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Cryptocoryne Usteriana

N

nijat11

Member
Joined
5 Mar 2023
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363
Location
The Netherlands
Hi all!
I need a help with crypt usteriana. It does not grow in my aquarium, I have hard water, CO2, EI dosing. Photopheriod for 8 hours.
I read somewhere that it need some perido for establishing, have planted it around 6 weeks ago, but still stays in the same size and some leaves are melted. Any tricks how to make it to grow?
 
Any new leaves? It’s a heavy root feeder, so if it’s in inert gravel it would be very wise to add root tabs. I’d probably add root tabs regardless 👍

It was constantly my top grower in hard water
 
castle said:
Any new leaves? It’s a heavy root feeder, so if it’s in inert gravel it would be very wise to add root tabs. I’d probably add root tabs regardless 👍

It was constantly my top grower in hard water
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It is aquasoil from dennerle + root tabs from tropica + tetra crypt. So far cant see new leaves
 
If everything else is your tank is growing fine, I would bet it's focusing on laying down roots before it makes new shoots. You could cut off the remaining leaves to force it to make new ones now, but I would just have patience and remove leaves individually once they start to degrade. Crypts are slow to adapt to new conditions, but it's worth the wait.
 
This crypt is very slow to get going from potted to growing mine did nothing for nearly two months. But once it starts to grow you will find plantlets popping up everywhere and it will throw out huge leaves. The key is patience I dont use root tabs but this crypt grows surprisingly fast.
 
Sean Scapes said:
This crypt is very slow to get going from potted to growing mine did nothing for nearly two months. But once it starts to grow you will find plantlets popping up everywhere and it will throw out huge leaves. The key is patience I dont use root tabs but this crypt grows surprisingly fast.
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6 weeks passed, I can wait 6 more :)
 
I have some Crypt Usteriana, and mine haven't grown either - is your water quite soft?

That said, I also have some Crypt crispatula which took about 4 months to start growing, and has now taken off like a rocket with leaves 80cm long, so I'm still holding out hope for the Usteriana.
 
Wookii said:
I have some Crypt Usteriana, and mine haven't grown either - is your water quite soft?
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In rainwater with 20% Cambridge tap water mine did okay. In 100% Cambridge tap water it did amazing. On the west coast of Scotland, it withers and dies…
 
castle said:
In rainwater with 20% Cambridge tap water mine did okay. In 100% Cambridge tap water it did amazing. On the west coast of Scotland, it withers and dies…
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This is what I was suspecting, that it prefers harder water. I've been quite surprised by the variation in crypt growth between species in my hard tap water tank vs the main very soft water tank. Many clearly do better in one versus the other.
 
Wookii said:
I have some Crypt Usteriana, and mine haven't grown either - is your water quite soft?

That said, I also have some Crypt crispatula which took about 4 months to start growing, and has now taken off like a rocket with leaves 80cm long, so I'm still holding out hope for the Usteriana.
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My water is hard, 300 ppm +.
 
Wookii said:
This is what I was suspecting, that it prefers harder water. I've been quite surprised by the variation in crypt growth between species in my hard tap water tank vs the main very soft water tank. Many clearly do better in one versus the other.
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Could you report which prefers which and how hard/soft your water is? I'm planning a large crypt-heavy tank and looking to try some new things, but I want to work with my water, not against it.
 
ElleDee said:
Could you report which prefers which and how hard/soft your water is? I'm planning a large crypt-heavy tank and looking to try some new things, but I want to work with my water, not against it.
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From my expierence almost any crypt doing fine in the hard water. See the attached photos. I have 300+ ppm hard water.
 

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ElleDee said:
Could you report which prefers which and how hard/soft your water is? I'm planning a large crypt-heavy tank and looking to try some new things, but I want to work with my water, not against it.
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I should probably define here, when I say hard or soft water, I'm (incorrectly) referring exclusively to carbonate hardness/alkalinity/KH - I still maintain a decent level of GH for the accompanying maintenance crew.

Mine would be a pretty small sample size so by no means definitive and it goes without saying there are a number of other factors that might be affecting the growth rather than specifically the carbonate hardness. This is just my limited experience:

Nurii (and variants such a pink line) - grow like weeds in harder water throwing out runners everywhere (to the point of being a problem), but grow very slowly in soft water
Bullosa - also grows very well in harder water and produces runners, but grows very slowly in soft water (though still relatively slow)
X Purpurea - also grows very well in harder water and produces runners, but grows very slowly in soft water (though still relatively slow)
Albida Brown - really struggled and grew slowly in hard water, grows much quicker and larger in soft water
Crispatula - currently growing well in soft water, but took 4 months to start, haven't tried in hard water
Cryptocoryne usteriana - ain't growing for me in soft water so far - though significant lack of light could also be the cause (never tried in hard water)
Spiralis Red/Spiralis Green/Spiralis Tiger - all seems to grow in both hard and soft water, but definitely thrives in soft water
Lutea Hobbit - grew very slowly in hard water, but kept its typical 'hobbit' form. Very strangely in soft water grew much faster and converted to a form with very large red leaves - presumably reverting to its original Lutea form (?)
Aura - very slow growing regardless, but simply won't grow in hard water and dies away, in soft water it is growing (so far) albiet very slowly.
Wendtii Green/'Tropica' - grows like a weed in hard water, grows okay but more slowly in soft water
Silver Queen - static growth or faded away to almost nothing in hard water, very slow but better growth in soft water
Striolata/Keei/Eunoii - all three degraded away to nothing in hard water (never got to try them in soft water)
Miss Lingga - (my favourite crypt) seems to grow equally slowly in hard and soft water
Beckettii 'petchii' - also one of my favourite crypts, seems to grow well in all types of water
Parva - really variable, grows or fails in both with no apparent rhyme or reason!
 
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Wookii said:
I should probably define here, when I say hard or soft water, I'm (incorrectly) referring exclusively to carbonate hardness/alkalinity/KH - I still maintain a decent level of GH for the accompanying maintenance crew.
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That is ideal for me - I add GH for my inverts also, but go with the 1-2 dKH I get from the tap.

The list is great, appreciate it! Lots of stuff I haven't grown and FWIW I agree with your soft water assessment for the things we have in common.
 
nijat11 said:
What is biocorbonate? Sorry for stupid question:D
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In an aquarium with a pH higher than 6.5, bicarbonate (HCO3-) is the molecular form of the majority of soluble carbon. Plants need a carbon source and bicarbonate in many circumstances is abundant, but most plants can't use it, instead they need dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) which is the predominant form of soluble carbon at pH 6 and below.

edit: The above is maybe a little misleading. The amount of dissolved CO2 does not change with pH, but the amount of bicarbonate does. Bicarbonate increases to be higher than CO2 above pH 6.5, and bicarbonate decreases to be lower than CO2 below pH 6, but you don't get more (or less) CO2 by changing the pH. You need to inject CO2 gas if you want to change CO2 levels.
 
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