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Eleocharis acicularis

Fine needle-like hairgrass forming a natural green foreground carpet

Regular price
£7.99
Regular price
Sale price
£7.99
  • Hurry, only 6 items left in stock!
Quick Facts

Rating:

Common name: Hair grass

Origin: South America

Position in Aquarium: Foreground

Grows up to (cm): 15 cm

Pot Size: 5 cm

Growth rate: Medium pace

Description

Eleocharis acicularis, commonly known as dwarf hairgrass, is one of the most popular foreground carpeting plants in the aquarium hobby. Its fine, needle-like leaves grow in dense tufts that spread via runners to gradually form a natural, grass-like carpet across the aquarium floor.

It is a practical choice for low-tech aquariums, growing under medium light without CO2 supplementation. Carpeting is slower without CO2 but still achievable with a nutrient-rich substrate and patience. Adding CO2 injection significantly accelerates both growth and lateral spread for those wanting a faster result.

Supplied as an established potted plant, Eleocharis acicularis suits aquariums from 30 litres upward. It is best planted in small tufts spaced a few centimetres apart across the foreground, allowing the runners to connect and fill in the gaps over time into a seamless grassy carpet.

Plant Sizes

You’ll receive a healthy, rooted plant in a pot, similar to those shown. Each one is hand-checked before dispatch.

Shipping

Same-day dispatch on orders placed before 4pm, Monday to Friday. Tracked 24 Service from £4.99, DPD Express from £6.99.

Eleocharis acicularis
Potted Dwarf Hairgrass with plant care information on a white background
Aquarium setup with grassy foreground and text about Eleocharis acicularis
Aquarium with dwarf hairgrass and text about CO2 and low-tech aquariums.
Instructions on planting dwarf hairgrass in small groups with a close-up of grass being planted.
Scissors trimming grass with text on plant care instructions.
Eleocharis acicularis

Customers praised this carpeting aquarium plant for its healthy condition upon arrival and attractive appearance. Many said it "creates a beautiful scene" and grows well, though it's "quite slow growing" without CO2. Shoppers noted it splits into multiple portions, providing good value. Some mentioned duck weed contamination and challenging planting. Most reported successful spreading and carpeting with proper lighting and fertilization.

  • Amazing plant, creates a beautiful scene and adds plenty of hiding for my shrimps and smaller fish
  • Great plants arrived in immaculate condition and look amazing in the tank!
  • A lovely attractive plant, has a beautiful strong green colour, I would recommend it!
  • 5 stars: 147 (88%)
  • 4 stars: 17 (10%)
  • 3 stars: 1 (1%)
  • 2 stars: 2 (1%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
J
Joey

Amazing plant, quite slow growing even with root tabs and plant fertiliser so algae can take over but that’s probably a fault of my own, creates a beautiful scene and adds plenty of hiding for my shrimps and smaller fish.

J
J.B.

Growing nicely

J
Jack

Lots to work with

Z
Zoe

Great plant, delivery arrived as planned, and all contents were in fantastic condition

P
Pierre A.
Amazing company

Best quality plants to buy online!

C
Chris T.
Great

Can't really wax lyrical about a plant, but it's great. Turned up on time, well packed, good condition and is thriving in the tank. Thanks

R
RICHARD

Delivered on time and a very healthy carpeting plant.

C
Ciaran

Love it

A
Ade T. (Manchester, GB)
Dwarf Hairgrass

Great plants arrived in immaculate condition and look amazing in the tank!

M
Mark W.
Review

Plants arrived in perfect condition, and looking very healthy, they’ve been in my tank just over 1 week and are now starting to throw out small runners.

M
Martin L.
Review

Quality service

T
TERRY S.
Review

great plants great delivery whats not to like, superb aquatic plants as always

M
Mari L.J.
Review

A lovely attractive plant in the aquarium, has a beautiful strong green colour, I would recommend it!

L
Lee G.
Review

My plants were delivered in a fantastic condition , well packed and no damage , and very healthy , thoroughly recommended this company

J
James S.
Review

Excellent grass
I split it up into two and it’s doing very well
Thanks Jim

C
Cassandra P.
Review

Arrived in great condition, exactly as shown. Has adapted to my tank quickly. Would purchase again.

C
Courtny-Marie H.
Review

Amazing little carpeting plant, very easy to care for and is spreading nicely in my low tec tank.

K
Karen H.
Review

A lovely plant. Growing nicely. Defo recommend for any tank.

N
Natalee C.
Review

Looks fab in the tank

T
Tracey G.
Review

Perfect. Packed well. Good instructions. Looking amazing in the aquarium. Would buy from here again

J
Jerome D.
Review

I broke the grass into several little clumps and it has grown in height and started putting out new shoots as it spreads into a carpet.

D
Diogo F.
Review

Plants arrived in perfect condition and the leaves were shiny green. Typical top quality from Aquaessentials.

j
john s.
Review

very please good healthy plants growing well

C
Customer
Review

As usual all plants I buy from here arrive well packed and in good health. The above plant as taken well in my substrate and is looking good

k
kevin B.
Review

Lovely little bunches of grass, high quality and are growing really well, they look superb in any aquarium, recommended.

B
Brenda N.
Review

Very healthy plants - great website & quick delivery!

J
James B.
Review

We didn't have enough light for these to survive.

K
Kevin B.
Review

Really pleased with this plant, after 3 days this plant has settled in and growing nicely , fast delivery on an excellent product thank you AQAESSENTIALS

M
Mark C.
Review

Good strong healthy plant as always.

K
Kim H.
Review

Great product, apparently very tasty as my goldfish had ripped it all up and eaten it within 3 days.

k
karin G.
Review

very dissapointed with the size of the plant

J
Jayne P.
Review

Lovely healthy plant arrived securely and damp. Was able to spilt into numerous little plants which are all growing nicely.

H
Helen T.
Review

I bought two of these and both of them were full of duck weed. In between the stalks of grass, all over the pot and between the roots. It was awful. I had to keep washing them and even after spending a while rinsing them over and over, I still ended up with duck weed in my tank.

S
Shora A.
Review

Great little plant that seems to be growing well in both my tanks. My reasoning for 4 stars rather than 5: when I received them they were full of duck weed and it took me a long time to rinse and prepare the plants (literally hours, since I bought several pots and I had to constantly repeat the procedure over and over again to get rid of the duck weed which I didn't want in my tanks).

Product FAQs

Helpful details before you buy.

Is dwarf hairgrass a good aquarium plant for beginners?

Yes, dwarf hairgrass aquarium plant is suitable for beginners. It is easy to grow, especially in stable conditions, and is commonly used for carpeting aquariums.

Does dwarf hairgrass need CO2 to grow?

Dwarf hairgrass can grow without CO2, but it spreads faster and forms a dense carpet when CO2 is added.

How do you plant dwarf hairgrass in an aquarium?

To plant dwarf hairgrass, divide it into small portions and plant them into the substrate with space between each clump. This helps it spread evenly.

How long does dwarf hairgrass take to carpet?

Dwarf hairgrass can take a few weeks to several months to form a full carpet, depending on lighting, CO2, and nutrient levels.

Why is my dwarf hairgrass not spreading?

Slow growth may be due to low light, lack of nutrients, or no CO2. Improving these conditions will help the plant spread and form a carpet faster.