Hemianthus Callitrichoides Care

[chrisodapz]

hi

I have put some in my tank, it came in a small pot so i removed the pot and planted it into the top of my substrate but its gone a bit yellowish/brown. Its been planted for just over a week, is this normal or have done it wrong. I have a two tubes one is power glo and one is aqua glo. i havent got co2 set up and have not used fertilizer. i have other plants too

any advice would be appreciated.

chriso.

 

[mark4785]

From experience, HC is a very difficult plant to keep alive and I certainly wouldn't want it has a starter plant. They also don't seem to root into the substrate too easily and can be often nibbled on by certain fish.

I had a set of 5 HC about 2 months ago and 1 one of them started to turn yellow/brown and the others were getting eaten by the fish. I think the fact that you are not using fertilisers with this plant doesn't help the situation as it's a plant that requires high light, and with high light you need to be providing it with fertilisers and c02.

Even with ferts and c02 injection though, this plant can die off so my advice to you is to choose another plant over HC if you want to have any luck.

Mark.

 

[RadaR]

HC doesnt need high light. It needs good CO2 and nutrients. You could easily grow it in a low light set up with CO2 and nutrient dosing.
However, if you're not going down the CO2 and nutrient route, then I'd give HC a miss.

 

[chrisodapz]

ok thanks,

Would it be best to start using nutrients as i have alot of plants in the tank and i dont really at this stage want to go co2 route.

If HC not best can anyone recommend a carpet plant suitable for my set up.

Ta,

chriso

 

[mark4785]

ok thanks,

Would it be best to start using nutrients as i have alot of plants in the tank and i dont really at this stage want to go co2 route.

If HC not best can anyone recommend a carpet plant suitable for my set up.

Ta,

chriso

Well I'd recommend Eleocharis Parvula. That is the one I reverted to after failing with HC. It's certainly easier to keep alive but be sure to take it out of it's pot and separate it into several clumps. One large clump will often result in algae growing in between each stem (certainly in a high light take anyway).

It will certainly need both macro and micro nutrients with some form of c02 as it's a fast growing plant.

 

[JoshuaA]

I have some Eleocharis Parvula and Glossostigma elatinoides, the latter being the harder to keep satisfied. These are both considered nice carpeting plants

Dwarf hairgrass (Eleo Parv) will grow in a variety of conditions I have it in my main tank in which it has Medium light + CO2 + TPN+ and a good strong tropica underbase substrate. Then I also have it in my small Betta tank which has nothing but sand and light I rarely even dose that tank for nutrients as measuring the small amounts is fiddly. Dwarf hair grass will do better in a well provided environment but can survive quite happily in lower tech tank, however the carpeting effect won't be achieved in a lower tech tank for some time.

Glossostigma Elatinoides is a bit of an awkward one I have found and wouldn't advise it unless you're going to be dosing nutrients and injecting Co2.

If you are after a carpeting plant like your purchase of HC suggests you could even go down the moss on slate route which is simple but not very attractive until after a few weeks and it has kicked in.