Cryptocoryne Wendtii Red

[Ohad]

Whether to chop the leaves or not to chop is the question.

I received my plants from the aquarium co-op, and boy, oh boy, they all look great—especially the crypts.

 

My experience with crypts in my other 10 gallons tank is that they all melted and got lost. It's been two years, and I just now see a tiny leaf.

The crypts I used in my old tank looked nothing like the ones I got today, but I don't want to risk it melting and taking years to come back.

What's your experience with chopping or not chopping?

 

Thank you!

[JoeQ]

The crypt was most likely grown emersed and will convert into the familiar submerged version over time.  I usually just sink the whole basket and trim the leaves as they start dieing. Once there is new submerged growth ill divide and then plant, leaving the emersed growth intact until it slowly dies off as well

I was also extremely pleased with my Green Wendtii who I was able to divide into (8) separate plants that had no conversion melt. The only melt was from the emersed growth.

[Ohad]

On 1/23/2023 at 6:32 PM, JoeQ said:

The crypt was most likely grown emersed and will convert into the familiar submerged version over time.  I usually just sink the whole basket and trim the leaves as they start dieing. Once there is new submerged growth will divide and then plant, leaving the emersed growth intact until it slowly diestandard well

Thank you, but I have read that letting the plant die and re-grow takes a lot more energy from the plant as opposed to cutting and letting the new leaves grow under water.

 

I have never tried it myself. My experience with not cutting was terrible, as mentioned above, but that could be because of many things, mainly because it was my first tank. 

[JoeQ]

On 1/23/2023 at 6:38 PM, Ohad said:

Thank you, but I have read that letting the plant die and re-grow takes a lot more energy from the plant as opposed to cutting and letting the new leaves grow under water.

 

I have never tried it myself. My experience with not cutting was terrible, as mentioned above, but that could be because of many things, mainly because it was my first tank. 

I don't cut, mostly because I'm not sure if the plant uses the emersed grown leaves as energy, that and the emersed grown leaves give me a nice marker of where I planted said crypt

[Ohad]

Thank you will give it another try !

[Levi_Aquatics]

I would just drop it in your aquarium and see how it does. Usuallly mine do well after they get settled in. Are the crypts you have gotten before from aquarium coop?

[Ohad]

On 1/23/2023 at 7:02 PM, Levi_Aquatics said:

I would just drop it in your aquarium and see how it does. Usuallly mine do well after they get settled in. Are the crypts you have gotten before from aquarium coop?

No I got the other ones from a local store it was way smaller plant 

[Levi_Aquatics]

On 1/23/2023 at 7:07 PM, Ohad said:

No I got the other ones from a local store it was way smaller plant 

Okay, you should do much better with the plants you got from the coop! They tend to be much better quality

[Averus]

Crypts are one of the plants I have had amazing luck with, and I have never cut them.  The numerous ones I have planted were done so and managed to adjust fine, with little to no melting at all.  In my case, the fact I have hard water may be a huge help here, as I have heard Crypts really do like that.  This is even in situations of completely new tanks. 

Two months ago I started a new 10 gallon with Cryptocoryne Balansae, and the plants  are all doing fantastic.  What I did with them was plant them, and then carefully monitor them.  The worst that happened were a few got a little droopy, but those leaves eventually picked themselves up.  They did way better then the micro swords I got which died out.

[Sleepy]

I've done the clipping with success but I would highly suggest if the plant is new let it acclimate in your water for at least a few days before you do it as thats just that much extra stress on the plant.

[Nanci B]

I wouldn’t advise clipping them, just pull it out of the pot and take a good look at the roots (the thicker ones). Based on the size of your plant, you could probably tease the roots apart and have at least 3 decent sized, smaller plants.  You have to be very gentle and patient, but once you have worked away a while you will see obvious divisions, where baby plants are growing off the mother plant. I think it’s better for the plant to separate them, so several plants aren’t smothering each other. I think they grow stronger and you have more plants! I use the same strategy in my regular gardens.