Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba' (Dwarf Baby Tears) - Carpeting Plant
- Submerged-Grown Quality Stronger roots, instant tank success
- Healthy-Plant Guarantee Replace or refund if not perfect
- Express Shipping Included Ships express even on standard orders
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Care snapshot
Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba', commonly known as HC Cuba or Dwarf Baby Tears, is one of the smallest aquarium plants in the world and the ultimate choice for creating stunning, lush carpets in aquascapes. With its tiny, bright green leaves and compact growth habit, this plant is perfect for achieving a natural, dense carpet effect in both nano tanks and larger aquascapes.
Why Choose HC Cuba (Dwarf Baby Tears)?
- The smallest aquarium plant available - creates incredibly fine, detailed carpets
- Bright green, pearl-like leaves add vibrant colour and texture
- Perfect for foreground carpeting in any size aquarium
- Creates a natural, lush meadow effect in aquascapes
- Ideal for nature aquarium and Iwagumi-style layouts
- Highly sought-after by aquascapers worldwide
Care Requirements
- Difficulty: Moderate to Advanced
- Light: High
- CO2: Required for best results
- Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate
- Placement: Foreground
- Substrate: Nutrient-rich substrate recommended
Expert Tips
HC Cuba thrives in moderate to high light conditions with CO₂ supplementation and nutrient-rich substrates. Plant small portions (1-2cm apart) across the foreground area for best coverage. The plant will spread via runners to fill in gaps and create a dense carpet over time.
Regular trimming helps maintain a tight, compact carpet and prevents the plant from growing upward. With proper care and patience, HC Cuba will reward you with one of the most beautiful and detailed carpets possible in aquascaping.
All plants are shipped carefully packaged to ensure they arrive in excellent condition. Live plants may vary slightly in size and colour from photos.
Acclimation: Float the bag in your tank for 15 minutes to equalise temperature, then plant directly in substrate.
Lighting: Most aquatic plants thrive at 0.5+ watts/litre with 6500K colour temperature for 6-8 hours/day.
Fertilising: Use a quality liquid fertiliser weekly. Root tabs help heavy root feeders.
CO₂: While not essential for most plants, CO₂ injection dramatically improves growth and colour.
Trimming: Regular trimming encourages bushy, healthy growth and prevents shading of lower leaves.
Dispatch: Plants are usually dispatched Monday to Friday from Perth, WA. During summer (Dec–Feb), dispatch is limited to early in the week (Mon–Wed) to avoid heat damage in transit.
Live shipping: Plants ship via Express Post with insulation and heat/cool packs as needed.
Live arrival guarantee: If your plants arrive unhealthy, send a photo within 4 hours of delivery for replacement or refund.
Tracking: You'll receive a tracking number by email as soon as your order ships.
Hardware & consumables: 30-day return window for unopened items in original packaging.
Live items: Cannot be returned but are covered by our healthy arrival guarantee.
Refunds: Processed within 5 business days of receiving your return.
Need help? Contact us — we're real aquascapers based in Perth.
Will my plant survive the trip in summer/winter?
Yes — we ship via Express Post and add insulation plus heat or cool packs as needed. Most orders arrive within 1–3 business days. If anything goes wrong, our healthy plant guarantee kicks in.
Are these plants beginner friendly?
It depends on the species. Check the Care guide tab — we've tagged each plant with difficulty (Easy / Medium / Advanced). Most of our range is suited to beginners with basic lighting.
Do I need CO₂ for this plant?
Most aquatic plants we stock will grow without injected CO₂, but growth is dramatically faster and more vibrant with CO₂. The Care guide tab indicates whether CO₂ is required, recommended or optional.
Will it have snails or pesticides?
No. All our plants are submerged-grown in controlled conditions — no pesticides, no algae hitchhikers, no snail eggs.
What if my plant arrives damaged?
Send a photo to us within 4 hours of delivery and we'll replace or refund. That's our healthy plant guarantee.
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FAQs
Most stem plants come in bunches of 4-6 stems. Thicker-stemmed species typically come in portions of 2-3 stems. Mosses and some carpet plants are supplied as 5x5cm portions. Exact portion details are listed in the product description for each plant.
All live plants are shipped express via Australia Post to ensure they arrive fresh and healthy. We carefully package plants to protect them during transit, even if you select standard shipping at checkout
We guarantee your plants will arrive healthy. If they don't, contact us within 24 hours of delivery with photos, and we'll replace or refund them. See our Refund Policy for details.
CO2 requirements vary by species. Check the Care Information tab for this specific plant. Many of our plants can thrive without CO2, though growth may be slower.
Most of our aquarium plants are grown submerged (underwater), which means they adapt faster to your tank and are less likely to melt. This gives you stronger roots and instant success. The exception is our terrarium plants, which are grown emersed (above water)
Due to the perishable nature of live plants, we cannot accept change-of-mind returns once dispatched. However, our 24-hour arrival guarantee covers any plants that arrive in poor condition.
Orders typically dispatch within 1-2 business days. Delivery times are 1-2 days for WA and 2-4 days for interstate. All plants ship express for freshness.