Hemianthus callitrichoides sp. Cuba - HC cuba TC

Hemianthus callitrichoides sp. Cuba — The World’s Smallest Aquarium Plant, Perfected

Hemianthus callitrichoides — universally known as HC Cuba — is the crown jewel of foreground carpeting plants. Discovered in a small river system near Havana, Cuba, and first introduced to the hobby by Holger Windeløv of Tropica, it has since become the defining plant of the nano aquascape: impossibly tiny, impossibly lush, and breathtakingly beautiful when grown as a dense, emerald-green carpet.

Each stem bears minuscule, round leaves no bigger than a pinhead, yet together they create a seamless, velvety carpet that transforms the floor of any aquascape into something that looks like a scene from nature itself. Under good lighting and CO₂, HC Cuba creeps steadily across the substrate, filling every corner with precision and grace.

This listing is for Tissue Culture (TC) — grown in sterile laboratory conditions, guaranteed pest-free, snail-free, and algae-free. The cleanest way to introduce HC Cuba to your tank.

Appearance

• Height: 1 – 3 cm (0.5 – 1 inch); one of the smallest aquarium plants in the world
• Leaves: Tiny, round, bright emerald green; forms a dense, velvety carpet
• Growth habit: Creeping; spreads horizontally across the substrate via runners

Care & Planting Tips

• Separate the TC portion into small plugs (1–2 cm) and plant 1–2 cm apart for fastest carpeting
• Requires unobstructed, high-intensity lighting — shading will cause it to melt or grow upward
• CO₂ injection is essential for healthy, compact carpet growth
• Nutrient-rich substrate or regular root tab supplementation is critical
• Once established, trim with scissors to maintain an even, dense carpet

Ideal Tank Parameters

• pH: 6.5 – 7.2
• gH: 3 – 10
• kH: 1 – 2
• TDS: 100 – 300
• Temperature: 18 – 25°C (64 – 78°F)
• Lighting: High (essential)
• CO₂: Required

Sold as a tissue culture cup. TC plants may require a short acclimatization period as they transition from emersed to submerged growth — this is completely normal. New submerged growth will emerge within 1–2 weeks.