Hemianthus micranthemoides - a question on growth

[Verminator]

"Hemianthus micranthemoides is also commonly known as "Pearl Grass", due to the formation of many tiny bubbles on its leaves when good conditions are met.

It requires good lights (>2wpg) and will thrive even if no CO2 is added. Under intense lights, it can crawl and stay very low in an aquarium, forming very desirable carpets in a short time. This plant makes a great addition to any small to mid sized tanks."

As quoted from Mizu World and other texts.

I've highlighted the section i'm most interested. I have an up and coming 2ft scape which i'm currently thinking of using HC (Callitricoides 'cuba') and HM (Micranthemoides 'Pearl grass') in. How intense do the lights have to be to have it trailing growth.

I may opt for just a taller hair grass at the back though. If i manage to get HM to crawl, it may leave the back to empty and lacking in height, unless i can get it to crawl over and around rocks like Ukplanter did in one of his recently decommisioned tanks (i do believe?)

Thanks, James

[jacian]

The only time that the HM creep for me is when I have a MH light for it. My current 2ft with 4x24W T5HO also did not make the HM creep.

[Aquaculture]

Jacian, the 2ft you're referring to is the length or height? Mine's a 2ft depth and its 6 x 39W, 8000k.... I wonder would it creep?

[jacian]

Mine is a 2ft lenght with 40cm height. For a tank with 2ft height, it will be quite difficult for it to creep.

[Aquaculture]

Oh! Got to source for higher kelvin, hopefully it helps. Thanks for the prompt reply Jacian.

[blue33]

HM is highly sensitive to fish medications such as erythromycin and tryptaflavin and even to nylon fabric.

[jacian]

Higher kelvin does not really help, it is the lights pentration power that matters. Anyway, why will you want HM to creep, it is seldom used as foreground plant. There are many other plants that creep.

[Verminator]

I myself will use HC as foreground. I just had inspiration from Ukplanter seeing his HM crawl over rocks from the back to the front.

Maybe i'll scrap the idea then seeing as it doesnt look like it'll be possible.

[aquaSynthesis]

I myself will use HC as foreground. I just had inspiration from Ukplanter seeing his HM crawl over rocks from the back to the front.

Maybe i'll scrap the idea then seeing as it doesnt look like it'll be possible.

Sir..HM and HC are different. HM that i bought looks like small stem plants, about 3-5cm in height.

while the HC that i got rarely grow above 1cm..

[soulfinder78]

I also had the same problem. I try growing them in my 4 feet tank with 8 x 54 watt T5HO and not only did they not creep they even died on me. By the way when I bought there from the fish farm i think they called it MM. So I was confused.

[jacian]

It is used to be called Micranthemum micranthemoides (MM) but it is the same as HM.

[Verminator]

Sir..HM and HC are different. HM that i bought looks like small stem plants, about 3-5cm in height.

while the HC that i got rarely grow above 1cm..

Don't worry, i know they're two different plants. HC is the small carpet plant, HM is the taller stem plant which grows to around 15cm tall usually. If provided the right lighting it can creep slightly. As Ukplanter managed to an extent in his scape "COAST".

I think i'll scrap the HM idea though, as i doubt i'll be able to get it to creep, so i won't waste my time or money on attempting this.

HC, riccia and a few stem plants shall be used in the scape i'm currently planning.

[soulfinder78]

Can some HM expert advise on why i cannot get the HM to grow? Thank you

My tank parameters:
Size: 4 x 2 x 2
PH : 6
Temp: 28
Lights: 8 x 54 T5HO
Fert regime: Lushgro 45ml weekly, Lushgro (mirco) 45 drops weekly
CO2: 10 bps
Substrate : ADA amazon 2

[jacian]

Any chances they are planted under the shade? What other plants that are growing well in your tank?

[soulfinder78]

glossostingma grows very well in my tank. HM are all grow without anything blocking them cause they are currently the tallest plants in my tank. But it seems that after growing to a certain height they will just died off.

[jacian]

Hmm....maybe you want to keep them at a certain height? I see that your tank is 2ft depth, could it be at certain height, the lights could not reach the bottom part, thus causing the plants to die off?

[illumnae]

Could it be shortage of P? at your CO2 and light levels, the P from waste could be used up really fast and as Lushgro doesn't provide P in its mix, perhaps your HM is dying from lack of it?

Just a stab in the dark here based on your specifications

[soulfinder78]

So I should be adding in P too. hmmm...I shall try adding in P and see how it goes. thanks.. Because my bioload very low only about 10 fishes so I think chances are you are right on the P thing.

[Verminator]

I find when dosing ferts its best to dose as many different elements as you can. As i found an imbalance of even the less important ones can cause deficiency in my plants. So i dose in excess of most elements currently.

[soulfinder78]

Could it be shortage of P? at your CO2 and light levels, the P from waste could be used up really fast and as Lushgro doesn't provide P in its mix, perhaps your HM is dying from lack of it?

Just a stab in the dark here based on your specifications

If I add KH2PO4, how much of P concentration should I achieve? I read the forum and I found a formula: 0.8 x volume of tank x P = amount of PO4 I should add. In the thread it states 0.5 to 1ppm, so how do I convert ppm to ml? Can I say that if I need to raise 1ppm in a 450L tank,I should divide the total volume into a million parts to get the exact amount needed?