01
Overview
Parva never exceeds a few centimeters and never hurries; a carpet of it is measured in years, not weeks. The reward is a foreground that, once knitted, essentially maintains itself for the life of the tank and never needs the constant mowing of true carpet plants.
02
Aquascaping use
Plant it as a foreground field in front of larger crypts for a graduated, naturalistic slope. It also softens stone bases in layouts too low-energy for demanding carpeting species.
03
Planting
Set plantlets two to three centimeters apart in good substrate, plant the crown high, and commit; every uprooting resets its glacial clock. Buy more starting plants than feels reasonable, because infill by runners takes seasons.
Nutrient-bearing substrate
04
Light & CO₂
Unusually for a crypt, it appreciates decent light, staying flatter and tighter under medium intensity. CO₂ meaningfully shortens the long wait.
05
Substrate & fertilization
Root tabs beneath the carpet zone keep runners moving. Column dosing alone leaves it idling.
Feeding behavior: Root feeder. Nutrient demand: moderate.
06
Growth, trimming & propagation
Effectively none; remove a rare dead leaf and let it be. Harvest edge runners to extend the carpet where you want it next.
Runner separation
07
Common problems
- !Slow enough that carpets take a year or more
- !Algae colonizes leaves that persist for months
- !Melts modestly after disturbance like all crypts
