Question on Planting HC

[LindaC]

Can you grow HC between the needle point matts like you can with Java Moss or Riccia? It's so small, I'm having quite a time planting it in my 10 gallon with just regular gravel, although I have managed to get some to stay down but for how long is anyone's guess. I put some away and I'm hoping that I can put it under the mesh I purchased a while ago and grow it that way.

Anyone?

 

[Jchillin]

I believe Purrbox just finished planting some recently. I'm sure she'll stop by presently.

 

[Purrbox]

While it might be possible to grow HC this way, I've never heard of anyone doing it. The main reason that people grow Riccia like that is because it doesn't have roots or any other way of attaching itself to a surface.

I'm guessing that by regular gravel, you mean that your substrate is fairly large grained. Unfortunately this definately won't help you in your efforts to get a nice carpet of HC. With small plants like this it is especially important to have a substrate with particles sizes between 1-3mm. Perhaps it would be possible to mix in another substrate with what you currently have to make it easier on your HC to take hold.

When planting HC, or any other carpet plant for that matter, you want to separate it into individual plantlets and plant them spaced a bit apart. This will help it to fill in quicker and with HC it will help prevent it from becoming lumpy. Since HC is so small you may have to resort to 2-3 plantlets just so you have enough to hold onto. A needle nose tweezers is especially helpful with this task and don't forget to give yourself several hours to fight with it as you try to convince it to stay where you want it.

Hope that helps.

 

[LindaC]

Thank you Purrbox it helps a lot. One question, can you recommend a subtrate that I might be able to mix in with my gravel, actually it's not large gravel, it's medium size, if that helps at all.

Where it's a 10 gallon tank, I wouldn't have to purchase a lot of it, hopefully.

Linda

 

[GlitcH]

Someone help out a noob.........HC?

 

[GlitcH]

n/m.......I found it......Hemianthus Callitrichoides.

For my fellow noobs...

 

[Purrbox]

There's lots of options out there. You could go with sand (Pool Filter Sand or Tahitian Moon Sand), Plant Substrate (Flourite, Onyx, Eco Complete), or something like Turface. Unfortunately most of these would fill your tank on their own (some with plenty to spare). The Pool Filter Sand and Turface will be the least expensive options but also leave you with the most left over.

You could alway post in the Classifieds or Barter/Trade section to see if someone in your area has a partial bag leftover.

 

[LindaC]

Good idea, thanks Purrbox. I have managed to get some if it to stay down, it's been down for two days now! I do have a Flourite subtrate in my larger tank, so I may try to take a little out and put it in the front and plant some HC in those spots, hey, it's worth a try..

 

[travis simonson]

One suggestion is to use hairnets (I buy more of them from my local Walmart than most restaurant workers do ) and use them to attach the HC to heavy objects. They have an open enough weave to allow the fine leaves of HC to grow through them. I use hairnets for my Riccia and I see no reason that they shouldn't work for HC as well.