# growing dwarf baby tears emersed?



## snail (Sep 22, 2010)

I broke my normal good sense and bought a plant I knew nothing about. The thing was I was at a shop far from home and I really liked the plant and it was not expensive. From looking at pics I think it is Hemianthus callitrichoides and is not at all suitable for my low tech, low/medium light, plain gravel substate tank. Does any one have any suggestions for me, other than I shouldn't have bought it ? From what I've read about it I thought I might be able to grow it in a small tank on it's own emersed for now or I can try letting it float in my tank instead so that it is closer to the light. Prehaps I could grow it on a platform near the top of the tank?


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## PinoyBoy (Mar 14, 2008)

The thing with growing hc and other plants immersed is that they will do some melting when you submerse them and sometimes just die out, but that's a small chance of happening. You can use a small tupperware to grow them out, just make sure you keep the humidity up.


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## snail (Sep 22, 2010)

PinoyBoy said:


> You can use a small tupperware to grow them out, just make sure you keep the humidity up.


Is it ok to seal the container to keep the humidity up? Like in a small glass tank in bright but not direct sunlight?


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## Axelrodi202 (Jul 29, 2008)

The tank should have some small holes for fresh air (CO2) to come in. However, a lot of it should be covered.


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## snail (Sep 22, 2010)

Thanks, I'll give it a go. I grow lots of plants in bottle gardens with the top sealed, it is possible because plants make their own CO2, some plants love it but others won't do well with out air movement and rot. Has any one tried this with HC? For one thing the high humidity might be a problem.


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## FlSHRFun (Jun 26, 2010)

Where did you hear that plants make their own CO2?


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## deleted_user_7 (Jul 7, 2003)

At night plants respirate oxygen and release CO2.


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## snail (Sep 22, 2010)

In theory plants can live in a small self contained 'biosphere' as they provide every thing they need for themselves. They release CO2 at night and through rotting leaves. I usually take out the rotting leaves though and open up my sealed terrariums every month or so to let air circulate. Many moisture loving plants love this treament. Of course growth rates are slow, you don't want them fast in a bottle. Plants that need air circulation don't like it though. Some people put a fan inside a closed system for this reason, but it doesn't bring in air from outside just circulates the air inside the terrarium.


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## Axelrodi202 (Jul 29, 2008)

HC doesn't take a dry substrate too well, but a moderate humidity is fine.


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