Growing Hemianthus callitrichoides (HC)

**luenny** · 29th Jun 2007, 10:21

Hi all,
I am thinking of growing HC in my small office tank. It will be a Non-CO2 tank with ADA Amazonia soil and lights (still have not decide how much lights yet). Anybody experience growing HC in non-CO2 environment before? Is it do able?

By the way, does anybody know where to get submersed HC? Or should I just get the emersed form instead since it is so easily available in LFS? I know it takes longer to get establish. Any advice on this from experts here?

Thanks.

- Luenny

**oblivion** · 30th Jun 2007, 03:15

Originally Posted by luenny

Hi all,
I am thinking of growing HC in my small office tank. It will be a Non-CO2 tank with ADA Amazonia soil and lights (still have not decide how much lights yet). Anybody experience growing HC in non-CO2 environment before? Is it do able?

By the way, does anybody know where to get submersed HC? Or should I just get the emersed form instead since it is so easily available in LFS? I know it takes longer to get establish. Any advice on this from experts here?

Thanks.

- Luenny

they usually don;t do too well with insufficient lights ==> won't carpet and creep well
so no co2 + not as much lights ==> not sure the hc will creep nicely

theres a few guys selling submersed hc -- broadcast around the marketplace you might get some responses
i got mine from a bro too

n if you buy emersed form, should let it float for some time in the tank for them to convert 1st before planting ==> saves you hell alot of effort later on

**luenny** · 30th Jun 2007, 18:55

Hi Lee1224,
Thanks for the reply. Ok, I will broadcast on marketplace when I am setting up my office tank. Oh, it needs high light is it? Hmm ... let me see what I can do about that. Thanks again.

**inimicus** · 29th Feb 2008, 14:46

Hi there

just wondering if you had a chance to set up your non CO2 HC tank yet.

Any updates?

Keen to know cause thinking of trying out too.

**williamng** · 2nd Mar 2008, 10:53

Hi

HC require strong lights, CO2 and cool water. I spoken to richard (Colorful aquarium), he mention cooling water is the most important for HC. Well, personally i tried twice with strong lights and high CO2 injection but fail. Guess he should be correct as I have seen him growing HC in his aquarium

**alechim** · 2nd Mar 2008, 11:16

you are right about cooling water, my HC in my office are grown in temp of 24 degrees C, 72watts of light and 3bps CO2. They are growing quite well and pearling too. But partially I think the reason is I got it submerse from colourful, my friend who got his emerse had his HC melted within 2-3 weeks

**berlinjs** · 2nd Mar 2008, 18:22

emerse are those selling in lfs but l saw some lfs let HC float on top of tank water level, is this consider submerse?
Or do we just buy from lfs and just let it float and as time goes by it sink naturally?

sorry for sounding stupid

**alechim** · 2nd Mar 2008, 20:05

floating are the emerse, submerse = submerge = planted in substrate

**EvolutionZ** · 2nd Mar 2008, 20:27

i personally have bought emmersed HC from c328. my tank temp is hovering around 28C daily.. high lighting with co2 and ferts dosage.. HC changed from emmersed to submersed with only 10 - 20% of the HC melted.. and started creeping at quite a fast rate after 1 - 2weeks of planting..
i feel that HC growing is based on luck.. so bros try alot times but still fail.. while some like me.. first time try and manage to get it creeping =)

**williamng** · 2nd Mar 2008, 22:22

Great job evolution! I am one of those who tried and fail. I think I am going to have another shot for my new setup!

**freddiewee** · 2nd Mar 2008, 23:38

hey hey, very lucky for those who managed to grow them. i bought some HC recently and some are melting

im not sure if the shop keeper took the emersed hc then just tie to a rock and sell and tt i submerged it. right now i have 2.4 wpg which i doubt is enough to grow hc... maybe thats why its melting

cheers!

**Jervis** · 3rd Mar 2008, 00:00

Just wondering... are all these HC?

Those tiny roots growing downwards... are those signs of creeping?

Thanks!

**alpay** · 14th Mar 2010, 17:04

Originally Posted by Jervis

Just wondering... are all these HC?

Those tiny roots growing downwards... are those signs of creeping?

Thanks!

yes these are HC. mine look exactly the same

**eviltrain** · 14th Mar 2010, 23:30

Originally Posted by Jervis

Just wondering... are all these HC?

Those tiny roots growing downwards... are those signs of creeping?

Thanks!

the roots are growing downwards because it needs to hold them self into the soil. try to weigh them down with lead plant weights. if not those under the " canopy " will start to rot due to lack of lights

**madnugget** · 14th Mar 2010, 23:35

haha its a post 2 years ago.. anyway some parts of my HC have such problems too.. yea maybe i should weigh them down so they can grab the soil..

**cydaph** · 15th Mar 2010, 01:16

Haha! No problem madnugget, I'm sure somehow it will benefit other members of this forum if they have question about HC. My experience with Hc was that I did the Dry start method, I let them grow for a month . They grew very fast using my 24x4watts t5 lighting. My only mistake is that I did'nt plant them properly. So after I watered the tank, most of them floated on the surface. Also, one third of my HC melted because I introduced my DIY CO2 a week later. After that start to grow again but upwards instead of spreading... MY temp hovers around 29-30 deg.

**madnugget** · 15th Mar 2010, 05:39

haha i'm using 24x4w too, but i did straight submerge, initially due to water conditions, all melted. later i added new batch in and it survived =) mine rarely grow upwards temperature same as yours too..

**Wahlin** · 15th Mar 2010, 09:13

Personally my HC need cooler temperature to grow well. They never make it with temperature above 28 DegC at home.

**kimchi** · 15th Mar 2010, 11:04

My HC melt everyday. Probably i put too much sand & HC roots are too short?

**kimchi** · 15th Mar 2010, 11:19

How to make HC spread instead growing upward? I have 3 inches of sand on top of fertilizer on a 4-ft tank with CO2 tank & room temperature without chiller. Bot them from shop & plant them without the cotton as anchor. How to do last minute salvage?