Planting Hemianthus Callitrichoides (Dwarf Baby Tears)

[threnjen]

I need some tricks for this stuff. It's expensive and I am annoyed at how I keep failing with it. Not failing to GROW it per se, but failing to plant it so that it stays in the substrate. Every time I try, within a month I have lost at least half of it as it gets somehow uprooted and breaks away bit by bit. It's so tiny and seems to have no roots. I've also tried planting it with a bunch of the rock wool attached but it still gets uprooted and is then quite ugly.
I think it's been 2 months since I bought some and it seems to all be gone /sigh And it wasn't through death, just gradual erosion...

Has anyone tried growing this emersed or something ? Or can give me some tips?

Edit: Well to somewhat answer my own question, I found this helpful video
Edit 2: Buuuut now that I watched it all the way through, I can just see those little plugs floating away...

 

[Delapool]

don't have yo yo loaches - they destroyed it (probably along with the mollies but the first plant that went was right outside where they hide in their cave).

 

[threnjen]

Well that's good to know! I'm guessing mine get pulled out all the time by my snails, purely on accident. They just plow over it like some sort of rude tractor and it pops right out. Maybe I need to accept it is not a very snail-friendly plant. It can't really stay in place with big fatties crawling all over it.

I just looked in the tank a while ago and realized the last of it is stuck to the filter intake. Sigh. There were like 4 pots worth at some point. And that stuff is not cheap

 

[Delapool]

Hope someone knows better than me

I'm hoping this weekend to pick up some floating plants to spread the load around. Sigh. You're not wrong about the expense.

I'm trying foxtail in pots with new lights. I looked at build my lights website and plan to order some as they look really good and I have a US plug adapter. But I went into a lfs across town to just 'check out' lights and came out with 2 x led light packs which I knew would fit under the hood. Should of left credit card in car outside, it would of been safer... The lights are ok but we're still behind the times here.

I've got the QT going and got permission to run it just about permanently (well that's what I thought), so I plan to try growing out some plants in there. Actually if I got another QT, then I could sit the old T8 on both and that would 'save' money as I would not have to get more lights Maybe I could put a betta in one!

Edit - sorry, just read that and all off topic!

 

[threnjen]

Hope someone knows better than me

I'm hoping this weekend to pick up some floating plants to spread the load around. Sigh. You're not wrong about the expense.

I'm trying foxtail in pots with new lights. I looked at build my lights website and plan to order some as they look really good and I have a US plug adapter. But I went into a lfs across town to just 'check out' lights and came out with 2 x led light packs which I knew would fit under the hood. Should of left credit card in car outside, it would of been safer... The lights are ok but we're still behind the times here.

I've got the QT going and got permission to run it just about permanently (well that's what I thought), so I plan to try growing out some plants in there. Actually if I got another QT, then I could sit the old T8 on both and that would 'save' money as I would not have to get more lights Maybe I could put a betta in one!

Edit - sorry, just read that and all off topic!

LOL that's ok!
Those BMLed lights are pretty dang awesome. I really like having LEDs.

That's a really good idea about the QT tank. I was just thinking to myself last night, where can I grow out plants without having another tank? My spouse is about ready to kill me. I wonder if my QT tank light is strong enough though. I don't have any "rude" fish or snails in there so I could grown out the baby tears in relative peace! It's an appealing thought!! I don't even really have any plans for this 10g QT when I am "done" getting fish for my 90g, so maybe it will just house boy guppies (trying to separate all my guppies because the population control plan in the 90g FAILED and there are probably FOUR DOZEN FRY). And then I can use it for plant growouts.

My only concern is I would need to fertilize and use Excel but I moved some plants into that tank specifically because the Excel was NOT friendly to them. But I can just move them to the new 5g Walstad planted I am working on and then the 10g will be safe to fertilize.

See you were off topic but it gave me good ideas

How big is your T8? Interesting idea to have it span two tanks

 

[wildroseofky]

I found a neat trick on another site for keeping plants down until they root. Take a couple of tooth picks and push them down on each side of the plant, cross over the tops of the tooth picks to form an X across the plant. I cut the sharp end off the top of the tooth picks to keep fish from getting stuck. You can buy cocktail tooth picks with blunted ends too. For mats of plants I broke the toothpicks in half leaving them joined at the break and pushed them into the plants and substrate like garden staples. Keeps the fish from pulling them up.

 

[Coyne]

I was about to post about a similar issue I'm having with Dwarf Hair Grass. I'll try the toothpick strategy. Thanks Rose.

 

[Tom Fields]

Plastic coated garden wire works pretty well

 

[Delapool]

LOL that's ok!
Those BMLed lights are pretty dang awesome. I really like having LEDs.

That's a really good idea about the QT tank. I was just thinking to myself last night, where can I grow out plants without having another tank? My spouse is about ready to kill me. I wonder if my QT tank light is strong enough though. I don't have any "rude" fish or snails in there so I could grown out the baby tears in relative peace! It's an appealing thought!! I don't even really have any plans for this 10g QT when I am "done" getting fish for my 90g, so maybe it will just house boy guppies (trying to separate all my guppies because the population control plan in the 90g FAILED and there are probably FOUR DOZEN FRY). And then I can use it for plant growouts.

My only concern is I would need to fertilize and use Excel but I moved some plants into that tank specifically because the Excel was NOT friendly to them. But I can just move them to the new 5g Walstad planted I am working on and then the 10g will be safe to fertilize.

