01
Overview
UG is a bladderwort, hunting microscopic prey with tiny suction traps along its runners while the surface shows only luminous grass. It carpets in soft, acidic, nutrient-poor water precisely because it brings its own nitrogen strategy, and it fails wherever keepers treat it like ordinary grass.
02
Aquascaping use
Its pale, uniform glow makes ethereal lawns in soft-water scapes and shrimp tanks. Contrast it with dark substrate or stone to amplify the light-from-within effect.
03
Planting
Press thin mats gently onto fine, soft substrate; many growers dry-start it to root the fragile runners first. Never bury the mats; they knit across the surface.
Fine active substrate
04
Light & CO₂
Medium light suffices, with CO₂ improving density; water softness and low mineral content matter more than either. Hard water is the common cause of death.
05
Substrate & fertilization
Keep dosing lean; heavy nutrients favor algae over a plant that partly feeds itself. Clean, soft, slightly acidic water is the actual fertilizer.
Feeding behavior: Water-column feeder. Nutrient demand: moderate.
06
Growth, trimming & propagation
Trim shallowly once thick, as deep cuts tear the loosely anchored mat. Re-press lifted edges promptly.
Runner separation
07
Common problems
- !Melts wholesale in hard or mineral-rich water
- !Mats float free if allowed to thicken
- !Slow, uncertain starts from tissue culture
