Baby Tears Dwarf - 4 oz Cup

Dwarf Baby Tears | 4 oz Cup

Dwarf Baby Tears (often called HC “Cuba”) is one of the smallest true carpeting plants in the hobby—and one of the most rewarding when it takes hold. With millimeter-sized, bright-green leaves, it forms a tight, high-end carpet that makes an aquascape look crisp, detailed, and professionally planted. It’s native to Cuba and is widely cultivated for planted aquariums.

Dwarf Baby Tears Overview

In the right setup, Baby Tears Dwarf spreads horizontally and “knits” into a dense foreground lawn. It’s especially popular in nature-style and iwagumi layouts where you want clean negative space, defined pathways, and that classic low carpet finish.

Aquarists appreciate Dwarf Baby Tears for:

• True miniature scale: one of the finest-textured carpets you can grow
• Dense, premium “lawn” look: a finished foreground that elevates the whole scape
• Great contrast: the bright green pops against darker hardscape and shadowed zones
• Trim-and-thicken growth habit: regular trimming encourages a tighter carpet over time

The tradeoff is that Baby Tears Dwarf is less forgiving than many “beginner carpets”—it’s happiest when you give it the conditions it wants, then keep things consistent.

For aquascaping, Dwarf Baby Tears looks incredible tucked along the base of Seiryu Rock or in the pockets and contours of Ohko Dragon Rock, where the tiny leaves soften hard edges and make stonework look established. You can also use it to “frame” a driftwood accent like Blackwood for a clean foreground-to-midground transition. If you want a more natural habitat feel, a light scatter of botanicals—like a few Aquatic Mulberry Leaves placed near hardscape edges—adds realism and helps the scape feel less “newly planted.”

Caring for Dwarf Baby Tears

Baby Tears is all about three things: strong light at the substrate, good substrate and planting technique. In many tanks, that combination is what separates “it survives” from “it truly carpets.” If you run lower light or use poor substrate growth often slows and the plant is more likely to lift, thin out, or struggle to knit into a dense lawn—whereas brighter, stable conditions help it stay compact, spread horizontally, and develop that tight, premium carpet look people want from Dwarf Baby Tears.

How to plant your 4 oz cup (the method that works): break the portion into many small pieces and plant them as tiny plugs a short distance apart using tweezers. This gives each piece light and flow and encourages horizontal spread rather than a tall, clumpy look. Once it roots, avoid disturbing it for a bit, then begin trimming the top lightly when it thickens—this promotes denser growth and helps prevent the lower layer from shading out.

• Light: Moderate–High (high is best for carpeting)
• Temperature Range: 68–82°F
• Placement: Foreground
• CO₂: Not strictly required, but strongly recommended for reliable carpets
• Difficulty: Moderate (easier with CO₂ + consistency)
• Growth Rate: Medium (can be fast when grown well)

Once Dwarf Baby Tears starts spreading, your job is to keep it from turning into a thick, shaded “pillow.” Consistent trimming with aquascaping scissors keeps light reaching the lower layer so the carpet stays healthy from the bottom up, and steady nutrients (especially in the substrate) help it keep pushing runners instead of stalling. In other words: give it strong conditions, plant it properly, then treat it like a lawn—stable routine, occasional “mowing,” and minimal uprooting—so it rewards you with that tight, iconic carpet look Dwarf Baby Tears is famous for.

If you’re aiming for a reliable, show-quality carpet, a stable CO₂ setup makes a noticeable difference in how quickly Dwarf Baby Tears spreads and how dense it stays. Our Complete CO₂ Systems are a great option for planted tanks because they help keep CO₂ consistent day to day—supporting healthier growth, tighter leaf spacing, and a more uniform “lawn” finish across the foreground.

Dwarf Baby Tears are also availbe on Lava Rock and on Coco Fiber.

Shop with Confidence for Aquarium Plants at Modern Aquarium

When you’re buying live plants, the difference is rarely the species name—it’s the quality of the specimen, how it’s handled, and how it’s packed and shipped. At Modern Aquarium, we focus on delivering plants that arrive clean, healthy, and ready to thrive—backed by responsive support if you need a hand.

• Hand-inspected & prepared plants: Every plant is inspected and prepped before shipping so you receive healthy specimens, not a “grab-bag” pull.
• Fast, reliable shipping for live plants: We pack carefully and ship quickly by FedEx 2-Day Delivery to minimize transit stress and help plants arrive in great condition.
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• Top Quality Store + real reviews: Modern Aquarium is a top quality store with thousands of Google verified customer reviews.
• Trusted Sourcing: Our plants are sourced from the best nursery in Florida and are handled with care from the grower to your aquarium.
• What You See Is What You Get: Every image on our site is a typical representation of the plants we sell—no unrealistic stock photos. Because live plants are natural products, individual specimens will vary in size, fullness, and coloration.
• Real support when you need it: Reach us via site chat or phone for practical help with planting, trimming, fertilizing, and pairing plants with hardscape.

Bottom line: if you want one of the most detailed, “show tank” carpets in the hobby, Dwarf Baby Tears delivers—especially when you pair it with good light, stable CO₂, and a simple trim routine. Plant it in small plugs, let it settle, then shape it like a lawn, and you’ll get that clean, dense foreground that makes rockwork and driftwood layouts look truly finished.