| Cryptocoryne Species in General | by: Anita | February 27, 2009, 10:43 pm | | | Cryptocoryne species:
Are some of the most popular aquarium plants. There are over 60 species, many of these adapt well to aquarium life. Crypts in nature come from a wide range of habitats, marsh and bog areas, fast flowing rivers also from swampy conditions.
The plants are either bog plants or true aquatic plants, but all will adapt when submerged in an aquarium. Cryptocorynes grow from a rhizome that needs planting and sends out roots.
However acclimatising to your aquarium is not always easy, but once settled you will find they are quite hardy.
Beware - constant changes in lighting and water temperature may cause them to rot also avoid moving them. Crypts relish a nutrient rich substrate and will benefit from under gravel heating although this is not a necessity.
Many will grow under low light conditions, in fact because they are relatively slow growing low light will prevent algae covering their leaves. Because they are root feeders they can be fed with fertilizer root tablets, these can be pushed into the substrate next to the plant.
When you first plant them existing leaves may melt, be patient new leaves will shoot but this will take a while. Leaves of the various species vary in colour from olive green, browns to almost red. There are also many leaf forms from the long dimpled leaves of Cryptocoryne balansae to attractive ruffled Cryptocoryne undulate.
Once again while CO2 is definitely a benefit, good results can be achieved without it.
Anita |
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