The finest carpet in the hobby, and the least forgiving. Dwarf Baby Tears — HC Cuba — has leaves a few millimeters across, so a healthy carpet reads at a scale nothing else matches. It also wants high light, CO₂, and water below 78°F. Get those right and it carpets fast; get them wrong and it lifts off the substrate in sheets.
What You’ll Receive
Select the format that best fits your aquascape:
-
Fresh-cut Plants
Small loose clusters of HC (approx. 1"x1"), ideal for immediate planting and the most efficient way to establish a healthy HC carpet. -
Rooted Bunched Plants
Healthy stems tied with weight for quick anchoring and faster establishment. -
Rooted Potted Plants
Fully rooted plants grown in rockwool — the easiest to transition and quickest to carpet.
Plant Profile
- Common name — Dwarf Baby Tears, HC Cuba
- Scientific name — Micranthemum callitrichoides 'Cuba'
- Also known as — Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba' (the older name, still in wide use), HC Cuba, HC
- Origin — Cuba
- Placement — Foreground
- Shipped size — Small clusters approx. 1"x1", or rooted portions
- Mature height — 1–2 in
- Suits — 5 gallons and up
- Growth rate — Fast, once established
Care
- Difficulty — Advanced
- Light — High. Light must reach the substrate, not just the surface
- CO₂ — Required
- Water — 68–78°F · pH 6.0–7.0. Note the ceiling — HC struggles in warm tanks
- Substrate — Required. Nutrient-rich soil
- Growth habit — Amphibious. Also grows emersed
- Propagation — Runners and stolons
Grower’s Notes
- Temperature is the overlooked failure. People blame light and CO₂ when a carpet melts, but HC does poorly above about 78°F. In a tank running at 80–82°F for discus or similar, it will not hold — use Monte Carlo instead.
- Two names, one plant. Most of the hobby knows it as Hemianthus callitrichoides; the accepted name is now Micranthemum callitrichoides. You will see both on shop shelves and in forums.
- Plant small — three or four leaves per portion, half an inch apart. Large clumps rot in the middle and float off.
- A carpet that lifts is a rooting problem, not a nutrient problem. Press portions firmly into fine substrate and keep flow off them until they anchor.
- If this sounds like more than you want, Micranthemum Monte Carlo carpets in similar style with far less demand.
Want to go deeper? Read our carpet plant comparison: Dwarf Baby Tears vs Monte Carlo vs Dwarf Hairgrass.
Notes
- Photos are for reference only. Actual plant size, shape, and density may vary based on growth stage and tank conditions. Some initial melting may occur during transition.
- Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
At a glance
- Free shipping on orders of $150 or more (after discounts) within the contiguous United States, by USPS.
- Free thermal protection is included with every shipment, all year round.
- Processing: most orders leave us within 1 to 2 business days. Tracking is emailed when your order ships.
- USPS (2 to 5 business days) ships Monday through Saturday.
- UPS 2nd Day Air® ships Monday through Wednesday. Order by Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
- UPS Next Day Air® ships Monday through Thursday. Order by Wednesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
- Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and military addresses ship by USPS at a flat rate shown at checkout.
- Weather holds: during extreme heat or cold we may hold live orders until it's safe to ship.
- We ship within the United States only.
Please bring live plants indoors and unpack them the day they arrive. Every live order is covered by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee.
The complete rules, including lost packages and address issues, are in our Shipping Policy. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.
Every live order is backed by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee. If a plant arrives dead, we'll make it right.
How it works
- Tell us within 24 hours of the delivery time on your tracking.
- Send photos of the affected items in their original, unopened packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label, to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com with your order number.
- We'll make it right with a replacement, store credit or refund for the affected item.
Good to know
- Some melting or yellowing as plants adjust from greenhouse to aquarium life is normal. They regrow from healthy roots and rhizomes.
- Please bring your package indoors and unpack it the day it arrives.
- Free promotional items and shipping charges are not covered.
The complete rules, including what's covered and what voids the guarantee, are in our Returns, Refunds & Live Arrival Guarantee. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.
Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.
Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.
Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.
These aquatic plants arrive healthy with "great root systems" and "lush vibrant green" color. Customers praised the quality and said plants spread well underwater. However, some noted receiving smaller quantities than expected, and one reported a damaged shipment. Most customers found them easy to plant and appreciated minimal die-off.
- Lush vibrant green. Quality of these plants, excellent.
- Large portions, great root systems!
- Negligible die-off, they have actually spread very well.
J
They are doing good and the other plants I got from you guys are doing well too.
S
I ordered 9 and this is a 20 gallon long tank. I honestly thought I'd be getting about twice as much at the price. However, you can see that not only was there negligible die-off, they have actually spread very well. I dumped these straight underwater with no acclimation period. The cloudy image is within an hour of planting. The other two images are two weeks later.
R
Plants arrived in a timely fashion. Pricing was good. Quality of these plants, excellent. Lush vibrant green. Would continue todo more business with this establishment as well as recommend others. Appreciate you all.
B
Received THREE super healthy bunch appoximately 3-ish inch round clumps. They looked great and even better after 24hours.
A
Received a slimy, goopy mess. Unsalvageable. The myriad other plants in my order were excellent, but disappointingly, not these.
M
Well taken care of
A
Thought id be receiving more but everything seems healthy
M
These are such cute little plants. I chose to leave one bunched and seperate the other 3 ways. They absolutely pop against my biostratum, seiryu stone and driftwood. I love how they sort of flow with the water current which adds visual interest, and I think my future fry will enjoy hiding in then as well. Hoping they spread!
B
This store has probably been the best online fresh water plant store I've ever ordered from. All my plants came in great condition, no snails or random debris, and shipped pretty quickly. Definitely will be ordering from here again.
B
Most of the Alternanthera Ficoidea didn’t survive. I might want to order it again after returning from a trip . Thx
L
Large portions, great root systems!
T
All of the plants came in healthy and have stayed healthy. They have been in for a week with no melt
J
So lush!
Y
Really small amount
A
Look great
D
Arrived healthy and has a good root system. Will fit well as a foreground plant for my 15 gallon tank.
C
It arrived healthy and it was easy to put in my aquarium because it came bare-root. Highly recommend the product.
H
Are these fully aquatic/ submergeable?
Dwarf Baby Tears plants are true aquatic and they can growth submerged. They are quite popular in the aquarium hobby for foreground plants.
N
How much is there that I'd be receiving? Like width x length
small portion plants, approx. 1~2 inches in size
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