Cryptocorynes - What to do and not to do?

Jag1980

Jag1980

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Aug 18, 2008
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Marysville, Wa
IS there a good website to learn about these aquarium plants?

I'm going to be getting a few of these and would like to know what should I do to take care of these plants and what not to do so I don't damage the health of my plants.

What's this thing about Crypt rot?
 
Crypt melt occurs when the plants are stressed and some or all the leaves 'melt' away as a result. The plant will usually come back in time.
When I plant these I am very gentle with them, putting as little stress on the roots as possible. I use root tabs which they really respond to.
My crypts are very healthy and almost too big now but they still sometimes will sport a melted leaf or two. Little things like an unusually large water change or contact with another plant can cause it.
Other than the occassional melt, I find them to be very hardy plants
 
I have 3 large tanks full of all sorts of crypts and find them extremely easy and hardy plants, excellent for low light set ups but will do well in medium light set ups as well. They are heavy root feeders so root tabs are good, but I rarely spend the money, just add flourish and mine still look great. I have them all planted in plain gravel and there's just no stopping them from getting nice and thick.

I like that there's all sorts of textures, heights and colors....I have red, light green dark green, shades of pink, deep burgundy, and a few with red on one side and green on the other. When I first got them I was terrified of crypt melt so if I wanted to move them, i'd just slide the whole thing thru the gravel. Now I pull them out like any other plant, trim the roots and relocate them at will and do not experience any crypt melt. The only one I've really seen some melt from is crypt spiralis and that's on the tips. I've recently acquired spiralis and retrospiralis and I like the retrospiralis so much more, especially the colors, that I'm actually thinking of getting more and replacing my clump of spiralis. I don't thin them when I plant them, I like the thick clumps. And I do 75% water changes in my tanks weekly and the plants don't react negatively at all. Also, my temperature varies from 86F in my discus tank to 78-80F in my other tanks and temp. does not seem to matter to them.

What kind are you considering?
 
I love crypts! If you separate baby plantlets they often don't have many roots. It's easy for catfish & loaches to accidentally dig them up. If you can, let them get established a while first.

I just moved some that were in very shallow substrate, they didn't have many roots but what they had were over a foot long. I trimmed them so I could plant them & there was no melting at all, I was surprised.
 
I have found that if you buy crypts in pots it's easier to keep them from melting. I put the plant, pot and all, in the tank and let it sit there for a couple days above the substrate. This helps the plant adjust to the new water parameters without shocking it too much. Afterwards take the crypt out of the pot and plant it like normal. No melt!
 
I've moved my crypt 3 times and every time it's gone to the point of almost dying until about 2 weeks when it starts to recover. Now I have 3 baby plants since I last moved it about a month ago.
 
pinkertd said:
What kind are you considering?
Click to expand...

These plants are on there way to me in the mail:

3-4 Cryptocoryne retrospiralis

1- Cryptocoryne x willisii 'lucens'

I would really like to plants them in a bunch close together, but enough room for them to grow out.

I have high light of 3.3 wpg, hopefully this will be ok?

 
gmh said:
Little things like an unusually large water change or contact with another plant can cause it.
Click to expand...

I'm going to be planting my tank pretty thick, touching others plants will pose a problem?
 
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