# Growing Hemianthus Callitrichoides (HC)



## krazykidd86

Hemianthus Callitrichoides aka HC is a seemily rare foreground plant. 
Why is that? Is it hard to grow, slow growing? How do you get it to grow successfully? 

_Here's a picture attributed from APC of Hemianthus Callitrichoides._


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## bharada

It's only considered rare because it's relatively new to the hobby. Under high light with CO2 and Ei dosing it actually grows pretty fast. 

I'm growing some in a 10g tank at work. The tank has a a mix of Flourite, Truface and quartz sand, a 55w GE 9325 bulb and gets dosed PPS, TMG and Excel. I planted a little over 1 sq in of HC when I set it up last October. Today it's a patch about 7"x5".


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## Hoppy

Bill, did you plant that one square inch a single plantlet at a time? Using tweezers? If so, do the plantlets tend to try to float out of the substrate? And, lastly, do cory's tend to dig it up before it gets established?


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## riverrat

I am using hc as a foreground. I started with a small patch maybe 1/2 in.x 1in. that hitchhiked with a few plants I bought from someone. :thumbsup: That was maybe 3 months ago. I now have a 5 x 12 lawn roughly. still filling in a bit here and there. 

I first planted the small patch I received and left it alone until it grew to about 2x2 then I snipped it up and planted it sparsely in the area I wanted it. Two months later it is very nice. 

This plant started out slowly during an acclimation period but once that took place it grew like gang busters. I then had a bba problem not on the hc but a few other plants. I did a excel overdose for 10 days and the hc went from growing like gang busters to completely banannas! 

I really like the plant.


riverrat


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## bharada

Hoppy said:


> Bill, did you plant that one square inch a single plantlet at a time? Using tweezers? If so, do the plantlets tend to try to float out of the substrate? And, lastly, do cory's tend to dig it up before it gets established?


Yes, I try to break the clumps up into individual strands—the longer the strand the better. Then I treat each strand like a stem plant and bury half of it.

If I do end up with a small clump I'll push the whole thing into the substrate until the outer edge gets covered, leaving just the leaves in the center of the clump sticking up out of the gravel.

The shorter stems and clumps do tend to uproot, and I'll try my best to re-anchor them. But sometimes I'll just let them float, or get caught in the filter intake until the get a bit longer before I replant them.


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## jimmydrsv

riverrat said:


> I did a excel overdose for 10 days and the hc went from growing like gang busters to completely banannas!


That is an awesome description. I am going to have to get my hands on some excel.


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## scrimp

I have to get my hands on some HC though I cant find anyone whos giving away some or selling it


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## amitabh

Tropica has some good info on this plant in the aquaristic section - check it out - http://www.tropica.com/article.asp?type=aquaristic&id=621

I just started with this one (avatar) - divided the plants into small pieces and planted them a few centimeters apart. Hoping in a few weeks to have grown a nice, lush green lawn in the foreground of my tank 

According to Tropica it is a "medium" demanding plant which thrives in good light and with CO2 injection.


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## ja__

it does have needs for a nutrius substrat from what i experienced it turns paler if its not enough of it....it has a pretty medium growth rate after my oppiniun


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## amitabh

ja__ said:


> it does have needs for a nutrius substrat from what i experienced it turns paler if its not enough of it....it has a pretty medium growth rate after my oppiniun


Thanks ja  

Nice to see you here buddy :biggrin: Always willing to listen to valuable advice from a "senior".

Btw I dont have any special substrate apart from gravel but willing to give it a try anyway... it seems happy judging by wild pearling so lets see!


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## ja__

thanx amitabh nice too see you too your hc looks good how much did you pay for each pot? just wondering as i got mine from "sindre."

krazykidd86: if its not too expensive i could bay some for you and send it too ya if you are interested?


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## amitabh

ja__ said:


> how much did you pay for each pot? just wondering as i got mine from "sindre."


I have no idea - never look at prices when I buy plants! I just buy buy buy :hihi: 

ja,

If U have some Alternathera reineckii in your tank that you might be willing to sell => consider me interested!


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## Betowess

bharada said:


> It's only considered rare because it's relatively new to the hobby. Under high light with CO2 and Ei dosing it actually grows pretty fast.
> QUOTE]
> 
> 
> Mine doesn't grow too fast because the Amanos keep munching on something on it and ripping it to shreds!:icon_redf


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## bharada

Betowess said:


> Mine doesn't grow too fast because the Amanos keep munching on something on it and ripping it to shreds!:icon_redf


That must the HC you got from someone else.


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## Betowess

It probably is. But those Amanos aren't too discriminating. I think they liked Pipefish's more... it didn't recieve the 8 day USPS first class service. I've got enough buried deep that some should emerge through the DMZ, I hope. I might have to remove a few of the walking, er, floating wounded to my 26bow. But there is one big Amano that is truly a water buffalo run amok in my defenceless little stand of HC. He munches like a wood chipper.


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## bharada

Betowess said:


> I might have to remove a few of the walking, er, floating wounded to my 26bow. But there is one big Amano that is truly a water buffalo run amok in my defenceless little stand of HC. He munches like a wood chipper.


That's really strange as my Amanos don't pay any attention to the HC. Anyway, unless the mad shrimp is eating them, I'd leave the floating bits of HC alone. They do very well floating and it'll give them a chance to grow out a bit before you replant them.


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## Betowess

bharada said:


> That's really strange as my Amanos don't pay any attention to the HC. Anyway, unless the mad shrimp is eating them, I'd leave the floating bits of HC alone. They do very well floating and it'll give them a chance to grow out a bit before you replant them.


Good advice and I'll take it. Patience is the key here. I also saw my Corys bulldozing through the stand last night after I dumped a cup of Eco complete on top of the remaining chunks. They knocked another loose which I promptly replanted. I have really large gravel in there which makes it difficult to anchor. But from now on the HC is on its own.:icon_eek:


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## Raul-7

Do you anchor using plastic mesh? I've heard that once it covers the foreground, it grows upward; thus killiing the layer of HC below it.


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## Betowess

Raul-7 said:


> Do you anchor using plastic mesh? I've heard that once it covers the foreground, it grows upward; thus killiing the layer of HC below it.


No, just the gravel and a light layer Eco on top of the HC... with a bit of the HC poking through. Thats why it pulls free so easily. That wacked out female Amano was playing the grim reaper with my HC. When she was done, it looked like a chainsaw ran through some salmon berry bushes. Then my Corys decided to start bulldozing. Its kind of comical, when you think how much I paid for 3 sq. inches.:icon_roll But I think it will come through eventually.


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## krazykidd86

So it sounds like an overdose of excel doesn't harm HC like it does with riccia right?


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