TomO Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 I have these crypts in my 55. I’d like to transfer 1/2 of them to my 75. What’s the best way to separate them? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted January 11, 2022 Share Posted January 11, 2022 just grab a bunch and pull up. there will probably be runners between the plants, just break them off. if your tank conditions are pretty close, they might not even go through a melt. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac M Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Adding on to what @lefty o said, you can look for the runners or smaller plants next to the larger mother plants, pull those up and cut the runners. If you want to transfer the big plants, then just pull them up and cut the roots to a few inches or else you may end up disturbing more gravel than you wanted. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 On 1/11/2022 at 8:50 PM, Isaac M said: Adding on to what @lefty o said, you can look for the runners or smaller plants next to the larger mother plants, pull those up and cut the runners. If you want to transfer the big plants, then just pull them up and cut the roots to a few inches or else you may end up disturbing more gravel than you wanted. this is true, crypts can have massive root systems. if you looked underneath my 120, it looks like someone dropped a large bowl of spaghetti from how many crypt roots there are running everywhere. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levi_Aquatics Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 I have a bunch of crypts in my 55 too. I went to separate them, but I couldn't without messing all the substrate in the aquarium up. I wasn't sure if I should cut the roots or just let the plants grow. I think I'll have to go move them now lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tolstoy21 Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 I've had crypts go that wild as well. I put my fingers into the substrate around the base of the plant and feel for its root ball, and then pluck that up. If there are runners that come with that, I'll snip those so I'm not tearing out a whole row of crypts. I thin mine out all the time, and also prune back the overly large leaves and let the plants grow back in again. Everyone talks about 'crypt melt' associated with disturbing their roots, but I have only experience melt when planting newly acquired plants. I tear my existing crypts out all the time and replant them without any melt at all. I don't get overly worried about disturbing the gravel (mine are in Fluorite sand). Yeah the water gets super cloudy, but that subsides in a day. Over time I learned, the substrate is going to get disturbed, the water is going to get cloudy no matter how careful I am. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mydonkeyfish Posted January 12, 2022 Share Posted January 12, 2022 Awesome tank love.your fish😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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