I HATE This Plant…

Ok, I don’t really hate this plant, or hardly any aquarium plants for that matter, but Dwarf Baby Tears certainly is up on the list of my most disliked plants.

Not daily—- but I would say about every other day at least, someone asks me,

“Hey man, I am new to keeping fish, but I really want that carpet look. Can I get dwarf baby tears?”

My answer is almost universally, “No, Mr.  Rookie. You will kill that plant extremely fast.” 

(I say it nicer than that, and push them to dwarf sag

Dwarf Baby Tears is much smaller, more sensitive and more demanding variety of regular Baby Tears. Hemianthus callitrichoides if you want the scientific name.

This is a HIGH LIGHT, HIGH CO2 plant, not to mention that it likes a good substrate.  Did I mention that it’s roots typically are about a centimeter long or less?

Oh and how about the fact that it is typically grown ABOVE THE WATERLINE? (which typically means a quick death when placed into the average joe aquarium under water) 

I get the draw though, it looks sweet.  People see it growing an a bunch of Amano-scapes and think they want, and can have that.   I still hold my ground on everything I said above…..

But on the other hand…. It sure is sweet when you have it rolling.  Here’s the deal. I was actually randomly sent a pot of this by my supplier. I wouldn’t have order it, but since it came to me….

Why not play with it?  The truth of the matter is that I am actually having a blast with this plant right now! Yes- I have openly bashed its sale in the hobby and I get on my high horse about it in the Dirted Tank Guide, but it sure is fun when playing under the sun!

Happy Fathers Day Fish Tank Fathers-  Tank on!