Micro sword

Overview

Micro sword (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) is a grassy foreground carpet — narrow, upright green blades a few centimetres tall that spread by runners into a lawn-like mat. It gives that classic “aquatic meadow” look without the strict CO2 dependence of dwarf baby tears, but it is slower and a bit fussier than the low-tech easy plants: it needs decent light reaching the substrate and a stable tank to carpet well. Patience is the key with micro sword.

Planting & placement

Micro sword is a pure foreground carpet plant. Divide the pot or tissue-culture cup into many small clumps of a few blades each, and plant them into the substrate with tweezers, spacing them a couple of centimetres apart so the runners can fill the gaps. A nutrient-rich soil helps, since it is a rooted feeder — see our best substrate for a planted tank picks and the how to plant aquarium plants technique. Because it stays short, keep taller plants back so they don’t shade it.

Light, CO2 & ferts

Being a short carpet, micro sword lives or dies by how much light reaches the bottom. Give it medium to high light — in dim tanks it grows sparse, tall and brown rather than carpeting. CO2 is beneficial but not essential; it noticeably improves density and speed. Feed both the substrate (root tabs) and the water column with a complete fertilizer, as a hungry carpet spreads faster.

Propagation & problems

Micro sword spreads by runners — horizontal stems that push out new blades a short distance away, slowly stitching the carpet together. To speed coverage, plant more small clumps rather than waiting for one to spread. The usual problems are slow, patchy growth or browning, almost always caused by too little light at substrate level or an unstable young tank. Being short and slow, it is also prone to being shaded and to algae on struggling blades — see how to get rid of aquarium algae. Give it strong, steady light and time, and it rewards you with a fine grassy lawn.