# Cryptocoryne



## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

After reading about Cesar’s new Crypts I started thinking that I would like to have some of these plants again. It’s been years since I’ve kept any plants from this genus. I thought back to a fish bowl that I had added soil and laterite to and then planted with some species or other of Cryptocoryne. I remembered auctioning that little terrarium off at a Long Island Killifish Association meeting. I got rid of it because I was moving out of one of my old apartments. One of my good killifish friends purchased it. 

Since it’s been so cold here, I figured that ordering Crypts was out of the question, and with a killifish meeting coming up, I decided to call my friend to see if he still had that fish bowl terrarium. When I called him and asked about it, he replied, “Yes, I still have it. Do you want it back?” Well, of course I wanted it back. That was why I called. Needless to say I went to my killie club’s February meeting. As soon as I arrived my friend presented me with the dust-covered bowl. As near as we can figure, the terrarium sat in his basement window for something like seven years! He told me that he had never opened the bowl, which was covered with a plastic bag tied in place. Miraculously some of the Crypts had held on (good thing my friends basement fishroom was humid). The soil had become sponge-like and the three remaining plantlets didn’t look like much, but I was looking for a challenge anyway. 



















I have a little 7 gallon bow front in the bedroom that is currently empty. I’m planning on making it into a Crypt/Anubias terrarium. I’ve never really been able to get Cryptocorynes to spread. Hopefully my new setup will do the trick. I’m planning on mixing laterite, peat, and pea gravel or sand for the substrate. I’m going to place a few lava rocks towards the back for some small Anubias to grow on. Behind those rocks I will place a heater and a small pump to circulate the water. There will not be any substrate back there. The water will probably only be two inches deep. I want to be able to keep this setup at 78 F. I’m also going to look into a new light source for this tank. The little 18 Watt bulb that the tank came with never did much for me.


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## DartMan (Nov 29, 2005)

Neat story Chris!

Keep us all posted on the development of this experiment.


All the Best!


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## Guest (Feb 23, 2007)

OOh. Wow, I didn't know crypts were that tough. I can't wait to see what you are planning. I request a step by step guide to the substrate you will use. 
Do you what species that one you got back is?


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

It's walkeri Cesar. 

As far as substrate goes, the Crypts page recommends a peat sand mixture, but then goes on to say that there is nothing for the plants in such a mixture, and that they rely on fertilizer. From what I understand, Crypts like iron rich soil. Before I gave that little terrarium away, I had it for probably a year or so. I think that there were initially five pieces of root stock. The soil that I used was some sort of African Violet mix with laterite added. When I gave the terrarium to my fish club, it still had five plantlets. In other words, they did nothing for the period of time that I had them. I think I was probably fertilizing them with African Violet fertilizer. The Crypts page also talks about using beech tree soil. I’m probably not going to go there though. The two things that were missing form my initial setup were bright light and heat. I want to try to improve those two areas. 

If anyone with Crypt growing expertise wants to chime in, please feel free. I’m basically working on hunches here, so feel free to tell me that headed down the wrong path.


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## Delawarejim (Jan 3, 2007)

Hey Chris;

A lot of us growing Crypts emersed are gowing them a bit wetter than I think your describing, in 3 inch pots standing in about 2-3 inches of water with a small submersible heater in various aquariums. A lot of us are currently experimenting with various leaf mould/compost combinations and comparing notes since most of us don't have access to beech tree litter like Jan B. and company in Europe do.

One guy in Canada is growing all his in hydroton in hydroponic net pots.

Check out APC Crypt Nuts at;
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/crypt-nuts/

APC emersed culture at;
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/foru ... d-culture/

and the North American Cryptocoryne Society at;
http://forum.aquatic-gardeners.org/view ... 9ba7d12972

Sean Murphy & I got this last one started after he came back from the Euopean Crypt Society meeting in Switzerland last fall.

