which is called perling also,...
Glosso (Glossostigma elatinoides)
Glosso is another small plant that’s perfect for carpeting. It is a difficult plant; you’ll need a significant amount of light to keep it from simply growing upward. It also prefers softer water, and CO2 helps it grow at an optimal rate.
- Light: Medium-High
- Growth Rate: Fast
- Difficulty: Challenging
- Temperature: 59-78 Degrees Farenheight (15-26 degrees Celsius)
Our recommendation:
- LIVE AQUARIUM PLANT IN VITRO : Glossostigma Elatinoides "Glosso" Greenpro grower team using lastest culture...
- EXTENDED SHELF LIFE : With our sterlie gel that can hold for freshness upto a week in a cup before planting...
Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis Parvula)
Dwarf Hairgrass looks beautiful in a carpeted tank. It looks particularly appealing when it’s being trimmed, as many YouTube videos show. It does, however, need CO2 to grow at an optimal rate.If given the correct conditions, it’s not uncommon for your carpet to require trimming every two weeks.
You can find out more in this article about Dwarf Hairgrass.
- Light: Medium-High
- Growth Rate: Fast
- Difficulty: Medium
- Temperature: 50-82 Degrees Farenheight (10-28 degrees Celsius)
Our recommendation:
- LIVE AQUARIUM PLANT : Dwarf Hairgrass, the preferred carpet plant sometimes called DHG, Mini Hairgrass. The...
- IMPROVE WATER CLARITY : Under proper conditions, DHG will provide Oxygen bubble which is called perling also,...
Planting Techniques
If you’re looking for the optimal results, it’s best for the plant to be split and planted in a grid pattern. When you start planting, split the plant into small portion and space them apart to give them space and opportunity to grow in a grid pattern.
If you’re efficient, it’s possible to get quite a few plantlets from one pot.
Here’s an example of the grid-like pattern that works quite well:
Remember, while spacing the plantlets in a grid pattern will increase the speed at which your carpet grows in, the more pots you use to initially plant your carpet, the faster it’ll be filled in.
Substrate Considerations
Because you’ll be planting such a small plantlet, many common substrates are too coarse to properly hold the plant down. It’s most effective to use a powder-type substrate like Natural Moonlight Sand or ADA Amazonia mixed with a nutrient-rich substrate, like or Flourite.
Root Compression
No matter what type of substrate you get, make sure to mix the nutrient substrate with the powder-type to prevent root constriction that may occur in a fine-powder substrate.
Otherwise, the fine powder may constrict the roots of certain plants, preventing them from growing properly.
Here’s a list of great combinations for substrates:
Maintenance
When you start your carpet, it’s important to actively monitor the parameters of your water, as well as visually checking for growth and signs of browning and melting that may signal a needed change in lighting or water conditions.
Trimming
To keep your carpet growing compactly as it should, you’ll need to trim it occasionally, depending on your growth rate. For optimal conditions, you’re looking at trimming your carpet at least once every 10 days. If you’re not providing CO2 (which you should be, for the best results), you’ll probably only need to trim it once every three to four weeks.
If you’re feeling fancy, you can get aquascaping tools. I’ve had good results with these from Green Leaf Aquariums:
No products found.
Dosing
If your budget allows, we’ve also seen significantly improved results from dosing with additives like Nilocg Thrive + liquid fertilizer, which helps accelerate root and plant growth. This is just an option, and carpets will grow quite well without it! If you do, you’ll probably want to use the other steps in the ADA process (step 2 and 3 and 3 and 12 months, respectively.)
- Healthy Plants: Keep your live aquarium plants happy and healthy with our aquarium fertilizer and watch them...
- Essential Nutrients: You don't need to calculate the right amount of nutrients for your plants anymore. The...
What have you experienced?
Have you had success doing a particular technique in your tanks? What type of substrates grow best for you? Join the conversation for more information.
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UPDATE: To celebrate our opening, we’re giving away a full set of Aquascaping Tools to an AquariumGuide Reader! You can find more information on our Facebook Page.
PS: Check out our infographic on carpeted planted tank.
38 thoughts on “Create a Carpet in Your Planted Tank – Naturally Grow it Fast”
Hello
I am trying to make my first planted tank. I really want to try to have a nice carpeted tank eventually. I am a college student so trying to find a cheap substrate. I was thinking about trying organic miracle grow with a sand top. What are you considerations on this? thanks
That should be fine. What type of plants do you have in mind for your carpet?
I just started my new planted aquarium, proper substrate and proper requirements and lighting. Im trying to carpet with dwarf hairgrass, any advice
Hi Nate,
One advice that I can give is to give it a good trim to stimulate horizontal growth after a few days. This way, your DH will not only grow upward towards the light but also horizontally which is the ultimate aim for getting a carpet effect.
Hope that helps and do share your result. =)
Hi, i am trying to make my first carpet.
Can u please suggest combination of carpet plants?
Hi Nikhil, sure but first I will need some info about the setup you intend to do. High tech or low tech?
Hello,
I want to start a low tech planted aquarium and want to know what’s a good hardy carpet plant to have.
Hi Jose,
It would be good to know what exactly do you mean by low tech. Your lighting? etc.
But you could always start with java moss on a mesh wire.
LED Lighting and no CO2
With proper LED Lighting, you could try java moss carpet.
