# Dwarf Baby Tears help? (I did a search)



## Homer_Simpson (May 10, 2007)

zavikan said:


> OK, whats missing.
> 
> 96watts (6700k) 38 gallons = 2.5 WPG 8 hrs a day.
> 
> ...



The more I read about such common experiences among folks who start HC submersed and end up with such problems, the more convinced I become that the best way to start HC as a strongly rooted and anchored carpet is to start it emersed as described here and then to flood the tank. I know this does not help you now, but it is something you may want to consider in the future. Personally, I would not plant HC or dwarf hairgrass any other way.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/g...ion/52332-new-method-start-up-algae-free.html


----------



## dp12man (Mar 18, 2009)

Nothing is missing it took mine about 2-3 months before it starts to grow at a good rate.

I got two pots and threw away rockwool. The HC was nice and green and basiclly fell apart. It looked like it died and it was stringy as you described. I covered it with some substrate not to much. Enough so that it cant float but light gets to parts of it. I dose aswell and about the same amount of light and time on. Four months later it starts to come up thru the gravel pretty nicely. If I look carefully youll see a little leaf here and there plus the larger patches that still look ugly but have new green leaves.

I recently pulled it up parts of it and cut it into smaller sections and spread it out some more. 

But I had no option to do it emeresed since it is in my 55g.


----------



## o snap its eric (Jan 12, 2004)

HC is a plant for a patience which i dont have yet i was still able to grow it. It takes HC a very long time to settle before spreading out. I had a few patches that thinned out to the point where i thought i have failed. But with my lazyness and slight hope to thank i just left it in there and soon enough the "failed" bunches started to grow back and how its spreading out nicely. My theory with the whole thinning out of HC patches is that the plant is adapting to the new environment. The original leaves and root system wasn't used to the new one thus rotting away allowing the new generation to grow which is fully adapted to our water. 

If you are anything like me, a person with little patience and who observes their tank daily to see any growth or changes in the environment you will go insane looking at HC. Took me the hard way to figure it out but now when i look at my tank i just glance at the HC on to the other plants. Once a while i step back and observe the HC to see its progression. To this day i have some HC growing much more rapidly than others which i believe has to do with lighting. Many people say HC demand high lighting and i do have high lighting but its not spread as evenly as i want. It's apparent that the places with a lot of light exposure, the HC is growing fast while the places with not so much is growing very slow with smaller leaves. 

If i had to grow HC all over again i would do the suggestion posted by Homer_Simpson. I didn't add my HC until i rescaped my tank for the third time.


----------



## moogoo (Dec 7, 2007)

doesn't sound like you have any CO2? HC loves CO2!


----------



## zavikan (Jan 5, 2009)

*whoops*

stupid me. and shame on everyone else for not noticing either. :icon_redf

Tank is co2 injected. Greenleaf set up.

James

I am thinking about buying a new tank (my current substrate is just aquarium rocks... and the current tank is scratched to hell). I guess I'll go emerged w/ the H/C first?


----------



## niptek (Nov 9, 2008)

need more hc? i happen to have some forsale. =) easier to buy them not attached to rockwool. =) 2x2 for 10$ shipped.


----------

