Lilaeopsis Novaezelandiae

Lilaeopsis novaezelandiae (universally known in the hobby as New Zealand Micro Sword or Micro Chain Sword) is a classic, hardy perennial carpeting plant. Native to the temperate shores and wetlands of New Zealand and Tasmania, it belongs to the Apiaceae family, making it a distant aquatic relative of carrots and parsley! It features stiff, bright-green, hollow blades that grow perfectly straight up, reaching 3 to 7 cm (1 to 3 inches) in total height. This unique growth habit creates a remarkably realistic, wild underwater lawn that mimics a backyard grass turf.

• Placement: Exclusively used as a foreground carpeting layout or to blanket low-profile slopes.
• Lighting: Moderate to high. If your lighting is too dim, the plant will react by stretching vertically up to 10 cm (4 inches) to find light, which ruins its neat, short "lawn" look. High light keeps it compact and low.
• CO2 Injection: Optional but highly recommended. It can easily survive in low-tech tanks without pressurized carbon dioxide. However, introducing CO2 speeds up its naturally slow growth rate, triggering a thick, interlocking mat within weeks rather than months.
• Water Parameters: Extremely adaptable. It prefers temperatures between 20°C to 28°C (68°F to 82°F) and a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. It can even tolerate mildly salty, brackish water setups.
• Fauna Synergy: Provides a phenomenal, dense foraging pasture for baby shrimp, snails, and bottom-dwelling nano fish. Its tough blades are also surprisingly resilient against mild cichlid digging.