# HC vs Baby tears



## karmalotus (May 2, 2006)

Ok.. so I have seen and heard great things about HC (Hemianthus callitrichoides) I can't seem to find any in my area, and it's not a small town. Is this plant also known as "baby tears"?? If it's not baby tears is there a common name I can use? Store clerks seem baffled by "HC" or the latin name. THANKS!


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## Salt (Apr 5, 2005)

Common names tend to vary so much and get mixed up, I try hard not to use them.

"Baby Tears" _usually_ means _hemianthus micranthemoides_, but it could also refer to _hemianthus callitrichoides_ (HC) as well.

HM has slightly larger leaves than HC and tends to grow more upright. It will also likely be easier to find.


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## karmalotus (May 2, 2006)

Thanks, Salt! How difficult is HC to grow? Many of the stores in town don't carry HC or HM as it requires "Too much light" to thrive in most tanks. I'm at about 2.5 WPG and I have CO2 injection... would this be a lost cause in my tank? I really want it to grow on a piece of wood and cover the foreground...


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## youjin (Apr 1, 2006)

I have lots of hemianthus micranthemoides, HM.

It works for me in my 10 gallon tank with 2.5 wpg and i use DIY CO2.

My HM are able to spread and cover the foreground and didn't really grow upright and is thus good for my use.

PM if you are interested and i can ship some to you. HC is very expensive (a 2 x 2 inch is at least $15 shipped) and i will wait longer to try these expensice plants till i am more experience.


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## JKCoyne (May 1, 2006)

Please pardon my ignorance, but am I to take the above posts as saying that there are plants, HM for example, which spread out horizontally across the substrate as they grow, but don't grow significantly upward? If so, what are some examples, besides HM, if it actually is one? Thanks

-- J.K.


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## djlen (Jun 22, 2004)

My experience with 'Cuba' is that it will grow fairly well in light from 2 wpg up.
I also inject CO2 so I don't know what the result would be without CO2 injection.
Here's what Tropica has to say about this plant:http://www.tropica.com/frameset_frontpage.asp
Scan down to Hemianthus callitrichoides

Len


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## sarahbobarah (Sep 5, 2005)

HC was difficult for me to grow when I first got it. For some reason, in my CO2 injected tank with 4.5 wpg, it didn't gain any growth and slowly succumbed to hair algae (which is a PITA to remove from it). However, in my nano tank with no CO2 and about 7 wpg, it survived. Didn't thrive, mind you, just survived. It wasn't worth the bother in the end, and the hoopla. 

I will second Andrew's recommendation to wait until the price drops (prolly another month or so) and then buy it. Meanwhile, have you grown glosso yet?


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## karmalotus (May 2, 2006)

No, I've not grown Glosso... I am interesting in something like that... tiny and delicate looking for a good foreground plant in the 55 and to put in my little five gallon for my cherries... 

what is the biggest difference from glosso to HM?


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## sarahbobarah (Sep 5, 2005)

Ah... if you want delicate-looking, then I would go with the HM. glosso's leaves are a bit thicker, more robust. For your five gallon cherry tank, I would suggest a riccia carpet. It will be more maintenance, but the effect is worth it.


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## holocron (May 29, 2005)

I always thought baby tears were Micranthemum umbrosum. (another nice plant btw).


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## youjin (Apr 1, 2006)

Micranthemum umbrosum tends to grow upright and is useful as a mid ground plant. I will definitely not used them as a foreground plant.

I thought both are called baby tears / Micranthemum umbrosum is giant baby tears. Am i right ?


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## jhj (Feb 18, 2006)

I have HM (hemianthus micranthemoides) growing on the front right hand corner of my 75G. I have noticed something very interesting, the new growth is very compact and almost growing on the bottom covering the ground. If it continues to do that, I wll let it cover my foreground.

I have also heard that you can train HM to growm horizontally by giving the taller leaves a trim when necessary.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Both Hemianthus micranthemoides and Micranthemum umbrosum have been called baby tears. A few other things probably have as well. It's generally best to stick with the genus/species names to avoid confusion.

Hemianthus callitrichoides is usually just called HC, at least here on APC. If you're looking for some, the best place is usually another hobbiest. It does tend to be a little expensive. Aquabotanic has it sometimes. I haven't found it all that hard to grow, but it does tend to attract debris & hair algae.

Hemianthus micranthemoides can grow horizontally and produces a pretty nice effect. To get this, most people plant it horizontally and trim anything that starts to grow upward.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

> I have also heard that you can train HM to growm horizontally by giving the taller leaves a trim when necessary


 True. I have it as a foreground sod in a portion of one of my 50's with 2.4wpg.

Hemianthus micranthemoides is also known as 'pearlweed'.


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## thumperinflorida (Mar 30, 2006)

I bought a couple of bunches for $1.09. They were huge, pristine condition and the most lovey shade of green. It's like I've got a spot light on them. Everyone that has seen my tank comments on them. BTW: The company's shipping is VERY resonable.

http://store.yahoo.com/aquaticplantdepot/batehmi.html


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## youjin (Apr 1, 2006)

hi karmalotus,

I got your PM. Just pay shipping for the paypal. Will ship out the HM next monday.

If anybody else want some to try, pls PM me....price is cost of shipping.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

HC is not sold commercially, legally, in this country by anyone unless they import it like I do. Most stores do not import their own plants, there are a few that do, like Albany Aquarium in California, and that one in Maryland I cant remember the name of at the moment. The only time you will find HC in a store is if either a hobbyist brought it into the store, or I sold it to them.

Micranthemoides, (if we start using too many abbreviations it gets very confusing. People use HC because they can not pronounce the actual name) is more commonly found in the USA because micranthemoides is grown in nurseries in Florida. HC is not. I will have lots of HC next week. I do not think the price will come down anytime soon, not until it is grown in Florida. So you will have a very long wait if you expect the price to come down.

Micranthemoides growing horizontal looks like this:


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## imhandy2 (May 2, 2006)

It has been my experience with HC "cuba" that when I had only 2wpg in my 5g and no C02 it didn't thrive. Even when I increased my lighting to 4wpgit still didn't do as well untill I injected C02 then it really started to thrive. This shot was a little foggy due to the CaCl2 but is spreading nicely with the dwarf grass.

Terry.


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