# Helxine soleirolii VS. Lindneria Grandiflora-aka"Baby T



## Sokretys (Dec 16, 2007)

SO. Both are known as "Baby Tears". I have plenty of light. 60w on an 11 gallon exo terra. I'm also keeping it pretty moist. I replaced the screen top with acrylic to help keep humidity. Therefore, not a whole lot of ventilation.

I've read on Dendro that one likes soggy conditions while the other likes good drainage. One like lots of like the other likes moderate. etc etc. 

Would anyone mind clearing things up for me? i ordered some Helxine soleirolii from Ebay thinking it was fine. i know it will be safe in my viv. but will it survive? if not..how do i change my viv to allow it to do well? I would greatly appreciate any input. Thanks.

-Nate


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## syble (Mar 20, 2007)

i have no idea which kind i had, i just new that after a while the whole thing would rot 
Sib


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## andrew__ (Sep 23, 2007)

just to make life easier then there's also Hemianthus callitrichoides also known as baby tears which definitely can take soggy conditions.

I'm pretty sure when I worked at a greenhouse that it was the hexine version of baby tears we had growing around a pond in the greenhouse and based on what I've heard of it being weed-like I think you're probably going to be fine with it (though I've never kept it).


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## MonopolyBag (Jun 3, 2007)

OK the baby tears people talk about on the boards is different. I got the kidn that rots in the viv, and it did horrible. I called black jungle and they said the plant better for just pots, not viv.


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## Sokretys (Dec 16, 2007)

anybody know why Helxine soleirolii rots in the viv? too much humidity or not enough ventilation?


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## MonopolyBag (Jun 3, 2007)

Too much humidity, and this plant just doesn't do good. I called Black Jungle about it and talked to Rich there, the owner and he said the plant doesn't do well at all, it is more of a house plant.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54039/


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

I have Helxine soleirolii in almost all my vivs and it is booming in most of them. it seems to work best hanging from a background ( I just rince of most of the soil and pin it to the side of my viv) but I also have one viv where it is starting to cover the ground completly and is growing into the little pond) 
I will try to post pictures later.


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## MonopolyBag (Jun 3, 2007)

No problems with rotting at at? Hm... How big is your vivarium?


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

not really any rotting.
of course it grows better in some places then in others but in my vivs it tends to grow towards the places it likes best all by itself.
it grows on backgrounds


it covers the ground (and keeps growing onto the ventilation strip and into the little pool you can't see very well on the picture)

it even grows on wood

and on a sort of dripwall


the vivs I have it in go from 40x40x50cm ( I think that's about 20 gallon, right?) to 120x120x60cm(200gallon ?)


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

when I buy it at the local garden centre all the pots are placed in a tray containing water so I don't think they have a problem with soggy substrate so maybe they don't like bad ventilation?


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

A lot of plants have serious issues in our tanks mostly due to lack of air movement and lack of ventilation. Many plants can do well in frog tanks generally get a bad reputation due to the fact that our tanks are set up like stagnant bogs and we expect them to do well when they like high humidity that _moves_ and is never sitting on the plant like in stagnant tanks.

Liking moist soil and liking plenty of moisture in general are two differrent things... moist soil could mean that it likes dry air, but substrate that is moist (like many houseplants get and they tend to rot in stagnant humidity especially if not grown in it to begin with) where liking moisture in general means they like moisture both above and below the substrate level.


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## Sokretys (Dec 16, 2007)

kero kero, do you think i would be able to have the soleirolii in my 12x12x18 exo terra if iwere to put say a one inch cpu cooling fan in back of man acrylic top with a speed control attached to it. i would turn it down nice and slow. sucking air out of the viv while lettin gair go in through the vent holes i nthe front? 

would that work? or would i lose too much humidity. i have a waterfall too. with about half of the bottom of the viv of water? thanks a lot everyone. this is agreat help!

Nate


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

You'd have to try it and find out.! It's unfortunately just not an easy yes or no answer.... Depends on how much humidity your tank has in the first place and what not... I also personally haven't had much experience with using fans since I generally just use other plants that can take the humidity.


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## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

I have my fans blowing into my viv. in some vivs constantly, in other vivs just for an hour or so after misting. this does not make the humidity drop much but makes sure the orchids and stuf don't stay soaking wet (I still have 70-80% humidity in all my vivs). sucking out air will lower your humidity much more than blowing.


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## Sokretys (Dec 16, 2007)

does the soleirolia need air movement. meaning would it do fine in a viv with a very high humidity but good air movement? or does it need the ventilation to lower the humidity. i mist my tank once a day and the humidity is always above 95. 

i was thinking...that i could maybe have the fan sucking out like i said it would...but have the output of the fan attached to a U shaped tube putting the air back into the top front of the acrylic. this would not lower the humidity but would give some air circulation. a bit of aproject. but nothing a cool looking hood could cover up. 

i will try it first with just the single fan. thanks again.


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