View Full Version : Trimming C. Wendtii
I a big C. Wendtii in my 15 gallon (here (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158748), especially third picture from the top). It consists mostly of long stems that have large leaves towards the end. However, I'm worried that the newer growth (the shorter stems) closer to the crown isn't going to get enough light and it's just going to die. I'm wondering if I should just cut these off, and if so how should it be done? Just cut as close to the crown as possible or....what?
I think the plant needs to be thinned a bit any way, at least for aesthetic purposes.
the tricky part here is that the plant isnt really suggested for smaller tanks. Its like adding an amazon sword mother plant into a 10g tank.
Try and leave the plant alone for a few weeks, if you see that the newer leaves arnt getting enough light or the plant is dying then trim off the older leaves.
You can also trade the plant in for another crypt which stays lower.
Well the issue isn't really the height. I like the look of the larger leaves near the top. I just have the plant kinda stuffed into the back corner, so the stuff near the bottom gets lost amongst the stems of the bigger/older leaves. I just figured that it could/should be thinned out a bit. But I'll leave it alone and see how it goes. Thanks :)
what if I see a dead leaf or two? There is one leaf that i keep noticing that has turned a yellowish color and looks like it's falling apart a bit. I think it was damaged before I even put it into the tank (remember noticing this same leaf when I planted the plant)
If I wanted to remove a leaf, what is the best method? Just cut it off leaving as little as the stem as possible? Or is there something else I need to do?
That's what I do. Just cut the dying leaf off near the stem.
Mgamer20o0
07-13-2008, 2:37 AM
yea i would leave the healthy leafs take off the bad ones.
tanker
07-13-2008, 4:06 AM
PS---It is not a wendtii. The name excapes me, but am sure it is not what you think it is. It is a crpyt though.
the place I got it from called it a giant wendtii...no idea lol
http://www.aquariumplants.com/Giant_Wendtii_Red_Cryptocoryne_wendtii_pot_p/crypt02.htm
lovemybarbs
07-13-2008, 1:01 PM
I get confused by this myself. A crypt is a dwarf right?
it actually could be cryptocoryne pontederiifolia
fishorama
07-13-2008, 3:50 PM
Lots of crypts, lots of tank conditions. Yours is very pretty whatever the species or variety. Remove dead or dying leaves & if you want, separate the individual plants, it's usually several close together. (& then send some to me, it's quite pretty, I like it).
tanker
07-13-2008, 7:57 PM
I get confused by this myself. A crypt is a dwarf right?
Not always true. I have some crypt. Spirialis that are over 20 inches tall.
tanker
07-13-2008, 8:23 PM
it actually could be cryptocoryne pontederiifolia
It is in the Griffithii family of crypt.
Wendtii has wavy edges, and is the most easy of crypts to grow. I just donated over 60+ plants to LFS and my tank will recover this in about a month or two.
I think Pontederiifolia also has wavy edges on the leaf.
Try this...http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/Cryptocoryne/Gallery/pur/pur_NJ85-21_x_1055.jpg
It is in the Griffithii family of crypt.
Wendtii has wavy edges, and is the most easy of crypts to grow. I just donated over 60+ plants to LFS and my tank will recover this in about a month or two.
I think Pontederiifolia also has wavy edges on the leaf.
Try this...http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/Cryptocoryne/Gallery/pur/pur_NJ85-21_x_1055.jpg
I dunno, the leaves are longer and thinner in terms of diameter. They also don't have that waxy appearance. And the coloring on the bottom is a darker color - almost a bronze. I'll try and get a better picture.
Mgamer20o0
07-14-2008, 3:40 AM
Not always true. I have some crypt. Spirialis that are over 20 inches tall.
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k225/mgamer20o0/anubias/cryptcrispatula.jpg
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k225/mgamer20o0/anubias/cryptbalanae.jpg
lol is there a pic of this crypt or what lol how people iding with out one lol
It's in my thread about planting my tank (check signature). It's the third image down I think (may 2nd)
PS---It is not a wendtii. The name excapes me, but am sure it is not what you think it is. It is a crpyt though.
I found this picture at plantgeek. It's a wendtii according to them:
http://www.plantgeek.net/images/plantpics/cwendtii3.jpg
Although it's thinned out more than mine, these looks a lot like my plant
tanker
07-17-2008, 8:26 PM
I know Crpyts look different submersed, and emersed. The pic is one grown out of water.
hmm...maybe that's what it is...wonder what it'll look like if it changes to submerged.
tanker
07-18-2008, 1:01 AM
hmm...maybe that's what it is...wonder what it'll look like if it changes to submerged.
http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/cryptocoryne/Gallery/wen/wen.html
yea I came upon that site in my searching last night.
so does that mean I should expect the leaves to die and turn become more wendtii-like?
tanker
07-18-2008, 11:18 AM
Well, maybe and maybe not. If it is wendtii then your new leaves will look like that. Maybe not a full die off (which is always possible with crpyts), but slowly for sure.
Still does not look like wendtii, IMO (to me) wendtii leaf edges are always wavy, but of course I have never grown them above water.
Too bad you live so far away, I could always give you a bunch of my wendtii. I just donated about 30 plants to LFS, and my tank still looks full of wendtii!!
DGalt
07-18-2008, 12:35 PM
you in CA? seems like 90% of the ppl here are from that side of the country :eek3:
I guess time will tell. I can already see some of the leaves dying. I'm not sure if it's because it's submerged or because it doesn't have the right conditions. Hopefully it's not the latter, but I don't know. Several of the leaves have turned a yellowish - light greenish color and don't seem to be doing well. These are mostly the leaves that are shaded by the bigger leaves though.
So confused! lol
Ironically the plant that I thought was going to be the most demanding (the Alternanthera reineckii) seems to be doing the best. :perv:
Well, maybe and maybe not. If it is wendtii then your new leaves will look like that. Maybe not a full die off (which is always possible with crpyts), but slowly for sure.
Still does not look like wendtii, IMO (to me) wendtii leaf edges are always wavy, but of course I have never grown them above water.
I think it's doing what you said it will. The new growth looks much more wendtii like and the older leaves are dying off pretty quickly (lost probably 4 leaves in the last couple days).
Hope it's just converting and it's not something else :eek3:
Is there any way to help it along?
Here's a picture of what I mean.
http://i319.photobucket.com/albums/mm462/DGalt11/Crypt.jpg
My camera sucks but you can kinda see that the new growth has that wavy look at the edges of the leaves
tanker
07-19-2008, 7:16 PM
Most store bought Crypts are very adaptable. They like soft warm water that is slightly acid, but can live in higher PH. They can live in low light but I have my crpyts under 5+ watts per/gal with CO2. Even if ALL the leaves die the plant will come back.
Most store bought Crypts are very adaptable. They like soft warm water that is slightly acid, but can live in higher PH. They can live in low light but I have my crpyts under 5+ watts per/gal with CO2. Even if ALL the leaves die the plant will come back.
Is that picture a bit more like the growth you'd expect on a wendtii?
Also, should I trim off the dead leaves? If so, do I trim the whole thing (stem down to the crow) or just the leaf itself?
tanker
07-19-2008, 11:21 PM
It does look more like wendtii now, leaves still look a little wide (broad) and stems look a little too thick.
But to trim just go as far to crown as possible and trim or clip off. Dead, semi dead, and damaged leaves just uses nutrients the plant could use for healthy leaves.