Dwarf Hairgrass is a beautiful, low-maintenance carpeting plant for the aquarium. It’s also known as Carpet Grass. This type of grass can grow up to 6 inches tall and will provide an excellent natural substrate for your fish to explore and hide in.
In this article, we’ll teach you how to take care of Dwarf Hairgrass in your aquarium! We will go over what it needs in terms of light, water temperature, planting technique, feeding requirements, and more so that you know everything about caring for the plants within your tank. Let’s get started!
Dwarf Hairgrass Overview
Out of all the Dwarf Hairgrass plants at your local fish shop, a Dwarf Hairgrass carpet (Eleocharis acicularis) is arguably the most beautiful. This plant visually draws you in with its dark-green color and then keeps you engaged because it’s fascinating to see how it grows. All Dwarf Hairgrass varieties are native to Asia, but these great plants have made their way into aquariums and ponds around North America due to their ease of care. Although a Dwarf Hairgrass carpet can be a bit expensive for some people, if you choose a healthy-looking plant from your local pet store or online retailer, its beauty will brighten up any aquarium! Before we go over how to care for Dwarf Hairgrass carpet, we’ll explain what Dwarf Hairgrass is and give you some Dwarf Hairgrass care tips.
Where Does Dwarf Hairgrass Come From?
The Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis) plant’s origin can be found in the Southeastern area of Asia, specifically China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand. This dwarf variety grows underwater, but it can also be used to make a gorgeous terrestrial or bog garden if planted on land.
The Dwarf Hairgrass carpet (Eleocharis acicularis) plant has made its way around the world due to its popularity as an aquarium plant. It has been used in aquascapes designed for nature aquariums and shrimp setups for many years now! You’ll often spot this dwarf variety for sale at your local fish store. It can be ordered on online websites like eBay or Amazon as well!
What To Look For When Buying Dwarf Hairgrass
The Dwarf Hairgrass plant itself is relatively thin with few leaves (one to four per bulb). You should be able to find Dwarf Hairgrass at any local fish store if you live in areas where it’s common.
When looking for Dwarf Hairgrass, check out the condition of the roots first. Look at how healthy they are. If the roots aren’t filled with water, this may mean the plant hasn’t been adequately cared for by its previous owners (it may have died recently from lack of water or nutrients). On the other hand, if the roots are filled with water, you can buy that Dwarf Hairgrass plant!
Avoid Dwarf Hairgrass plants whose leaves appear yellowish or are starting to brown. It is always a good idea to avoid purchasing Dwarf Hairgrass from an online retailer if you’ve never purchased aquatic plants from them before. When buying Dwarf Hairgrass, make sure it has at least one new leaf in its center, which typically indicates that the Dwarf Hairgrass has been recently propagated (grown within the aquascape industry).
If Dwarf Hairgrass is a new plant to your aquarium, you will need:
- An empty aquatic plants tank (for Dwarf Hairgrass) – if this isn’t feasible, an empty bucket or container can be used. Dwarf Hairgrass is not delicate, so it won’t break if you place it underwater without too much force.
- A water temperature between 23°C – 30 °C – Dwarf Hairgrass has a high tolerance for water temperatures, but the ideal range should be between 25°C and 27°C. If water from your local fish store is above ~28°C, you may want to consider waiting a few days before adding Dwarf Hairgrass into the tank.
Make sure you match the Dwarf Hairgrass’s pH to that of your water. If Dwarf Hairgrass is placed into a tank with drastically different pH levels, it may die. The Dwarf Hairgrass carpet can be planted in an area where the substrate is very thick (3+ inches), so sand isn’t necessary for Dwarf Hairgrass growth and care.
Unlike some other plants, Dwarf Hairgrass does not require a high concentration of nutrients in the water; therefore, you do not need a CO2 system or any fertilizers to keep Dwarf Hairgrass alive! However, if Dwarf Hairgrass has been recently bought from an online retailer, it should be given time to acclimatize before planting into your aquarium. Just place your Dwarf Hairgrass plant(s) into a separate container filled with water from your aquarium. Do this for a week or until it has adjusted to the temperature and pH of your tank.
