# baby tears help!



## fishscale (May 29, 2007)

I prefer to call baby tears by the scientific name, Hemianthus Callitrichoides, or HC. Or is it HC? I have also seen plants labeled baby tears that are Hemianthus Micranthemoides, or HM. Pet stores never have the correct labels. 

I am not sure you have enough light to keep HC growing low. You do have enough light for HM. Light is not the only factor in keeping plants alive. Did you plant your baby tears, or just float them? Did they come potted? Most potted HC is grown emersed, so there is a transition period to submersed, although my HC seems to be transfering quite well. HC and HM both love CO2 and Excel. Running DIY CO2 with a biowheel has a negligible effect on the amount of CO2 in the water. This is a big reason why your plants may not do well. A week is not long enough to make a decision. If the baby tears melted in a week, it may come back soon enough. Any chance you could get a picture?


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## susankat (Oct 14, 2007)

_I prefer to call baby tears by the scientific name, Hemianthus Callitrichoides, or HC. Or is it HC? I have also seen plants labeled baby tears that are Hemianthus Micranthemoides,_ 

Fishscale this isn't right. HC is basically a dwarf form of babytears. HM is pearlweed. Micranthemum umbrosum - Baby Tears doesn't require quite of high light as HC. Baby tears, can grow under medium light, but will grow taller and can be kept trimmed to look like a bush.


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## loachlady5 (Dec 9, 2007)

susankat said:


> _I prefer to call baby tears by the scientific name, Hemianthus Callitrichoides, or HC. Or is it HC? I have also seen plants labeled baby tears that are Hemianthus Micranthemoides,_
> 
> Fishscale this isn't right. HC is basically a dwarf form of babytears. HM is pearlweed. Micranthemum umbrosum - Baby Tears doesn't require quite of high light as HC. Baby tears, can grow under medium light, but will grow taller and can be kept trimmed to look like a bush.


I have umbrosum. It doesn't look anything like the above photo


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## susankat (Oct 14, 2007)

Does yours look like this http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=185

Its one and the plant.


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## loachlady5 (Dec 9, 2007)

Yes - it looks exactly like that. So I guess mine was labeled correctly. Thanks. So what is the one in your photo? I get confused b/c there are three kinds that I know of. I absolutely adore the umbrosum. I think it looks gorgeous as a midground plant. It's tiny leaves and light green color are a great contrast. It also grows very quickly for me.


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## fishscale (May 29, 2007)

I disagree that HC is a dwarf form of "baby tears," whatever that may be. It is a non scientific name for a plant which may be either Hemianthus Micranthemoides or Micranthemum Umbrosum. If anything, it would be a dwarf form of Hemianthus Micranthemoides. HM and MU do not look the same. Here is an example of HM being sold as baby tears:

http://www.aquariumplants.com/Baby_Tears_Hemianthus_micranthemoides_p/bp005.htm

This is why I prefer scientific names to common names. The description you gave of Micranthemum Umbrosum is also applicable to Hemianthus Micranthemoides. HM will also grow taller and into a bush under lower light. I have mine under ~2wpg in my QT tank.


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## susankat (Oct 14, 2007)

Micranthemum umbrosum 

depending on the lights over it, the difference in the looks of it.


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## susankat (Oct 14, 2007)

Same plant different tank.


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## Daniel*Swords (May 8, 2006)

Susankat, IMHO, you have what is usually called HM in both of your pics.

I'm growing both so called HM & so called MU in the same tank side by side and they look different. In my experience, too, MU needs higher light. Whether they are different species is debatable: of course, they could be two different populations of the same species... Would you have some references that we could check out?


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## susankat (Oct 14, 2007)

HM http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...ails.php?id=33&category=genus&spec=Hemianthus
MU http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=185


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## susankat (Oct 14, 2007)

I may have gotten the 2 mixed up as I have both HM and MU in different tanks. Both will grow different depending on the lighting. Less light I have found it will grow taller.

But the point is, HC isn't babytears actually but is referred to as dwarf babytears by several different sources.


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## MisoSama (Jan 2, 2008)

Okay here is a pic of the plant that i have. The plant was free and came attached to a rock. I just set the rock on the substrate and let it go. There is NO biowheel on my filter and very little water aggitation. how much more light would i need for HM or any other high light plants?? I have 65w 6500k pc, and two 20w 2800k Flora gro bulbs. Thanks for the help everyone!!


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## Daniel*Swords (May 8, 2006)

IMO, you have HM there, MisoSama. And it looks good to me! 

And I don't think you need more light for it because I'm growing it in a low-tech ~30 gal tank with only 2 x 18W tubes with reflectors! You have what, 3.75 WpG? That is a high light tank.

You do give lots of ferts to the tank? You might need to up the CO2 as well.


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## fishscale (May 29, 2007)

With the amount of light you have, the amount is probably more than enough. However, I noticed in my 20L at least, that the light was not spread very evenly.


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## LS6 Tommy (May 13, 2006)

susankat said:


> Does yours look like this http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=185
> 
> Its one and the plant.


That's how Baby's Tears looks when grown emerged. It'll come back looking like the first picture with the thinner, more ovate leaves after it's been in the tank a while.

Tommy


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## JustOneMore21 (May 23, 2006)

susankat said:


> .
> 
> But the point is, HC isn't babytears actually but is referred to as dwarf babytears by several different sources.


I agree. I've seen HC labelled as "dwarf baby tears" and also have seen HM labelled as baby tears when actually M. umbrosum is the real Baby Tears. 

I have had both MU and HM and MU grows much taller. HM stays lower in my tanks, but may be because they are high light.


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## fishyjoe24 (Dec 10, 2009)

bump then what is hemiantbus micranthemoides common name I bought 4 of them as a potted plant, they are real small and look like baby tears, but the tag is Florida aquatic nurseries. baby tears--- hemiantbus micranthemoides what will my plant actually.
I also got some rotela walleria that was supper red and now it's light brown and I have 260 watts on my 55, but no c02 is that my problem.  I also have a hob penguin 330 with no bio wheel or pads, just bio-max in a panyhoses with it in the hob.


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## Green024 (Sep 19, 2009)

fishyjoe24 said:


> bump then what is hemiantbus micranthemoides common name


Pearl Weed 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myplants/87-Pearl_Weed_Hemianthus_micranthemoides.html


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

fishyjoe24 said:


> bump then what is hemiantbus micranthemoides common name I bought 4 of them as a potted plant, they are real small and look like baby tears, but the tag is Florida aquatic nurseries. baby tears--- hemiantbus micranthemoides what will my plant actually.
> I also got some rotela walleria that was supper red and now it's light brown and I have 260 watts on my 55, but no c02 is that my problem. I also have a hob penguin 330 with no bio wheel or pads, just bio-max in a panyhoses with it in the hob.


 
With that much light you should get pressurized CO2 and a good fertilizer routine setup.

Craig


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## mikentx (Dec 13, 2009)

FWIW, here's a pic of both in my tank. HM is the taller darker one in the back, HC are the three new little mounds in front.


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## fishyjoe24 (Dec 10, 2009)

Craigthor said:


> With that much light you should get pressurized CO2 and a good fertilizer routine setup.
> 
> Craig


thanks how much am I looking at for pressurized c02? what would be a good kit to get?



Green024 said:


> Pearl Weed
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myplants/87-Pearl_Weed_Hemianthus_micranthemoides.html


thanks, still looks like it will be a nice plant.



mikentx said:


> FWIW, here's a pic of both in my tank. HM is the taller darker one in the back, HC are the three new little mounds in front.


your tank looks nice.


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