About the species

Eleocharis parvula is the dwarf among the aquarium grasses and one of the surest routes to a genuine lawn. Its blades reach only a few centimetres and the plant puts out short runners close to the mother plant, so the mat stays even and low. The species is spread over large parts of the world and does as well in a small aquarium as in a large one.

Facts

• Latin name: Eleocharis parvula
• Plant type: Carpeting plant
• Origin: Widespread worldwide
• Height: 3–10 cm
• Growth rate: Medium
• Position: Foreground

Light requirement

Low light requirement. It manages with the lighting that comes with most aquariums and is happy in partial shade behind or beneath taller plants. Strong lighting does not harm it, but raises the risk of algae on the leaves because the plant cannot use all the available light.

CO₂ & nutrition

Manages entirely without added CO₂, which makes it as suitable for a simple aquarium as for an aquascape. Liquid carbon or injected CO₂ speeds up growth but is never a requirement. Dose an all-round fertiliser with iron and micronutrients every week.

Planting

Divide the contents into many small tufts and place them two to three centimetres apart across the whole area. The more tufts you split it into, the faster the carpet knits together. Use tweezers and press the roots down without burying the leaves.

Carefully remove the pot and rinse the rock wool off the roots before planting — leftover rock wool can otherwise hinder rooting.

Care & propagation

Trim the carpet with curved scissors once it starts building upwards — that keeps it low and dense and stops the lowest shoots dying from lack of light. Siphon off the clippings right away, otherwise they root where you do not want them.

Position in the aquarium

Its low mature size makes it a foreground plant. Place it right at the front where nothing shades it, and let it form a continuous surface in front of the taller plants.

Difficulty level

🟢 Easy — grows in most aquariums without CO₂ and under ordinary lighting.

Delivery format

Delivered as a pot grown submerged, with the roots in rock wool. The pot holds several plants or stems that can be divided and planted separately.

Recommendation

A good choice when Eleocharis acicularis grows too tall and it still has to look like grass. It needs light straight from above, so keep the foreground clear of shading leaves.