Cheers.
Jim


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## Guest (Feb 23, 2007)

Wow, someone at APC has a C. wendtii in bloom!! Not many people there have blooming Crypts. Aiii!!!!!! I want mine to bloom!!!


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Wow Jim,

Lots of information. It all sounds more difficult than it should be though. When I purchased these Crypts they came in a little plastic basket with rock wool. Perhaps they were originally grown differently but I figured they were just grown hydroponicly with enriched water.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2007)

Hey Chris, I hope you don't mind, as I don't think this deserves a new thread. Here are some pics of those Cryptocorynes I got a few months ago that you remember.
Not all of the ones I got survived. Many of them have dissappeared, but I had so many of each that some survived. C. affinis however has gone extinct in my tank. C. undulata is an endangered species followed by C. lingua and then C. pontederiifolia in order of most to least concern. C. becketii is a species of least concern. C. spiralis and C. wendetii are the most vigorous in my tank, and not endangered. Haha, this is too funny calling them endangered and of least concern. Haha.
Now for the pictures. They are all in my Melanophryniscus stelzneri 29 gallon tank, growing emersed in what was once the pond, and now is more like a swamp/bog. 
C. lingua








C. pontederiifolia and C. lingua in the water








Ok, here is C. spiralis and the little nub below it is another C. lingua








Here is another C. spiralis








Zooming out you see C. spiralis, the the broad leaved one is C. pontederiifolia and further south you see C. becketti on the lower right corner is C. wendtii, the yellowish fuzzy blur is my toady 








Here is a closer look at that C. pontederiifolia








Here is C. undulata, its the only one I got and isnt growing much.








Zooming out we see more, Mostly C. wendtii, the bright little green one at the far right end is C. becketii, and you see a bit of the spiralis north of it, and to the left you see a little C. becketii again.








Another view of the C. wendtii. Its a little forest!










OK, these names are from a chart I made according to the sellers names. Some may have been confused by me, others may simply be wrong. If you think you have a better idea, let me know. Thanks.


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Hey thanks Cesar,  

The wendtii really seem to like your viv. Have you seen much in the way of new plantlets? I’ve got two plants, plus one that looks like your first photo, and one that looks like it went into a complete meltdown not too long ago. All told I may have rootstock for four out of the five plants that the terrarium started with. Not bad if you consider they have been sitting in a basement window for seven years or so, but I’d like to get them to spread. Some of the reading that I’ve done tonight seems to indicate that they produce more runners when they are grown under water.

Also, I never seem to get over how small those toads are. Got any new pictures of them?


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2007)

Chris, I haven't noticed any runners. Frankly, I used to check the plant everyday, then life got in the way, and I stopped checking to the point where I would not look at it for weeks. It could have flowered without me even knowing about it :evil: 
Hope not/hope so. :roll: 
I haven't seen any runners or new plantlets. Its heavily surrounded by rock and gravel. I think that makes it more difficult to spread. 

I have a candid picture of one of the toads, cuaght it sneaking among the leaves.


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## Guest (Jul 6, 2007)

Bump, for personal reference
Any updates?


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Ugg. I’ve done nothing with mine! As, you say Cesar, “Life has gotten in the way.”


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

What kind of planting medium are you all using? Im in the process of building a Vietnamese Mossy Frog viv, and was planning on having a 1-5 inch pond encompassing the entire bottom of the viv.

I came across an old REPTILES magazine article on a bog viv, and 2 parts decomposed granite, 1 part coc fiber, 1 part organic soil/partially composted leaves was recommended, sound good? Im hoping to grow crypts, a couple swords, and some mosses.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

*Some thoughts*

Hi Chris,

I have not found either genus to be difficult if the following parameters are adhered to:

--SELECTION: Are you ordering or picking these out at the store? In my experience, it is best to get 'em the day they arrive. If a plant grown hydroponically is submerged for a few days, the emersed leaves will start to die. Get 'em fresh on order day and you will see the difference!

