Dwarf Baby Tears, also called Hemianthus Callitrichoides or even Hemianthus Callitrichoides in aquarium literature, is probably one of the most popular foreground plants for planted aquariums.
It develops miniature, bright green leaves at an amazing rate, since the container floor having a lush emerald rug.
The Dwarf Baby Tears naturally does occur in Cuba, however, it's spread throughout planted tanks worldwide. They're normally sold separately in smallish pots or, for less patient aquarists that need an instant carpet, they come already optimized and grown in coco fiber mats.
They can also be seen rooted in driftwood bits for aquascaping purposes.
Tank Requirements
The Hemianthus Callitrichoides will flourish in mostly contaminated water with a pH range between 5.0-7.5 and a temperature between 70-84 degrees Fahrenheit. Being small, this plant is also ideal even for Nano tanks, so provided they are well-lit.
Lighting as strong as two watts per gallon minimum should really be available to maintain the plant growing close to the floor. Less light can cause it to rise up to the water surface, where it naturally lives in the great outdoors.
Dwarf Baby Tears usually are found rooting on freshwater rocks or driftwood pieces. They can also be implanted within the substrate for a foreground plant, but the effect is a lot more resilient and more natural when attached to other tank objects.
It's possible to tie small sections of Hemianthus to a stone or wooden bit of one's own choice and leave it to develop its roots round the item. Many aquarists prefer using cotton ribbon instead of rubber bands or fishing line, because it's scarcely noticeable and it melts with the years, leaving the origins attached.
Yet another manner of preventing them out of floating around would be to cover the Dwarf Baby Tears' roots with moss that will add some weight to the plant.
These mosses will provide additional nourishment, along with a fantastic hiding ground for newly hatched fry.
For planting at the substrate, then you are able to plant an entire kettle in 1 place and wait patiently for this to disperse, or you could split up little stalks and plant them around one inch apart for faster policy.
This can be a time-consuming process, though, so allow some aquascaping hours. Plant the stems employing a very long set of tweezers and make certain that the roots are well fit into the ground.
Care
Dwarf Baby Tears need a fine-grained substrate rich in nutrients and minerals, especially iron. The plant is more sensitive to iron deficiency and also can display yellow leaves if there's inadequate iron from the tank.
They will do best with CO2 supplementation and constant fertilization to help hasten growth rate.
Always prune this plant, as while growingnew stems will get on top of old types and suffocate themDwarf Baby Tears literally kills itself when left unattended.
Reduce the stems with a very sharp pair of scissors or a razor blade to keep them in place whilst trimming.
Reproduction
The Hemianthus has pretty slow growth and development pace, but may still spread upon the substrate after settling into your tank. Roots will branch away and produce a complex network, leading to a carpet-like look, but only in case you make sure to trim the plant to continue to keep it really low.
Yet another popular way of distributing the Dwarf Baby Tears will be to cut off smaller segments of larger plants and replanting them in the substrate.
In this manner they will cover up the tank floor faster, as propagation is made from a number of points.
The Dwarf Baby Tears can be planted alongside other short foreground plants from contrasting colors. The dense carpeting enables 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 spilled over the Hemianthus Callitrichoides, as it will begin to recover and grow , especially if it has covered a substantial surface.
Try not to include ravaging fish, for example as Oscars or even Jack Dempseysinto a tank implanted with Hemianthus Callitrichoides, as they will attempt to uproot poorer stalks when"rescaping" the tank.
Goldfish are perhaps not really a good idea because of the different environmental requirements and since they will stubbornly try to eat just as much of the plant as you can.
Be creative and use your own imagination and take to some aquascaping tricks with this tiny versatile plant. You can put it to use in several tanks, from the tiniest to the largest, in an assortment of means.
news