See you were off topic but it gave me good ideas

How big is your T8? Interesting idea to have it span two tanks

The T8 is 3 ft and the QT on one filing cabinet is 1.3 ft. We have another filing cabinet right next to that one that is practically just sitting there. I would like to replace the electrical cord on the light but otherwise it's still good. I just have a desk lamp there at the moment which I'm thinking won't work. I could also get some more led lights. I'm thinking I'll work up to it - might be too much shock for the family to find the QTs have doubled and have a 3ft light on top!

 

[Delapool]

I found a neat trick on another site for keeping plants down until they root. Take a couple of tooth picks and push them down on each side of the plant, cross over the tops of the tooth picks to form an X across the plant. I cut the sharp end off the top of the tooth picks to keep fish from getting stuck. You can buy cocktail tooth picks with blunted ends too. For mats of plants I broke the toothpicks in half leaving them joined at the break and pushed them into the plants and substrate like garden staples. Keeps the fish from pulling them up.

Thanks for this - will try it. I noticed the foxtail is mainly cuttings so in the nice pots I did with potting mix I left some wool wrapped around them and then buried the wool under laterite gravel. I found the yo yo loaches were flashing and stopped last time after I took the wool out (had been leaving plant in shop pots hidden up the back of tank). I've found though that the wool has popped up through the gravel and I can see some floating around tank. Hoping to trim the wool back a bit this weekend.

The foxtail seems to be doing well so will get some more and try planting directly in tank floor gravel with tooth picks to hold down this weekend. Fingers crossed!

 

[Tparkening]

I use black sand on top of aqua soil where I place HC. The carpet is usually able to spread better while rooting into the soil more effectively. With just aqua soil I notice that the initial piece roots but much of the future growth just hovers above the substrate. Plus since the sand is fine grain you can sprinkle it over areas that are troublesome.

If it's a fish/snail problem you may have to remove them temporarily to allow for proper rooting.

 

[Delapool]

I use black sand on top of aqua soil where I place HC. The carpet is usually able to spread better while rooting into the soil more effectively. With just aqua soil I notice that the initial piece roots but much of the future growth just hovers above the substrate. Plus since the sand is fine grain you can sprinkle it over areas that are troublesome.

If it's a fish/snail problem you may have to remove them temporarily to allow for proper rooting.

What do you do when it reaches the water surface? Parts of the foxtail (where not stripped) have grown an inch or two and I can see it getting to the surface (seems either plant drought or it pours). I'm not sure if I should cut back just below surface or deeper or I was thinking of tucking it between the back tank wall and canister filter horizontal spray bar to keep it in one place, then let the end go where it likes?

 

[threnjen]

Thanks for the ideas! I'll have to try the garden stakes

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Billbug68]

Break it up in to small plugs like the video and shove it down deep in to the substrate. You don't have to worry about planting it by the roots, just shove the entire plug in deep with just a little bit of stem or leaf sticking out. Having a good pair of planting tongs helps a great deal.

What substrate are you planting in? Is your light strong enough to support HC? Are you running co2?

 

[Brookster123]

Following, I'm having the same issue...

 

[threnjen]

Break it up in to small plugs like the video and shove it down deep in to the substrate. You don't have to worry about planting it by the roots, just shove the entire plug in deep with just a little bit of stem or leaf sticking out. Having a good pair of planting tongs helps a great deal.

What substrate are you planting in? Is your light strong enough to support HC? Are you running co2?

My light is strong enough. CO2 would be my limiting factor as I dose Excel equivalent heavily rather than injected CO2. I'm assuming that it would be all right though as I am successfully growing Glosso which is propagating all over in the front. I've always thought (but don't know for sure, as when it comes to plants I am not so knowledgeable) that successful Glosso is a good indicator of whether I can grow high light plants.

My substrate is inert, a mix of different CAribsea small gravel and sand. I just put Seachem fert plugs in all over the place.

I'll try picking up a new pot and cutting it like in the video. I've always tried to plant it delicately just by the roots but that is clearly the wrong way to go!

I did notice that I DO still have a bit down in the substrate in an area that I missed and it has healthy green leaves. I think it's really an issue of poor planting and it should do all right if I just get it to stay in there.

 

[Billbug68]

Yeah, don't worry about planting by the roots. Just plant stem and all so there is barely any sticking out of the substrate. It'll take root and start to spread. Probably very slowly without co2, but it should be okay if light and ferts are sufficient. Don't expect a carpet over night.

If you don't mind me asking. What is your setup? Tank size? Light? Dosing? Can you post pictures?

 

[threnjen]

90g with 29g sump. Build My LED 10000k planted light. Dosing EI for a few weeks now, Iron and currently at 30mL excel equiv daily (working toward 90ml)

I want to add actual CO2 as my next project but money is tight at the moment. I really need it though because I'm battling BBA now.

Everything has been really taking off since starting EI, in fact I need a major rescape (and to add a good number of new plants ) because that rotala indica to the left of center has gone insane and the tank is really unbalanced.

Also it's crazy how things are growing now, I took that picture only a week ago and I just realized all my back wall plants are a few inches taller So imagine everything is a bit higher

 

[threnjen]

Also since starting the EI and dosing iron I'm really seeing some reds come out in some of the plants.

Been working this afternoon on a newly drawn map to rescape current plants and make a bunch of new additions

 

[Billbug68]

That's a very nice looking tank you have there. You seem to have everything in order. The driftwood looks great as well. You might consider some mid ground plants along the front of the driftwood. I love how crypt wendtii looks when it fills in in front of large driftwood like that. Very nice scape with a lot of potential.