How much light does Dwarf Hairgrass need?

High light, around 60–100 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ of PAR. Watts are not comparable between fixtures; PAR is. If the manufacturer does not publish PAR, pick one band lower than the tank depth suggests.

Does Dwarf Hairgrass need CO₂?

It is recommended. Marked "recommended": it survives without, but visibly stalls, lengthens between nodes and loses colour.

What water does Dwarf Hairgrass want?

18–28 °C, pH 5.5–7.5, 2–12 dGH. At 10 dGH wide it is one of the more forgiving ranges.

How fast does Dwarf Hairgrass grow, and where does it go?

Growth rate: medium. Placement: foreground / carpet. Substrate: substrate required, reaching about 5–10 cm. Difficulty: moderate.

G-02 / 16Freshwater

Dwarf Hairgrass牛毛毡

Eleocharis acicularis · Cyperaceae

A needle-leaved carpet that knits together by runners and turns into a yellow tuft when light or carbon runs short.

Illustration to come

G-02 / 16 · Dwarf Hairgrass Eleocharis acicularis

SpecificationsPlant atlas

Name: 牛毛毡
Scientific name: Eleocharis acicularis
Family: Cyperaceae
Origin: Shallows and wetlands of the temperate world (East Asia, North America, Europe)
Light: High light
PAR: 60–100
CO₂: Recommended
Hardness: 2–12 dGH
Growth: Medium
Placement: Foreground / Carpet
Substrate: Substrate required
Height: 5–10 cm
Level: Moderate

Water requirementsFreshwater

Temp.18–28 °C

pH5.5–7.5

Hardness2–12 dGH

Alkalinity1–8 dKH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Growing notes

1Plant small bunches of five to eight blades every centimetre or two and let the runners join them; a full carpet takes four to eight weeks.
2Once it reaches eight to ten centimetres, mow it back to three to keep it low and trigger side shoots, and net out the cuttings.
3Iron shortage yellows the whole patch, while carbon shortage stops the runners and leaves it short and brown in place.
4Eight hours of strong light plus CO2 is what flattens it into a carpet; weak light lets it stretch upward into a tuft.
5The substrate has to be fertile; in thin soil or plain sand, push root tabs regularly or the runners stall after about half a year.

Frequently asked questions

How much light does Dwarf Hairgrass need?: High light, around 60–100 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ of PAR. Watts are not comparable between fixtures; PAR is. If the manufacturer does not publish PAR, pick one band lower than the tank depth suggests.
Does Dwarf Hairgrass need CO₂?: It is recommended. Marked "recommended": it survives without, but visibly stalls, lengthens between nodes and loses colour.
What water does Dwarf Hairgrass want?: 18–28 °C, pH 5.5–7.5, 2–12 dGH. At 10 dGH wide it is one of the more forgiving ranges.
How fast does Dwarf Hairgrass grow, and where does it go?: Growth rate: medium. Placement: foreground / carpet. Substrate: substrate required, reaching about 5–10 cm. Difficulty: moderate.