Dwarf Baby Tears, also known as Hemianthus Callitrichoides or Hemianthus Callitrichoides in aquarium literature, is one of the most popular foreground plants for planted aquariums.
It grows tiny, bright green leaves at an remarkable rate, within the tank floor with a lush valley carpet.
The Dwarf Baby Tears naturally occurs in Cuba, however, it has spread through implanted tanks worldwide. They're generally sold individually in small pots or, for just less patient aquarists that need an instant carpet, they are already optimized and grown in coco fiber mats.
They can also be utilized rooted in driftwood pieces for aquascaping purposes.
Tank Requirements
The Hemianthus Callitrichoides will flourish in mostly acidic water with a pH range between 5.0-7.5 and also a temperature between 70-84 degrees Fahrenheit. Being small, this plant is ideal even for Nano tanks, so given that they are well-lit.
Light as strong as two drops per gallon minimum should really be available to hold the plant growing near the floor. Less light will make it to rise upto the surface, where it typically lives from the wild.
Dwarf Baby Tears are usually found rooting on freshwater rocks or driftwood pieces. They may also be implanted in the substrate for a foreground plant, but the result is much more resilient and more natural when attached to additional tank objects.
You can tie tiny segments of Hemianthus to some rock or wooden bit of one's own choice and leave it to build up its roots around the object. Many aquarists prefer using cotton thread instead of rubberbands or fishing line, because it's hardly noticeable and it melts over time, leaving the origins attached.
Another manner of preventing them from drifting around is to cover the Dwarf Baby Tears' roots together with moss that'll then add weight to the plant.
All these mosses will provide additional nourishment, as well as a fantastic hiding ground for newly hatched fry.
For planting at the substrate, you can plant an entire pot in one place and wait for this to disperse, or you can separate little stalks and plant them around one inch apart for faster policy.
This is a time consuming process, though, so allow a few aquascaping hours. Plant the stalks using a long set of tweezers and make certain that the roots are well inserted in the ground.
Care
Dwarf Baby Tears want a high-value substrate full of nutrients and minerals, especially iron. The plant is sensitive to iron deficiency and also can display yellow leaves if there is not enough iron from the tank.
They'll do well with CO2 supplementation and also constant fertilization that will help hasten growth rate.
Always prune this plant, as while growing, new stalks can reach top of older 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 place while trimming.
Reproduction
The Hemianthus has pretty slow growth and development pace, but may spread upon the substrate after settling on your tank. Roots will branch off and develop an intricate network, resulting in a carpet-like appearance, but only in the event you make sure to trim the plant to continue to keep it really low.
Still another popular way of distributing the Dwarf Baby Tears will be always to take smaller segments of larger plants and replanting these from the substrate.
In this manner they are going to cover the tank up floor faster, as propagation is manufactured out of a number of points.
The Dwarf Baby Tears could be implanted along side other short foreground plants from 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 recently covered a substantial surface.
Make an effort not to incorporate ravaging fish, such as Oscars or Jack Dempseysinto a tank implanted with Hemianthus Callitrichoides, since they are going to make an effort to uproot weaker stems when"rescaping" the tank.
Goldfish are not a fantastic idea as a result of these different environmental requirements and because they will stubbornly attempt to eat just as a lot of their plant as feasible.
Be creative and use your imagination and also take to some aquascaping tricks for this specific small versatile plant. You may put it to use in several tanks, from the smallest to the greatest, in an assortment of means.
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