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Crypts: Foreground and midground

Mr.Shenanagins

Mr.Shenanagins

Member
Joined
20 Dec 2019
Messages
613
Location
South Carolina
I find that accurately identifying different variations of crypts can be difficult online. Size, shapes, colors, and ideal placement in the aquarium. I started this thread so experienced crypt keepers can post the different varieties they have, what they look like submersed, and whether it’s foreground or mid ground suitable. No big and tall crypts! Thank you to all who participate, I hope this becomes useful for any future crypt keepers.
 
Problem is that Cryptocorynes can have very different leaf structure (texture, appearance, length) and color depending upon environmental conditions

(I’m limiting my discussion to Tropica plants as they are the only consistent, known varieties I can access, while there are some Asian import plants available, identity is often much different than “as labeled” - in part because the lfs will insist on the name as it appeared on the original order, ignoring even (v.e.r.y) obvious substitutions by the supplier)

I love Tropica’s Cryptocoryne beckettii Petchii as it always stay very small and compact in my tanks (low/high light, CO2/non-CO2) and always has that dark green/bronze leaf with red/violet underneath

In contrast C wendtii Green (much more prone to inexplicable “melts”) is much taller, more variable in height, but consistently has that fluted bright green appearance, if I start with the 1-2-Grow version it remains much more compact, especially in a non-CO2 tank

C undulata ‘Broad Leaves’ always remains more of a “narrow” leaf, though color and taller height as described by Tropica (note that if you search though Tropica’s Inspiration tanks, you can also see different iterations of the same plant) - I always end up removing it as I want that ‘broad’ leaf

C usteriana melts every time, and it insists on a much much shorter leaf, though otherwise similar to Tropica description ... and it continues to be v.e.r.y melt prone (if I just Breathe next to it that’s sufficient for it to take extreme offence)
I know some other local aquarists that have much more success with this (they alter tap water parameters, adding KH and GH and consequently pH), but also others that fare even worse than me - I’ve yet to see anyone with stunning C usteriana (which is a shame as I was so excited by this plants release ... I’ve tried high light, shade, CO2, non-CO2 and it really just does not return my affections whatsoever)

As I mentioned in another recent thread, I give limited real estate to Cryptocorynes these days - after struggling for 5 years with the rather more extensive range of Tropica Cryptocorynes (I so miss all those plant species that Tropica no longer releases to the public, and while some are available through Dennerle etc now, I don’t have legal access) - they ALWAYS melted as tap water shifted from autumn-winter-spring sources into late spring-summer reservoir source
 
I can take some photos of my crypt flamingo. I have a couple of smaller ones which grow in the darker areas, where as the one that grows in the area with the most light has grown atleast 5 times bigger then the rest.
 
Cryptocoryne Balansae takes too long to get established but when it does gets too long around 80 cm.

Cryptocoryne Usteriana as mentioned doesn't get as long as the Balansae and is definitely a slow grower.

Wendii varieties get long leaves in my tank about 20 cm.

Cryptocoryne Affinis same as the Wendii took a while to get established but it is a rampant grower and shoots runners all over.

I also have Cryptocoryne nurii var. "Rosen maiden". Got it from eBay. Took ages to get going. It managed to grow new plants but it really took off when moved in a dirted tank with sand not gravel and slightly lower TDS. Stays small and lays flat on the substrate.

Never experienced any Crypt melt. I keep them in a dirted , no co2 tank. Soil plus Osmocote plus latetite balls. My water is hard. TDS around 250.
 
Mr.Shenanagins said:
Yeah I know what you mean, they can look a little different from tank to tank. Do you have any images of the ones you kept @alto ?
Click to expand...
I’m the worst aquarium photographer so I mostly end up trashcanning these photos, unfortunately none left from my Cryptocorynes Days
 
I think it's got to the stage where the growers and suppliers don't really know themselves either since Crypts seem to hybridise readily. The only real recourse is genetic testing, but even that has sometimes proved inconclusive.
And whilst we are on that subject the same seems to be happening with Anubias spp. as well. Which is frustrating when you're looking for a specific variety.
 
Hi,
I have a few Crypts. not running a tank with CO2 at present, but I had some good crypts then. I think there seems to be lots of confusion and perhaps some natural hybreds. But I can't recall buying them from reliable suppliers. C.wendtii seems to have lots of variation in colour and leaf shape. It would be good to add more variety. Is it me or do plants grow better in gravel, as I now mostly use black sand?
Regards

Mel.
 
I have quite a few species. Good varieties that stay small are petchii, parva (takes ages to grow though), Willisi. Others that also stay small but are harder to get hold of are pupurea (think only dennerle currently do this in tissue culture), flamingo and nurii Rosen maiden (bought from a. Member on here, don’t think it’s available commercially in the uk). I find good flow and a decent substrate grows nice crypts.

Cheers

Conor
 
Old photo of my Crypt tank before I lost most of them due to some Ramshorn snails getting in and destroying them but slowly growing on what I managed to save so I can do this again.
P1050456.JPG
 
Crypts are very adaptable plants so it depends on the conditions they're grown under as to the eventual size and growth habit they exhibit.
Pretty much the only ones you can guarantee are the very small such as parva or the very large such as usteriana and apongetifolia although the latter I have bashed into submission by keeping it in a tank with virtually no ferts.
Doesn't seem to stop it sending out runners though :lol:
 
Hi Miranda,
Do you know which that Crypt is at the front, with the light rusty leaves in the centre. That I do like!!
Mel.
 
Hi Cactusface :)
Do you mean the one with "hammered" effect on the leaves?
If so that was sold to me as Cryptocoryne affinis mini “Kuala Lipis‏”
 
Here' s a quick pic of my Cryptocoryne tank. On the far left I keep the Cryptocoryne Affinis which I was kindly sent by a fellow member and it is probably the "old" form. In the middle there is Cryptocoryne Wendii "Mi Oya".Οn the right side I have Balansae and Usteriana. Obviously too cramped but I couldn't decide which to keep as I like them both. For scale the length of the aquarium is 75 cm.
IMG_20210205_150941.jpg
 
A blast from the distant past, low-energy soil tank Cryptic Haven...

Foreground
Cryptocoryne parva
Cryptocoryne willisii/nevillii
Cryptocoryne becketti "petchii"

Mid-ground
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Green'
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Tropica'

Background
Cryptocoryne crispatula var. balansae

1612624558820.png
 
I have around 50 plants, all split from one C. Wendtii mother plant. They are in 3 different aquaria and look COMPLETELY different!
I personally have found that Wendtii and Wendtii "Red" both seem to grow best (and quickest) in a soil-based substrate ferted with an iron-rich fert (I use a clay-based one) using a high dosage of EI liquids and under a medium strength light. Being heavy root feeders, CO2 doesn't seem to make much difference to growth rate. Obviously, the red varieties prefer brighter lighting. When grown in sand, I've had to use MASSIVE amounts of substrate ferts, pushed in close to the root balls.
I also prune mine monthly to make space for new growth.
 
That’s the main thing you have to realise with crypts, they look completely different under different conditions. I find high light and co2 produces smaller more compact plants whilst low light no co2 produces longer leaves however this does vary from species to species. Wendtii species can be extremely variable.

Cheers
 
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