Here’s a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBFf6ugOPr8
Baby tear carpet is what I’m interested in,what kind of maintaining is required?
Hi, I have a 20 gallon long tank 12″ high. I have the finnex planted plus 24/7, seachem flourish, but no co2. What carpet do you suggest?
Hey Blake, I would suggest Cuba (Hemianthus Callitrichoides).
Hi I am Akshay. I want to make carpet grass in my 3 by 1 feet aquarium ; but as I am doing job & nobody is at home cannot do it by dry method. Pl. Suggest something. I am going to use Monte Carlo ADA AMAZONIA
Hi Akshay,
You don’t have to be around all day to do the dry start method (DSM). It’s ok to leave it for a few hours when you are at work. Just that when you are back from work, remember to open the lit and let fresh air in for at least 20 mins. Hope that helps and do share your tank with us once it is ready. =)
Right now I have added ADA Super 4 at base then; ADA power sand & ADA AMAZONIA mix layer + fluval stratum 2kg + ADA AMAZONIA SAND about 7 used from 9L bag and Kept the sand filled with water above layer 2 cm with stones & Wood arranged. I have used 2 Fluval 39W T5 Tubelights. So please help which carpet will be easy to use & best for Discuss. Also want low maintenance.
But Can I try using Cuba ? .
Even after I allow fresh air to pass for 20 mins; shall I just spray water on the plants to make them moist ?
You can try Cuba but it is a little challenging. You don’t have to spray water if your substrate are moist but it doesn’t hurt to spray them.
What is your opinion about using Monte Carlo?
Or Some other grass type?
Monte carlo is a nice plant and quite easy to maintain. A good choice.
Hello ,
I have started HC Cuba emersed setup. Planning to moving this to my 2 ft tank once I have enough in quantity. I have a 2 T5 lighting and Platinum soil as substrate. Can it survive without CO 2 ?Even I dont want it to grow much after I submerse it.
Hi Prabhu,
Yes it can survive without CO2. =) Do share with us your tank once it is done via our FB page. =)
I have a full sand bottom tank what plants are best
Hi Patrick,
Most plants can thrive on a sand substrate. In fact, smaller plants will do well as its roots wont get cut by the bigger size gravel. The important factor are lights and nutrients. =) Anyway, here are some suggestions: dwarf hairgrass, potamogeton gayi, smaller cryptocyornes.
What carpet plant should I try, I have a 55gallon t top, with two 30″ fluorescent fixtures and a double incandescent on the side and a 16 meter 5050 led strips,skinny aubias Nana, a beta and 20 goldfish, and a nerite snail can and five fake plants, 6 decor and substrate is pebbles, and two big logs, what can I do?
Hi Paulie,
It sounds like your tank is overloaded with the 20 goldfish that you have.
Anyway, it is hard to have a carpeted tank with pebbles as your substrate as it will not be able to hold the plants down.
Plus, your goldfish will have a go at it even before your carpet can grow.
Hi!
Thank you for providing such a great website with super useful and practical advice.
I have a betta currently in a 1gallon bowl (it was given to me as a gift like that.) I already bought a 3gallon tank yesterday and have put in it substrate and trying to grow java moss. .. I really want to transfer my betta into the new tank asap, as it’s winter here and I can’t heat the small bowl (and I can tell my fish is not happy and not eating). But, the guy at the aquarium shop told me I need to cycle the tank for two weeks before I can put the fish in. Is this because of the toxins that the substrate and growing plants emit? And if so, can you advise a way that I can test the water for appropriate levels?
Hi there,
I’ve got the new Fluval Spec V, with brighter light (7,000K LED), and would like to grow a carpet for a shrimp habitat. I’ve got Seachem Flourite black sand for my substrate. Any recommendations on a carpet plant would be appreciated! Thanks!
Hi,
I would really love to have a carpet plant, I have 3 60 watt cfl flood lights directly over my 55 gallon tank (6500k) and a sand substrate. Is there a carpet plant I can plant directly in my already established tank? I have liquid and dry ferts and no co2.
Thanks
Hi, great website. Trying to work on the substrate, I’m using the Carib Sea Tahitian Moon Sand and the Eco-Complete for a 30 gallon tank. What’s the ratio of Sand to Eco-Complete?
Thanks
do i need to fertilize my aquarium since it will have fishes in it
Hi Shiv, if there are live plants in your aquarium. It is best to fertilize it if you want your plants to grow well. But do read up more on it.
Hi I am planning for a planted aquarium with carpet, once the carpet are planted how long should the light be on and will I encounter algae initially, if yes how to avoid it.
And what stage can my carpet plants be fully submerged in water.
Thanks
I just started a low tech ( without CO2 but with medium LED light) planted aquarium. I will be using African as substrate. Please suggest which plant should I use as carpet?
really interesting site. l have a 4ftx2ftx2ft aquarium with co2 and fluval fresh and plant 2.0. lm struggling to grow plants and getting algae.l only have a gravel substrate with root tabsand tetra complete substrate.Could you please advise,l would lovea carpet,and am currently fighting algae off S. Repens.Thankyou
Hi, I have a question about dry starting with seeds… Do you sprinkle/sow the seeds on the substrate and cover them with gravel, or just sprinkle straight onto the gravel and wait?
Hi I have my existing planted aquarium filled with water shall I add carpet seed grass in this to create carpet
The shop should test your water for free