--Light: A bit more light than "low" light, if you want blooms;
--Heat. In my experience, these aroids appreciate more heat than you of the pdf posse provide. Days in the 80s, nights in the 70s are fine.
--Substrate: For crypts, I have had success with Rex Searcy's bog mix (coir, orchid bark and sand); I just insert the rock wool thingy into the substrate. for Anubias, I usually tie to a flat rock or a piece of that is slightly submerged, hence CONSTANTLY wet. 

I fertilize both with a mild solution of Dynagro.

--I have had good luck with C. becketti and C. cordata, but the latter gets taller (12-15" in my experience).


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Hi George,

Anubias I have no trouble with, Cryptocoryne never seem to grow all that nicely for me. In part, I bet I usually fail to give them warm enough temps.


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## Guest (Sep 5, 2007)

Hello all, 

I finally managed to upload some photos of my new setup and the different crypts I received from Aquaspot world. I would buy from them again and again, if I had the money 
Lets start with the two _Cryptocoryne albida_'s I have.

















2 _Cryptocoryne cordata _var. blassii

















_Cryptocoryne parva_









_Cryptocoryne willisii_









_Lagenandra ovata_









2_ Lagenandra twaitesii_

















and the setup I have for them , which has now included an air stone and a small water pump, very nice and silent.:bathbaby:


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Nice stuff Cesar!  You’re way ahead of me on this project! :? Are you heating and circulating the water? My impression is that these guys do best when kept in the high 70s to mid 80s. It looks like you have your setup at school were the night time temps probably get pretty low. Anyway, please keep us updated!


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2007)

Hi, I have a water pump circulating the water, and an air stone pumping in air. The lights themselves keep it pretty warm, around 83. Night temps is true do go into the 60's. Nothing bad in my opinion when it comes to plants from the jungle 
Come on Chris, lets see your setup.


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 
I'm student teaching this semester. I’m lucky to find time to feed the frogs.


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2007)

Well, let me post an overall update on the setup and all the Crypt's. and a close up view of the _C. albida's_. I posted these photos in the exact same order as I posted the original photos in the prior post. Thanks for looking.

Lets start with the two _Cryptocoryne albida's_ I have.

















2 _Cryptocoryne cordata_ var. blassii

















_Cryptocoryne parva_









_Cryptocoryne willisii_









_Lagenandra ovata_









2 _Lagenandra twaitesii_


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## andrew__ (Sep 23, 2007)

good job, some nice looking crypts there. Just started up a tank to try and convert some of my spare willisii to an emersed growth tank to eventually go into a viv.

Do you still have any crypts in a viv or just the tank in your post there?


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Nice Cesar. I could never get water lettuce to grow like that. What is your secret?


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2007)

Andrew,

Yes, I took cuttings from each species and spread the joy around my all my tanks. Right now I have many of them growing very well both emersed and submersed in my 40 gallon breeder tank (vertical setup). 

Chris, lots and lots and lots of light. The lights also provide the necessary heat. I have been trying to grow this stuff for 3 consecutive years and finally it seems as though I have it down right .


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## fishmommy (Dec 23, 2006)

here is an emersed culture of Crypto wendtii 'copper' I have going. I have been growing this plant for about 10 years as an aquatic and am pleased to see that so far (3 months) it is holding it's rich color as it puts out new emersed foliage.









I'm growing some crypto. spiralis also...so far it looks exactly the same emersed as immersed.


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Cool stuff. I’ve run into a problem with mine in that the sun porch where I’ve been keeping them has grown too cold. I think I’m going to just bring mine to school and put them in the kid’s Glofish tank.


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## Guest (Nov 12, 2007)

Whats your substrate made out of? Looks cool.


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## jcotterill (Feb 24, 2015)

Bump:
Here's my paludarium. I have a Crypt. Parva and another slightly larger Crypt. sp (maybe Parva crossed with something else) emersed in a waterfall stream. They took forever to start spreading. Even the Bucephalandra grew faster lol.


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