A good plant for... - Aquascaping

IceH2O · 01-26-2008, 10:04 PM

I want to build a slate cave/mountain decor.

I plan on anabuis petite for the sides and am looking for something to cover the top slate roof.

I want it to grow downwards though. Is there any plant that will not grow up towards the light? The top will only be about 2 inches from the waters surface. I'd like for it to somewhat become a curtain for the top cave.

I'm running 130 watts over 75 gallons with no CO2.Plan on pulling all my stems except the ALTERNANTHERA REINECKII and going with crypts, anabuis and flame moss as a foreground.

taoyeah · 01-26-2008, 10:41 PM

creeping moss?

IceH2O · 01-30-2008, 04:26 AM

Never heard of creeping moss, you have a scientific name?

Is it weeping moss?

andrew__ · 01-30-2008, 07:45 AM

A while back someone on my clubs website was looking for a similar plant.

Apparently Plagiomnium affine will grow the way you want it but is incredibly slow growing.

Tex Gal · 01-30-2008, 08:01 AM

Some mosses you could use are fissidens fontans, christmas moss, Taiwan moss or peacock moss. I just got the Plagiomnium and it is VERY tiny. That px is somewhat deceiving. It looks so much bigger than it is. I have had mine about 3 weeks and it is beginning to grow, but the leaves are TINY, maybe the size of a grain of salt. I'm not saying it wont' weep, it's just how long do you want to wait. Like Andrew said it grows very slowly. And with the naked eye it's not necessarily going to give you that look in the px. The other mosses I mentioned grow much faster.

IceH2O · 01-30-2008, 09:25 AM

I have christmass moss, java moss and flame moss in my tanks now.

The Christmass doesn't grow down exactly but it does spread out more wide then up so maybe I'll go with that. Maybe with it being so close to the light it will spread more.

Thanks guys.

What do you guys think about using Brazilian pennywort? I have some of that in another tank. I could always kind of tuck the vine between rock cracks to train it to go downwards.

andrew__ · 01-31-2008, 10:03 PM

that might work but it might also be a ton of work. Weeping moss might be a good one because of the weeping habit that will make it look like it's growing down.

As for the Plagiomnium I've never seen it in person but it sounds like it will take ages to look good. What I've heard is that it'll take at least a month or so adjusting to the tank before it even starts growing noticeably.