Dwarf Hairgrass Placement
You will want to place Dwarf Hairgrass in an area where it won’t receive too much direct sunlight, especially during the middle and end of Winter. This is because direct sunlight can bleach Dwarf Hairgrass leaves if they are exposed for too long! However, if Dwarf Hairgrass is placed into a low lighting or shaded setup, it will easily keep its beautiful green color!
When placing Dwarf Hairgrass into your aquarium, avoid areas that may get splashed as often as others (the substrate). In addition, Dwarf Hairgrass needs time to spread out, so make sure you plant multiple pieces at varying distances so that it can form a “carpet.”
Planting Dwarf Hairgrass
Planting Dwarf Hairgrass is pretty simple; all you need to do is cut off the amount of Dwarf Hairgrass that you would like to plant, place it in the substrate and press down on it gently so it can get attached to its surroundings. Make sure to put it into a very soft substrate because Dwarf Hairgrass has rhizome, making it ideal for planting in sand or soil!
After placing Dwarf Hairgrass into your desired location, you should press Dwarf Hairgrass gently, so the rhizome attaches itself to the substrate; we recommended planting Dwarf Hairgrass about 1-2 inches above your substrate.
Any Dwarf Hairgrass that you would like to place into a separate area within your tank can be placed using this exact method as well! Dwarf Hairgrass will grow rapidly if a plant is divided and put into another area of the tank, so consider separating Dwarf Hairgrass if you want more growth from it!
Dwarf Hairgrass & Water Flow
Because Dwarf Hairgrass is a live plant, it needs light water flow to stay healthy, as this is what allows it to thrive in low-light environments because it doesn’t need as much CO2 or nutrients as other plants.
Dwarf Hairgrass requires enough water flow for nutrient intake, so make sure there is some water movement within your tank (or filter system). If you have a smaller aquarium with little water movement in general, you will want to add an extra filter or powerhead to provide adequate water flow for Dwarf Hairgrass.
If Dwarf Hairgrass is placed into an area with high water flow, Dwarf Hairgrass will tend to “wave”; however, this does not mean Dwarf Hairgrass is dying or being disturbed – it means there is more movement in the tank than usual. If Dwarf Hairgrass doesn’t wave much after a few days of being placed, you can slightly cut back on your water flow.
Fertilizing Dwarf Hairgrass
Unlike other live plants, Dwarf Hairgrass does not need fertilizers to thrive. However, suppose Dwarf Hairgrass has been propagated recently. In that case, you will want to slowly introduce some fertilizer into the aquarium until you see signs of growth occurring (the new leaves produced from underneath the aquatic plant may be lighter in color than older Dwarf Hairgrass leaves).
If Dwarf Hairgrass receives the right amount of light and water flow, Dwarf Hairgrass will produce new flowers and leaves without any extra fertilizers.
Dwarf Hairgrass Water Changes
You must perform regular water changes with Dwarf Hairgrass because it needs a lower concentration of nutrients present in the water to thrive than other aquarium plants. You also need a lower concentration of Nitrate, Phosphate, etc., so that your fish won’t be affected by these chemical compounds!
The ideal nitrate range should be below 20 ppm but not too low where Dwarf Hairgrass can’t survive ( <10 ppm ). Similarly, the perfect range for phosphate should be below 0.05 ppm ( <0.03 ppm ). If Dwarf Hairgrass is placed into a tank with high nitrate, phosphate, and other chemical levels, then the Dwarf Hairgrass may turn brown.
If Dwarf Hairgrass turns brown, it can be quickly reversed by adjusting your water’s parameters; however, if Dwarf Hairgrass turns brown from being kept in low-light for too long, then there isn’t much you can do except to bring it in a better location where it receives sufficient light again.
When Dwarf Hairgrass is first placed into a tank, it will undergo nitrogen shock and may turn brown for a few days; however, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Dwarf Hairgrass is being disturbed or has died. Instead, place it into more favorable conditions (more light at least), and within a few weeks, it should recover.
