Dwarf Baby Tears, also known as Hemianthus Callitrichoides or Hemianthus Callitrichoides in aquarium literature, is perhaps one of the most popular foreground plants for planted aquariums.
It develops miniature, bright green leaves at an incredible speed, since the tank floor with a lush valley carpeting.
The Dwarf Baby Tears naturally occurs in Cuba, but it's spread throughout planted tanks worldwide. They're generally sold individually in small pots or, for even less patient aquarists that want an immediate carpeting, they come already grown and rooted in coco fiber mats.
They are also able to be seen rooted in driftwood pieces for aquascaping purposes.
The Hemianthus Callitrichoides will flourish in mostly acidic 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, given that they are well-lit.
Light as strong as two watts per gallon minimum needs to be available to maintain the plant growing close to the bottom. Less light may induce it to rise upto the surface, where it typically lives in 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 more natural when attached with other tank objects.
You're able to tie small sections of Hemianthus into a stone or wooden piece of one's choice and then leave it to develop its origins around the item. Most aquarists prefer using cotton ribbon rather than rubber bands or fishing line, even as it is scarcely noticeable and it melts over the years, leaving the roots attached.
Still another manner of keeping them from drifting around would be to pay the Dwarf Baby Tears' roots together with moss that will add some weight into the plant.
These mosses will provide more nutrients, together with a fantastic hiding ground for newly hatched fry.
For planting in the substrate, you are able to plant a whole pot in 1 place and wait patiently for it to spread, or you could separate small stems and plant them around one inch apart for faster policy.
This is a timeconsuming procedure, 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 soil.
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 in the tank.
They will do well with CO2 supplementation and also constant fertilization that will help hasten growth rate.
Always prune this plant, as while growing, new stems are certain to reach top of older ones and suffocate them; Dwarf Baby Tears literally kills itself if left unattended.
Reproduction
Even the Hemianthus has pretty slow rise and development rate, but will still spread across the substrate after settling on your tank. Roots will branch off 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.
Still another popular method of distributing the Dwarf Baby Tears will be always to take smaller segments of larger plants and replanting these at the substrate.
In this manner they will cover up the tank floor faster, as propagation is made from several points.
Tank Mates
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 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, particularly if it has covered a significant surface.
Do your best never to incorporate ravaging fish, for example as Oscars or Jack Dempseys, to a tank planted with Hemianthus Callitrichoides, as they are going to attempt to uproot poorer stalks when"rescaping" the tank.
Gold fish are perhaps not a fantastic idea as a result of these different environmental requirements and since they are going to attempt to eat as much of their plant as possible.
Be creative and use your imagination and also take to some aquascaping tricks for this specific small versatile plant. You can put it to use in a number of tanks, from the smallest to the largest, in an assortment of means.
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