Small Mud-mat
Glossostigma elatinoides
Phrymaceae
About
The carpet Takashi Amano made famous, known in every aquascaping shop simply as glosso: paired spoon-shaped leaves a few millimetres across, carried on runners that creep flat over the substrate at only 2-3 cm tall. It is genuinely demanding. Given strong light and injected CO2 it runs sideways fast enough to close a foreground in weeks, but under weak light it gives up carpeting altogether and climbs vertically on lengthening stalks - the single most common way this plant disappoints its buyer. It also has to be cut back: an untrimmed mat stacks into layers, the shaded base rots, and whole sheets tear loose and float up.
Care
Plant small clumps a few centimetres apart in nutrient-rich soil, under high light with pressurized CO2 and steady macro plus micro dosing. It grows best at 22-26 C. Trim every one to two weeks - a thick untrimmed mat loses its grip on the substrate and lifts off.
Also in these lists
Frequently asked questions
- What water parameters does a Small Mud-mat need?
- Small Mud-mat does best at 4–30 °C (39.2–86 °F), pH 4.5–7.5 and a general hardness of 2–15 °dGH.
- Where should Small Mud-mat be placed in the aquarium?
- Small Mud-mat works best in the foreground and reaches around 5 cm.
- Is the Small Mud-mat suitable for beginners?
- Small Mud-mat is a demanding species best attempted with some experience — it needs stable, closely watched conditions to thrive.
Sources
- Flowgrow Aquatic Plant Database - Glossostigma elatinoides (Small mud-mat)
- Tropica Aquarium Plants - Glossostigma elatinoides (045A TC)
- Aquasabi Aquascaping Wiki - Ground cover (plants for the foreground)
- Aqua-Fish.net - Glossostigma elatinoides carpet plant guide
- The 2Hr Aquarist - Glossostigma elatinoides carpet plant guide