Dwarf Hairgrass Temperature
If you have Dwarf Hairgrass in your tank, make sure to keep the water temperature between 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit (note: some people say 75-82, but these temperatures are too high!). If the water gets too hot, Dwarf Hairgrass may die because it can’t absorb enough CO2, which is necessary for photosynthesis. Also, when Dwarf Hairgrass turns brown, it may be a sign that the temperature is too high within your tank, so make sure to lower the water temperature to save Dwarf Hairgrass!
At night when the lights are off, you want to make sure that the aquarium does not drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit; if Dwarf Hairgrass gets too cold at night, then it will die because Dwarf Hairgrass can’t absorb enough CO2 or get needed nutrients through CAM-like mechanism when nighttime temperatures become low.
Dwarf Hairgrass pH And KH Level
- pH: 6.5 – 7.0
- KH: 4dkh – 8dkh (keep this as close to neutral as possible)
Dwarf Hairgrass must be kept within a 6.5-7.0 pH and a 4dkh – 8dkh KH level so that Dwarf Hairgrass can thrive! If Dwarf Hairgrass does not receive these conditions, it may turn brown or die because Dwarf Hairgrass prefers slightly harder water than other aquarium plants.
Dwarf Hairgrass Lighting Requirements
If Dwarf Hairgrass receives enough light through a natural/sunset lighting in the tank, then Dwarf Hairgrass will shine bright green like in the pictures; however, if Dwarf Hairgrass isn’t receiving enough light, you may notice that it turns more of a yellowish/green color with some brown patches on the leaves (this is normal if Dwarf Hairgrass isn’t receiving the correct amount of light).
Dwarf Hairgrass Lighting Requirements For Growing
If Dwarf Hairgrass is placed under a grow light or fluorescent lighting, it will rapidly transform into its main color. If Dwarf Hairgrass is kept in low-light for too long, it may turn brown; however, Dwarf Hairgrass can be brought back to life by placing it into brighter conditions!
If you’re wondering, “What kind of lights should I use for my Dwarf Hairgrass?” then we recommend using 1×18 Watt CFL bulbs about 2 inches away from the plants with regular light timers so that it can receive 14 hours of daylight and 10 hours of dark.
If Dwarf Hairgrass is placed into just regular tank lighting, it will grow extremely slowly (only about 3-4 inches per year if Dwarf Hairgrass isn’t under a light).
Dwarf Hairgrass Water Change Schedule
To maximize Dwarf Hairgrass growth and health, make sure to do water changes every week or two weeks (depending on the aquarium’s size). It’s best to do a 25% water change each time you perform a water change on Dwarf Hairgrass because it will shrivel up if too much water is removed from the tank.
More Dwarf Hairgrass can be cut when doing a weekly or biweekly water change, but make sure to leave at least an inch of Dwarf Hairgrass in each container! Dwarf Hairgrass does not need to be resplit as it grows back very quickly and easily within most aquariums.
Dwarf Hairgrass – FAQ
“How hard is Dwarf Hairgrass to maintain?”
Dwarf Hairgrass has rhizomes which make Dwarf Hairgrass great for planting in sand/soil within an aquarium.
“Can Dwarf Hairgrass grow in high nutrient water?”
Yes (even though Dwarf Hairgrass grows slowly, Dwarf Hairgrass doesn’t need a lot of high nutrients). However, if you are worried about nitrates/nitrites, do a couple of water changes per week and cut down on feeding frequency!
“How much Dwarf Hairgrass can I cut?”
You can’t cut Dwarf Hairgrass back too much because it will grow back quickly. With that being said, it’s best to wait a week or two before cutting Dwarf Hairgrass again, as it grows very rapidly and can overgrow other aquarium plants!
“What kind of substrate should I use for my Dwarf Hairgrass?”
We recommend using sand or soil for Dwarf Hairgrass! Sand and soil texture make it easy for Dwarf Hairgrass to go through its growth phases (from the stem/rhizome to the leaf).
Dwarf Hairgrass – Conclusion
Dwarf Hairgrass is an ideal carpet plant for a planted aquarium, and it grows very quickly, which makes Dwarf Hairgrass great to put in a tank that you plan on keeping for years. However, remember that Dwarf Hairgrass needs low nutrients, so make sure to do weekly or biweekly water changes (if you have large fish)! We hope this article helped you learn everything you need to know about Dwarf Hairgrass!
