Micro Sword (Liaeopsis Brasiliensis)

Micro Sword (Lilaeopsis Brasiliensis)

Micro Sword (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) is a classic South American carpeting plant prized for its crisp, grass-like leaves and ability to form a dense, natural-looking “lawn” across the foreground. For aquascapers who love the look of open grassy fields, winding paths, and clean negative space around rocks and driftwood, Micro Sword is one of the best plants to achieve that effect—especially once it settles in and begins spreading.

Micro Sword Overview

In the aquarium, Micro Sword grows as a low, spreading plant with narrow blade-like leaves that typically reach about 1.5–3 inches in height depending on light and conditions. Rather than growing as a single clump, it expands through runners and side shoots, gradually filling in open areas into a tight carpet that looks like miniature underwater grass.

In a planted layout, Micro Sword is especially appreciated for:

• True “lawn” effect: It creates a clean, grassy foreground that mimics natural riverbank meadows and open fields in nature-style aquascapes.
• Great for framing hardscape: A Micro Sword carpet looks incredible around aquascaping rocks and driftwood, helping hardscape feel “rooted” in the layout and making pathways and open spaces look intentional.
• Natural habitat for tank inhabitants: Dense carpets provide cover and foraging areas for shrimp, fry, and small fish, while also creating a more secure environment with plenty of low shelter.
• Easy to spread once established: After it takes hold, it steadily sends out new shoots that fill in bare areas, making it a rewarding plant for aquascapers who enjoy watching a layout mature over time.

Micro Sword pairs especially well with bold stones like Ohko Dragon Rock or Seiryu Stone, where the clean, fine leaf texture contrasts beautifully against rugged rock surfaces. It also makes an excellent transition plant in front of midground options like Cryptocorynes or compact stems, giving the tank a layered, natural depth.

Micro Sword is also available potted, which can make planting easier and help it establish faster.

Caring for Micro Sword

Micro Sword grows best when treated like a true carpeting plant: it needs good light, stable conditions, and strong root nutrition to spread thickly and form a dense carpet. While it can survive in moderate setups, it performs noticeably better in a nutrient-rich substrate and under brighter lighting, where it sends runners more quickly and stays shorter and more compact.

A planted substrate such as Fluval Stratum or a similar nutrient-rich base is ideal, and many aquarists also use root tabs to keep growth strong over time—especially in sand or inert gravel. Once planted, Micro Sword spreads through side shoots and runners. For the best results, separate it into small portions and plant those portions with space between them so runners can connect the “dots” and fill in naturally.

CO₂ is not strictly required, but it can make a big difference if you want faster coverage and a thicker, tighter carpet. If you’re running CO₂, a stable system such as our Fully Automated CO₂ System with pH & CO₂ Controller helps maintain consistent levels, which supports healthier, more compact growth in high-light planted tanks.

Trimming is occasionally helpful once the carpet thickens. Cutting back taller blades encourages new growth lower to the substrate and keeps the lawn effect tidy. Our Modern Aquarium 5-Piece Aquascaping Tool Set is especially useful here: the curved scissors are perfect for low-angle carpet pruning, and the tweezers make planting small clumps much easier without uprooting neighboring portions.

• Light: Moderate–Strong
• Temperature Range: 70–83°F
• Placement: Foreground / Carpeting
• CO₂: Not required (highly beneficial for faster, denser carpeting)
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Growth Rate: Moderate (faster with CO₂ and rich substrate)

With good light, root nutrition, and patience, Micro Sword will gradually knit together into a lush green carpet that gives your aquascape a clean, professional “finished” look.

Shop with Confidence at Modern Aquarium

At Modern Aquarium, each Micro Sword plant is carefully inspected, cleaned, and prepared by hand before shipping so you receive healthy, vigorous specimens ready to plant and grow.

• Top Quality Store & real reviews: Modern Aquarium has been designated by Google as a Top Quality Store and has thousands of individual verified reviews from real customers, so you can shop with confidence.
• Live Arrival Guarantee & fast delivery: All of our live plants are backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee and shipped via FedEx 2-Day delivery to help ensure they arrive fresh, vibrant, and ready to thrive.
• Trusted sourcing: Our plants are sourced from some of the best nurseries in Florida and handled with care from the grower to your aquarium.
• What You See Is What You Get: The images on our site are typical representations of the plants we sell—no unrealistic stock photos. Because live plants are natural products, individual specimens will vary in size, fullness, and exact coloration.
• Support when you need it: You can reach us through the chat feature on our website or simply give us a call—we’re happy to help with practical advice on planting technique, carpet maintenance, and creating paths and hardscape framing with Micro Sword.

For a strong start, combine Micro Sword with a nutrient-rich substrate, good lighting, and careful planting using quality tweezers. Paired with the right hardscape and a consistent routine, it’s one of the most satisfying carpeting plants for creating that lush, grassy-field aquascape look.