Dwarf Baby Tears, also called Hemianthus Callitrichoides or Hemianthus Callitrichoides in aquarium literature, is perhaps one of the most popular foreground plants for planted aquariums.
It grows miniature, bright green leaves in an wonderful speed, covering the container floor with a lush valley carpet.
The Dwarf Baby Tears naturally does occur in Cuba, however, it has spread throughout planted tanks worldwide. They're usually sold separately in smallish pots or, for just less patient aquarists that want an immediate carpeting, they come already optimized and grown in coco fiber mats.
They can also be found rooted in driftwood bits for aquascaping purposes.
Tank Requirements
Even the Hemianthus Callitrichoides will thrive in mostly contaminated water with a pH range between 5.0-7.5 and a fever between 70-84 degrees Fahrenheit. Being so small, this plant is also ideal even for Nano tanks, so given that they are well-lit.
Lighting as strong as two watts per gallon minimum needs to really be available to hold the plant growing near the ground. Less light will make it to grow up to the surface, where it naturally lives from the open.
Planting your Dwarf Baby Tears
Dwarf Baby Tears usually are found rooting on freshwater rocks or driftwood pieces. They can be planted within the substrate for a foreground plant, however the effect is a lot more resilient and more natural when attached to other tank objects.
You can tie modest segments of Hemianthus into some rock or wooden piece of your choice and then leave it to produce its own roots round the thing. Many aquarists prefer using cotton ribbon instead of rubber bands or fishing line, since it's hardly noticeable and it dissolves with time, leaving only the roots attached.
Still another manner of preventing them from floating around is to pay the Dwarf Baby Tears' roots with moss that will then add weight into the plant.
For planting in the substrate, you can plant an entire kettle in 1 place and wait patiently for this to disperse, or you can separate small stems and plant them about one inch apart for faster coverage.
This really is a time-consuming process, though, so allow some aquascaping hours. Plant the stems utilizing a long pair of tweezers and make sure the roots are well embedded into the ground.
Care
Dwarf Baby Tears require a high-value substrate full of nutrients and minerals, especially iron. The plant is more sensitive to iron deficiency and also will 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 rate.
Always prune this plant, as while growing, new stems are certain to get on top of old ones and suffocate themDwarf Baby Tears literally kills itself when left unattended.
Reduce the stalks with a rather sharp pair of scissors or a razor blade to help keep them in position whilst trimming.
Reproduction
Even the Hemianthus has pretty slow rise and development pace, but may spread across the substrate after settling in your tank. Roots will branch off and develop an intricate network, resulting in a carpet-like appearance, but only in the event that you remember to constantly trim the plant to continue to keep it low.
Another popular way of propagating the Dwarf Baby Tears is always to cut smaller segments of larger plants and replanting them in the substrate.
This waythey will cover up the tank floor faster, as propagation is made from many points.
Tank Mates
The Dwarf Baby Tears may be implanted along side other short foreground plants from contrasting colors. The dense rug allows spawning fish to lay their eggs as well as the younger 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 again, specially if it has recently covered a significant surface.
Make an effort never to incorporate ravaging fish, such as Oscars or Jack Dempseys, to a tank planted with Hemianthus Callitrichoides, as they are going to make an effort to uproot poorer stalks when"rescaping" the tank.
Goldfish are not a good idea as a result of the different environmental requirements and simply because they will stubbornly attempt to eat just as much of this plant as possible.
Be creative and use your own imagination and try some aquascaping tricks for this specific small versatile plant. You can put it to use in many tanks, even from the tiniest to the largest, in an assortment of means.
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