Micro Sword (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) is a fine-leaved, grass-like aquatic plant that spreads horizontally by runners to form a dense, low-growing carpet of narrow, sword-shaped leaves across the substrate -- one of the most widely planted foreground carpeting plants in the hobby and the most practical grass-like carpeting option for tanks without pressurised CO2. Individual leaves are narrow, flat, and bright green, growing to 3-7cm in height depending on light intensity -- shorter under high light, taller and more upright under lower light. The plant spreads progressively outward from each established clump via horizontal rhizome runners that send up new leaf clusters at regular intervals, gradually filling available substrate area without any intervention. It roots into the substrate rather than attaching to hardscape, benefits noticeably from nutrient-rich substrate or root tabs, and grows more quickly and carpets more densely with CO2 supplementation -- but is capable of growing and spreading without it at a slower pace. Safe with all Neocaridina, Caridina, and snails.
EnhancesCO2
65–82FTemperature
Med–HighLighting
What to Expect
Growth, Spreading and Character
Fine narrow grass-like leaves forming a dense low carpet -- Micro Sword leaves are narrow, flat-edged, and bright green, growing in upright clusters from the substrate. Under medium to high light the leaves remain compact and short, producing the densest and most lawn-like carpet appearance. Under lower light the leaves extend taller and the carpet is less dense, taking on a more meadow-like appearance with more space between individual leaf clusters. Both presentations are attractive -- the choice of light intensity is effectively a choice between a short, dense lawn and a taller, more open grassland aesthetic.
Spreads by horizontal runners -- fills substrate progressively without replanting -- established Micro Sword plants send horizontal runners outward through the substrate at intervals of 2-4cm, with each runner producing a new upright leaf cluster. The spread is gradual but continuous in good conditions -- a clump introduced in the foreground begins spreading visibly within three to four weeks and covers a 10x10cm area within two to three months in medium-light conditions with CO2. Without CO2 the same coverage takes proportionally longer but occurs reliably in good substrate conditions with adequate light.
CO2 significantly accelerates carpet development -- not strictly required -- with CO2 supplementation Micro Sword grows visibly faster, spreads more aggressively, and produces denser leaf clusters than without it. The difference in carpet development speed between CO2 and no-CO2 conditions is more pronounced in Micro Sword than in many other carpeting plants. Without CO2 the plant grows and spreads but at a noticeably slower pace -- expect carpet development to take two to three times longer than in a CO2-supplemented setup. For keepers who want a carpet without CO2 and are willing to wait, Micro Sword is one of the most practical options available.
Nutrient-rich substrate or root tabs are important for steady spreading -- Micro Sword feeds primarily through its root system and responds clearly to substrate nutrition quality. In inert substrate without supplementation, spreading is slow and leaf colour may be pale. Root tabs placed at 10cm intervals in the foreground planting zone before introduction produce measurably more vigorous and more even carpet development than inert substrate without supplementation.
Medium to high light required for compact dense growth -- Micro Sword is not a low-light carpeting plant. Under low light the plant survives but does not carpet effectively -- leaves extend tall and spread is minimal. Medium to high intensity directed at the foreground substrate zone is required for the compact, dense carpet that makes this plant visually effective.
Dense carpet provides biofilm surface area and shrimplet grazing zones at substrate level -- an established Micro Sword carpet is one of the richest substrate-level biofilm environments in a planted tank. Shrimp graze continuously across and between the individual leaf clusters, and shrimplets navigate through the fine leaf gaps at substrate level -- a foraging and shelter zone distinct from moss and mid-water plants.
How to Set It Up
Getting Started
1Place root tabs in the foreground substrate zone before planting -- push root tabs into the substrate at 8-10cm intervals across the foreground area before introducing plants. The root system reaches these nutrition zones within two to three weeks of establishment and the improved nutrition accelerates spreading significantly from the start.
2Divide the portion into small clusters of 5-8 leaves and plant at 2-3cm spacing -- dense initial planting at close spacing produces faster overall carpet coverage than spacing clusters further apart. Each cluster establishes independently and begins sending runners outward -- the gap-filling between adjacent clusters happens within weeks rather than months when initial spacing is tight.
3Plant only the roots -- do not bury the leaf base or crown -- push only the root bundle into the substrate, leaving the leaf crown at or just above the substrate surface. Burying the crown prevents new leaf growth and causes the plant to melt at the base. Use tweezers to plant individual clusters cleanly at the correct depth.
4Medium to high light directed at the foreground zone throughout the photoperiod -- ensure the foreground substrate receives consistent medium to high intensity light for the full photoperiod. Shadowing from midground or background plants over the carpeting zone significantly slows establishment and spreading.
Bonus TipMicro Sword carpet in a shrimp tank is most effective as a visual element when it covers the full foreground width from glass to midground hardscape -- not as isolated patches. A full-width carpet, even a shallow one of 8-10cm depth front to back, reads as a complete foreground element that gives the tank a floor and separates the foreground from the midground clearly. Achieving full-width coverage from a single portion takes two to four months depending on conditions, but the visual payoff -- a shrimp tank with a true grass floor that shrimp graze across continuously at substrate level -- is one of the most compositionally complete foreground treatments available without CO2 equipment or complex setup.
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Browse more aquatic plantsPair Micro Sword with Anubias, Java Moss, or Cryptocoryne for a complete planted foreground setup. Browse our Aquatic Plants collection.
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