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cryptocoryne trimming

Flapper2k

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22 Jul 2018
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United kingdom
Hey guys just a quick question regarding trimming or controlling crypts when they get large and start imposing on the other plants. I'm not sure whether it's worth moving the crypts in my tank to another location, rather than trimming a few leaves but I would rather not risk causing any damage.

As this tank has only been running for around two months I thought that the crypts would not be at this size in this time but I think it maybe the type of crypt I picked as the other crypts i'm stocking have grown but not as much as what i believe is cryptocoryne wendtii bronze or brown but i maybe wrong.

Thanks for any advice in advance.
 

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The size of the crypt at least for the lancelotte leaf var. depends a lot on the maturity and size of the rootstock and where it can go. If it has a relative unlimited reach and able to grow deep and big. Than it will shoot out new leaf stems with a rolled up young leaf at an already respectable size when it starts to unfold. Than if it has such a rather wide spread rootstock with probably a number of runners and young plants attached can make uprooting quite a challanging task. In that case it is best to gently lift the plant till the rosette and parts of its roots are above the substrate and cut it off there. Just leave the rest to decompose. And put the cut plant in a different spot. Trying to pull the entire plant with roots and all out might distroy the scape and create a big mess depending on its root size.

Other thing you can do is thin it out and cut older bigger leaves of as short as possible at the substrate. Any piece of leafless stem left above the substrate will melt away and cause extra bioload. If it's so dense you can't see what your cutting, than do it on the touch, find the stem go all the way down to the rosette and pinch it off with your fingernails.

But as said, depending on the sp. new leaves can come back easily in 2/3 of its mature size if it already has a very large rootsystem.. :)

Keeping a crypt wendtii rather small is start early with cutting runners off and make a solitary plant from it. A mother with a number of runners still attached can actualy be considered one single plant with a rather large rootsytem providing loads of energy for the mother to grow to full potential in short time.. :)
 
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thanks for the advice zozo think I may attempt to trim the leaves back on just one the crypts and see what develops from that before attempting to trim the rest haha
 
That's already a good start.. It all happens down in the substrate :) than its hard not to get messy.. What you could try is find the runners without uprooting to much and simply cut them.. It devides the whole bunch into single solitary plants each providing for its own.

Naamloos.jpg


All these runners makes it one big plant with a fuel pipeline and a number of small energy stations attached. What the younger plants yet do not take up all goes to the mother making her grow bigger and bigger to full potential sooner. Making the plant depend only on its own and smaller rootsystem slows them a tad down and also stay smaller for a longer periode. Makes it somewhat easier to manage into the scale of the scape. :)

This method works perfect on my Crypt wendtii, they still are rather small and already growing for years.. As soon as i see a new plantlet appear i cut the pipeline.
 
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Pretty much what Marcel says. Apart from that, the other option is to fully uproot the mother crypt, cut its roots short and cut off majority of the side leaves, then plant it back. That's very invasive and unnecessary though.

I think your tank looks great as it is and instead of trying "fix" the crypt to suit the rest of the layout, perhaps adapt the rest of the layout to suit the crypt growth.

I also noticed your guppy males when I zoomed, so beautiful :)
 
Thank you again Marcel for the advice and for taking the time providing a clear example, I've decided to leave the crypts the way they are after bringing them on I don't want to risk damaging them but its helpful to learn how this would be done if needed in the future.

Thanks Sciencefiction for your comments on the guppies I agree they are beautiful and do add plenty of character to the tank, I sat back after and thought maybe I am trying to fix something that doesn't need fixing :)

I would be grateful if you can share your thoughts regarding other plants that you think would adapt to my layout?
 
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