Hemianthus callitrichoides ‘Cuba’ – TC Cup
Produced by: Sreepadma Aquatic Plants
🌱 Scientific Overview
Hemianthus callitrichoides ‘Cuba’, commonly known as HC Cuba, is one of the smallest and most popular carpeting plants in aquascaping. It is characterized by its tiny, round bright-green leaves and very low-growing habit, forming a dense and natural-looking carpet when grown under suitable conditions.
The plant belongs to the Plantaginaceae family and is widely used in professional aquascaping for creating refined foreground layouts and competition-style aquariums.
🧪 Tissue Culture Technology – TC Cup
This plant is produced using Tissue Culture (TC Cup) technology by Sreepadma Aquatic Plants, ensuring:
- A completely sterile and pest-free plant
- Free from snails, algae, and chemical residues
- Safe for shrimp, fish, and sensitive aquatic species
- Healthy, clean plantlets in each cup
- Reliable adaptation after planting
🌍 Natural Habitat
Hemianthus callitrichoides originates from Cuba, where it grows along riverbanks and shallow freshwater environments with clean water and stable conditions. This explains its preference for high water quality and consistent aquarium parameters.
🎨 Appearance and Form
- Leaf Color: Bright green
- Leaf Shape: Very small, round leaves
- Growth Pattern: Creeping carpeting plant
- Expected Height: Approximately 2–5 cm
📍 Ideal Placement in the Aquarium
- Placement: Foreground
- Ideal for creating dense carpet layouts
- Suitable for nano and large aquariums
- Commonly used in nature-style and competition aquascapes
💡 Lighting Requirements
- Lighting: Medium to high
- Strong lighting supports compact and dense carpet growth
- Low lighting may cause the plant to lift or detach
🌬️ Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
- Strongly recommended
- CO₂ significantly improves growth speed and carpet density
- Without CO₂, growth is slow and less compact
🌿 Suitable Substrate
- Prefers nutrient-rich aquarium soil
- Active substrates promote healthy rooting
- Fine-grain substrates are ideal for carpet formation
🧂 Fertilization and Nutrition
- Absorbs nutrients mainly through its roots
- Benefits from balanced macro and micro nutrients
- Stable fertilization supports even carpet growth
🌡️ Water Parameters
- Ideal Temperature: 20–28°C
- pH Range: 5.5 – 7.5
- Water Hardness: Soft to moderately hard
- Requires clean, stable water conditions
✂️ Planting Instructions
- Remove the plant from the TC cup
- Rinse thoroughly to remove all gel residue
- Divide into small portions
- Plant evenly into the substrate
- Leave small gaps to allow spreading
🔁 Growth and Maintenance
- Moderate growth rate under optimal conditions
- Regular trimming encourages horizontal spreading
- Forms a compact carpet once established
⚠️ Important Notes
- Sensitive to poor water quality
- Requires patience during initial carpet formation
- Best results achieved with CO₂ and stable lighting
🏷️ Quick Product Information
- Scientific Name: Hemianthus callitrichoides ‘Cuba’
- Product Type: Aquatic plant – Tissue Culture
- Producer: Sreepadma Aquatic Plants
- Placement: Foreground
- Difficulty Level: Medium
