Dwarf Baby Tears

 Quick Care Facts

• Care Level: Moderate   • Lighting: High   • Maximum Size: 5"
• Placement: Foreground   • Water Conditions: 70-84° F, pH 5.0-7.5, KH 0-10
• Propagation: Cuttings, Runners   • Color Forms: Green
Supplements: CO2 Supplementation, Substrate Fertilizer
• Origin: Cuba   • Family: Scrophulariaceae

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Hemianthus callitrichoides, also known as Dwarf Baby Tears, is a slow to moderate growing plant that originates in Cuba. Dwarf Baby Tears can take time to become established, but with regular pruning and optimal conditions, this small species will form a dense, bright green carpet over the entire aquarium substrate.

Although Dwarf Baby Tears is sometimes planted on driftwood or between rocks to give an aquarium a more natural look, it is more commonly used in the foreground, often in combination with other foreground plants for an attractive contrast.

There are two popular ways to plant Dwarf Baby Tears: Either plant small half inch groups in the substrate at roughly one inch intervals, or gently plant individual stems close together with a pair of tweezers; both methods will work well under optimal conditions. An established colony of Dwarf Baby Tears is an ideal environment for spawning fish to lay their eggs.

With lighting of at least 2 watts per gallon by full spectrum (5000-7000K) bulbs and a fine-grained, rich substrate, Dwarf Baby Tears will thrive and spread quickly. This species will also greatly benefit from CO2 supplementation. The more light and CO2 available, the more this species will prosper.

Dwarf Baby Tears will propagate with runners that branch off from the root area and cuttings from a mature plant can be replanted in the substrate to form new plants.