Dwarf Baby Tears, also known as Hemianthus Callitrichoides or even Hemianthus Callitrichoides in aquarium literature, is perhaps one of the popular foreground plants such as planted aquariums.
It grows miniature, bright green leaves at an remarkable speed, since the tank floor with a lush valley carpet.
The Dwarf Baby Tears naturally does occur in Cuba, but it's spread through implanted tanks worldwide. They are usually sold separately in tiny pots or, for even less patient aquarists that need an instant carpet, they are already optimized and grown in coco fiber mats.
They can also be seen rooted in driftwood pieces for aquascaping purposes.
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, given they are well-lit.
Lighting as strong as two drops per gallon minimum needs to 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 open.
Planting your Dwarf Baby Tears
Dwarf Baby Tears usually are found rooting on porous stones or driftwood pieces. They can also be implanted in the substrate for a foreground plant, however the effect is significantly stronger and natural when attached with other tank items.
You can tie tiny segments of Hemianthus to some stone or wooden piece of one's own choice and leave it to build up its own roots across the object. Many aquarists prefer using cotton thread instead of rubberbands or fishing line, even as it is scarcely noticeable and it melts over time, leaving the origins attached.
Yet another way of preventing them out of floating around would be to pay the Dwarf Baby Tears' roots together with moss that will add some weight into the plant.
All these mosses will provide additional nourishment, along with a good hiding ground for newly hatched fry.
For planting in the substrate, then you are able to plant an entire pot in one place and wait patiently for this to disperse, or you are able to separate little stalks and plant them around one inch apart for faster policy.
This is a timeconsuming procedure, however, so allow some aquascaping hours. Plant the stems utilizing a very long set of tweezers and make certain that the roots are well inserted in the soil.
Care
Dwarf Baby Tears require a high-value substrate rich in minerals and nutrients, particularly iron. The plant is more sensitive to iron deficiency and also will display yellowish leaves if there is inadequate iron from the tank.
They'll do well with CO2 supplementation and also constant fertilization that will help hasten growth speed.
Always prune this plant, as while growing, new stems will get on top of old ones and suffocate them; Dwarf Baby Tears literally kills itself when left unattended.
Reproduction
Even the Hemianthus has pretty slow rise and development speed, but may spread upon the substrate after settling into your tank. Roots will branch away and create 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.
Still another popular way of distributing the Dwarf Baby Tears will be always to cut off smaller segments of larger plants and replanting them in the substrate.
This way, they will cover up the tank 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 in contrasting colors. The dense carpeting will allow spawning fish to lay their eggs and the young fry to cover up from harassing adults.
There's absolutely not any worry when plant-nipping fish spilled on the Hemianthus Callitrichoides, as it will quickly recover and grow , specially if it has recently covered a substantial surface.
Make an effort not to add ravaging fish, for example as for example Oscars or even 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 really a fantastic idea as a result of these different environmental conditions and since they are going to try to eat as a lot of their plant as you possibly can.
Be creative and use your imagination and take to some aquascaping tricks for this specific small plant that is versatile. You are able to use it in many tanks, even from the tiniest to the biggest, in a variety of means.
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