Eleocharis Acicularis ‘Belem / Mini Hairgrass’ Tissue Culture – Live Aquarium Plant

Eleocharis acicularis ‘Mini’, commonly sold as Mini Hairgrass or Belem Hairgrass, is a compact carpeting aquarium plant with fine, bright green, grass-like leaves.

It spreads through the substrate by runners and can gradually form a dense foreground carpet, making it especially popular in aquascapes and nano aquariums.

This plant is supplied as a tissue culture aquarium plant, providing clean young plant material that can be divided into many small portions before planting.

Quick Plant Care Guide

• Scientific Name: Eleocharis acicularis ‘Mini’
• Common Names: Mini Hairgrass, Dwarf Hairgrass, Belem Hairgrass
• Plant Type: Carpeting grass
• Position: Foreground
• Height: Approximately 3–5 cm when maintained compact
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• Lighting: Medium to high
• CO₂: Recommended for faster, denser carpeting
• Difficulty: Moderate

Create a Natural Green Carpet

Mini Hairgrass develops very fine upright leaves and spreads horizontally through underground runners.

When planted in small groups across the foreground, these runners gradually fill the gaps and create a soft, lawn-like carpet.

Its compact height makes it particularly well suited to nano aquariums and aquascapes where a low foreground is important.

How to Plant Mini Hairgrass Tissue Culture

Remove the plant from the tissue culture container and gently rinse away the growing gel with clean aquarium water.

Divide the plant into many small portions and plant each portion into the substrate using aquascaping tweezers.

Spacing the portions a few centimetres apart allows the runners to spread naturally and usually gives a more even carpet than planting the whole cup in one clump.

Growing Eleocharis Mini Hairgrass

For the best carpeting growth, provide medium to high lighting, regular fertilisation and a reliable supply of CO₂.

CO₂ is not always essential for survival, but it generally improves growth speed, density and overall carpet quality.

Aquarium soil is ideal, although fine gravel or sand can also work when sufficient nutrients are supplied.

Occasional trimming helps maintain an even height and can encourage fresh new growth.

Why Choose Tissue Culture Aquarium Plants?

Tissue culture aquarium plants are propagated under controlled conditions and are supplied free from unwanted snails and algae.

Each cup can be divided into numerous small planting portions, making tissue culture particularly useful for carpeting species such as Mini Hairgrass.

Browse our live aquarium plants and aquascaping supplies for more plants, substrates and aquascaping tools.