It develops tiny, bright green leaves at an amazing rate, within the tank floor using a lush emerald carpeting.
The Dwarf Baby Tears naturally occurs in Cuba, however, it has spread through implanted tanks worldwide. They are usually sold separately in smallish pots or, for just less patient aquarists that want an instant carpet, they are already grown and rooted in coco fiber mats.
They can also be seen rooted in driftwood pieces for aquascaping purposes.
Being small, this plant is ideal even for Nano tanks, so given they have been well-lit.
Light as strong as two drops per gallon minimum should really be available to keep the plant growing near the ground. Less light can make it to grow up to the water surface, where it lives from the wild.
Dwarf Baby Tears usually are found rooting on porous stones or driftwood pieces. They can be implanted in the substrate for a foreground plant, but the result is much more resilient and natural when attached with other tank items.
It's possible to tie modest segments of Hemianthus to some rock or wooden bit of your choice and then leave it to develop its own roots round the item. Most aquarists prefer using cotton ribbon instead of rubberbands or fishing line, because it's hardly noticeable and it dissolves over the years, leaving the roots attached.
Still another manner of keeping them out of drifting around would be to pay the Dwarf Baby Tears' roots with moss that will then add weight into the plant.
These mosses will offer more nutrients, along with a good hiding ground for newly hatched fry.
For planting in the substrate, then you are able to plant a whole kettle in 1 place and wait for it to disperse, or you could separate little stalks and plant them around one inch apart for faster coverage.
This really is a time consuming process, though, so permit a few aquascaping hours. Plant the stems using a very long set of tweezers and make certain that the roots are well inserted in the ground.
Care
Dwarf Baby Tears desire a high-value substrate full of nutrients and minerals, especially iron. The plant is more sensitive to iron deficiency and also can display yellowish leaves if there is inadequate iron at the tank.
They'll do well with CO2 supplementation and constant fertilization to help accelerate growth speed.
Always prune this plant, even as while growingnew stalks can reach top of old ones and suffocate them; Dwarf Baby Tears literally kills itself if left unattended.
Reduce the stalks with a rather sharp pair of scissors or a razor blade to keep them in position when trimming.
Reproduction
Even the Hemianthus has pretty slow growth and development rate, but will still spread across the substrate after settling on your tank. Roots will branch away and produce a complex network, leading to a carpet-like look, but only if you remember to constantly trim the plant to keep it low.
Another popular method of distributing the Dwarf Baby Tears will be always to take smaller segments of plants and replanting these at the substrate.
This way, they will cover up the tank floor faster, as propagation is made from several points.
Tank Mates
The Dwarf Baby Tears could be planted along side other short foreground plants in contrasting colors. The dense carpeting enables spawning fish to lay their eggs as well as the young fry to hide from harassing adults.
There's no worry if plant-nipping fish graze on the Hemianthus Callitrichoides, as it will quickly recover and grow , particularly if it has covered a substantial surface.
Make an effort not to add ravaging fish, such as Oscars or even Jack Dempseysinto a tank implanted with Hemianthus Callitrichoides, since they will endeavour to uproot weaker stems when"rescaping" the tank.
Goldfish are perhaps not really a fantastic idea as a result of these different environmental requirements and because they are going to attempt to eat just as much of the plant as possible.
Be creative and use your own imagination and also take to some aquascaping tricks with this tiny plant that is versatile. You may use it in many tanks, from the tiniest to the greatest, in a variety of ways.
hemianthus callitrichoides without co2