Description
Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba' Tissue Culture
One of the smallest true carpeting plants used in aquascaping, supplied in clean tissue culture for creating an exceptionally fine, low foreground.
Quick Facts
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Scientific name: Hemianthus callitrichoides 'Cuba'
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Placement: Foreground
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Growth: Moderate under suitable conditions
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Light: Medium to high
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CO₂: Strongly recommended
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Difficulty: Moderate to advanced
Is this for you?
HC Cuba is for aquascapers wanting an extremely fine carpet and who can provide stable light, nutrition and preferably injected CO₂.
Why choose HC Cuba?
Its tiny leaves create a sense of scale that is difficult to reproduce with larger carpeting plants, making it particularly effective in nano aquascapes and detailed Iwagumi layouts.
Benefits
- Very small leaves
- Creates a fine, low carpet
- Excellent visual scale for nano tanks
- Tissue culture allows many small planting portions
Care made simple
Rinse off all culture gel and divide into many small plugs. Plant shallowly across the foreground with tweezers. Provide consistent fertilisation, good circulation and adequate light. Injected CO₂ substantially improves the chance of forming a dense submerged carpet.
What You'll Receive
One tissue-culture cup. Plant mass and density vary naturally between cultures.
Pairs perfectly with
Pair with stone layouts, dwarf hairgrass, compact red plants and small-leaved stems.
NTA Insight
HC Cuba is sometimes presented as an easy carpet because the individual plant is tiny. The opposite is closer to reality: maintaining a dense submerged carpet is less forgiving than Monte Carlo. If you are running a lower-tech tank, Monte Carlo is generally the safer choice.
FAQ
Can I grow it without CO₂?
It may survive in some non-CO₂ systems, but injected CO₂ is strongly recommended for reliable compact carpeting.
How is it different from Monte Carlo?
HC Cuba has substantially smaller leaves and can form a finer carpet, but it is generally more demanding.
How much should I divide the cup?
Use many small portions rather than a few large clumps to encourage even coverage.