How To Plant Hemianthus Callitrichoides (hc)

[EliteFishy]

I just got couple clumps of this stuff and I have no idea how to plant this stuff. Can anyone help please

 

[craynerd]

when you find out let me know


Sam has sent me about 2 lots of the stuff and i have never got it carpeting successfully.

Its a case of pushing the roots in the substrate, but i find it floats out.

Chris

 

[Graeme Edwards]

I had some HC of sam too,
What i did was make small clumps, gatherd the roots so i could get a grip with my tweezers and bunged it, SIMPLE and its doing fine no probs

Sam da MAN 8)

 

[EliteFishy]

I had some HC of sam too,
What i did was make small clumps, gatherd the roots so i could get a grip with my tweezers and bunged it, SIMPLE and its doing fine no probs

Sam da MAN 8)

is it carparting? and how fast it it growing

 

[Graeme Edwards]

Yep its carpeting fine, in my aqau cube its growing slowly but steadily.
It's not a hard plant to grow.

 

[MoreCoffee]

I've got some planted in my small 45Ltr tank, it's been in there for about 3 weeks and is just starting to take off, I think this is a bit slow, but there ya go !

Originally I planted it in clumps, but this had limited success.
I was then advised to plant each individual 'plantlet'. If I'd done this I'd still be planting it !! But I think the advice was good, all that was lacking was my ability to spend a whole day planting each plantlet .

A set of tweesers (preferably long ones) is a great help and so is a large amount of patience. Pull up a chair and dont plan on doing this quickly !

What I did do was to plant it in much smaller clumps than I had originally ... as small as I could realistically manage. I had problems with it staying rooted in the substrate (Eco-complete), but finally it seems to be settling in, the tank is fairly new and I've had some problems with brown diatom's, however my Amano shrimp are cleaning it up nicely and it has started to fill out

I have quite a bit more HC to plant in the next few days ( a solid mat about 8" by 6"), as I've just had a delivery, the trouble is the tank it was destined for isn't ready for it yet .... so I have a bit of a rethink to do ! (yet again ! ). It's currently growing emersed in containers under a 20W light, but I want it planted soon.

Basically, I've had the most success with planting it in the smallest clumps you can mangage, with good lighting and added CO2.


Mr G

 

[Themuleous]

Well its always good to be known to the TFF crew

As to planting it, it does best if you plant each individual stem seperately, like you do with glosso. Little clumps can work but they have to be very little or I think the centre of the clump rots. Its really a case of the more you put in the more you get out. It took me 2hrs to do my nano and that only has a surface that's 24x8! So be preparded for a long haul. Tweezers are the best thing and yes it will float out if not pushed deep enough! If you're having trobule push it so that only one or two leaves are showing, I've dont this and it means it holds but this gets some light to the upper leaves.

This pic of Simon's HC (also mine BTW ) shows how it should be planted

Just one thing, HC really only carpets in an EI tank, with lots of everything, it is also very NO3 hungry so try adding more, I had mine at 10ppm to start with but the leaves went yellow so I always keep it over 20ppm now and it carpets like a dream

Sam