Eleocharis acicularis- Dwarf Hairgrass

Dwarf hairgrass is a wonderful little plant growing between  3cm-5cm tall. As the name suggests it's grass like appearance is regularly used as a carpeting plant. This plant is commonly seen throughout the aquascaping world creating 'meadow like' landscapes or dense 'forest floors'. When grown right this plant can make an aquarium look beautiful.

A common misconception for this plant is that it is easy to grow.  This is somewhat misleading and can lead to customers being disappointed when they cannot achieve a lush carpet in their aquarium. When given the right conditions Dwarf Hairgrass will quickly and easily spread throughout an aquarium creating a lush carpet but that is only possibly when an aquarium has a suitably strong light.  Many budget aquarium light will not be powerful enough to support Dwarf Hairgrass, as the light gets diffused as it travels through the aquarium, and many people will find their dwarf hairgrass turning from a lush green to a sickly yellow.

To promote truly impressive growth consider upgrading to a true grow light, such as the Fluval Plant 3.0. Also consider using CO2 injection or using a liquid CO2 product such as EasyLife EasyCarbo to accelerate plant growth. Fertilization is also strongly recommended to create a densely carpeted aquarium, use a liquid fertilizer such as EasyLife Profito to promote growth.