# Cryptanthus



## lestat (Feb 25, 2007)

A couple weeks ago, I bought a really nice bright pink cryptanthus. It's faded a whole lot since then, so I guess it's not getting something it needs. There are three green cryptanthus with it that look perfectly fine. Any suggestions?


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

With Crypts, color in mainly light dependant.


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## lestat (Feb 25, 2007)

It's been getting a lot of light. Maybe the wrong kind though? The other plants with it look great, so I thought it was getting the right kind. I'll try a different light and see if that helps.


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

What light do you have it under?


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## lestat (Feb 25, 2007)

Oh boy, I see the problem now. I had it under a light that came with a fishtank I had a while back. I -thought- I'd changed the light so it was daylight, but I guess not. I just switched it to the daylight one. I can tell the difference in the color of the light, so hopefully the cryptanthus can too. 

One other thing... I didn't turn the light on today because I have been rearranging things and moved the light away. I don't remember the crypt looking that discolored last night when I turned it off. Is it possible for them to change drastically in 24 hours, or did I just not notice last night?


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

I’m not sure I understand. You just changed the light. Is that why it looks different? What type of light and what wattage do you have over this plant? Also, how far is the plant from the light? Crypts really need a lot of light in order to retain the red coloration. The plant will probably do fine regardless of its color as long as you have it in decent light. I have one in my leuc viv which can be bright red in bright enough light. In the picture below, it is all the way on the left, just under the pitcher plant. You can’t see much of it but you can see that it is completely green. Aside from the color it appears to be doing fine.


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## lestat (Feb 25, 2007)

The light that it has been under for the past couple weeks wasn't adequate. I'm not sure what the new light is. It isn't labeled very well. I know it's meant for lighting reptile tanks, so it's full spectrum. I'm going to take it out and give it some special care for a while. What light would you recommend for it?


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Out of the tank it wants evenly moist soil (not soggy) and a window location where it gets some full sun (not all day, but for an hour or more). It shouldn’t do anything quickly. Watching bromeliads grow and change color should take more time than watching coral grow. If you give it too much light it will bleach out (probably not reversibly). If you give it too little it will simply turn green.

I'd still like to know how many watts your fixture is. :?:


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

Greetings:

Chris is correct. 

Also--and do not take this the wrong way--when we ask for advice, it is best to provide as much specific info as possible. This will help others to visualize your situation. Like:

--What variety? Is it, in fact, Pink Starlite? If so, you my find this is not quite as durable as some other varieties--seems to be somewhat sensitive to minerals.
--What brand/wattage bulb?

Most bromeliads, including Cryptanthus, wil benefit from 2 bulbs running the length of the tank (unlessyou are using high powered compact flourescents).

I will post a bromeliad care sheet I wrote for the NY Bromeliad Society. Hope you find it useful.


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## lestat (Feb 25, 2007)

That's what it used to look like. I can get a new picture of it later on. 

I really have no idea what the light is. It's not labeled very well. It a flourescent light that runs the full length of the tank and days 'daylight' on it, but that's all I know. If you can suggest the propper lighting, that would be helpful. I got all my fixtures for free, so they're probably not the best for what is needed. 

I know I should provide more info. I'm just pretty new to this, so I'm not really sure what info is relevant. Very eager to learn though.


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## Groundhog (Dec 17, 2006)

*Hey there!*

I didn't mean to be hard on you, buddy. The pic is helpful--it dos look like a pink starlite. See the greener one in front of it? If that plant has thicker leaves, it is probably a Ruby, a more durable plant.


Again, 2 flourescent tubes willrestore its color.


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## lestat (Feb 25, 2007)

You weren't all that hard on me. Just needed more info. The smaller plants do seem more durable. If anything, they look more healthy than the did in the picture, so I guess I'm doing something partially right.  I'll get new lights for it and see what happens. It still looks nice with the green streaks in it, but the pink is so striking, I'd like to get it back.


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

lestat,
How long is the bulb?


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## lestat (Feb 25, 2007)

23 inches.


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

That probably means it is a 20 watt bulb, which is not too bad. Two of those should be pretty good.


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