Will Crypts shoot Runners In gravel?

[Erik]

I have had two crypt wendeti green for two years both have gotten huge but have never sent out runners to my knowledge.  I have a pea gravel substrate in my 55 gallon tank.  Any tips on how to get your crypt to shoot runners? 

[T. Payne]

Suprising they haven't by now. Are you using root tabs?

[Erik]

not currently, I have lots of mulm in the gravel though.  

[Tony s]

Yes they do. Possibly not as many as in sand. Mine have a few. . And mulm is usually enough nitrogen. Wondering if you’re missing a trace element. 

[Erik]

Gravel is about two to two and a half inches deep could it not be deep enough?

[lefty o]

they absolutely will root deeply in gravel. have them in my 120, and if you crawl under it and look at the bottom of the glass, it looks like someone spilled a giant pot of spaghetti. 2-2.5" of gravel is sufficient .

[Flipper]

Crypts do not send out runners.  They remain a single plant and just grow bigger and develop new leaves.  I have 3 patches of crypts where I added new plants until it formed a mound.

Just add root tabs every 3 or 4 months.

[MattyM]

Crypts do indeed shoot out runners when provided with the right light and nutrients, but in my experience they need to get fairly big before doing so. 

Mine shot runners in about 3" of gravel - they got regular root tabs and medium light from a Fluval Plant 3. It may not be obvious they are runners - mine didn't travel as far as say, Val runner do. But when I pulled them up to move to a new tank, it was obvious what the new plants/runners were. 

[lefty o]

On 2/8/2024 at 10:49 AM, MattyM said:

Crypts do indeed shoot out runners when provided with the right light and nutrients, but in my experience they need to get fairly big before doing so. 

Mine shot runners in about 3" of gravel - they got regular root tabs and medium light from a Fluval Plant 3. It may not be obvious they are runners - mine didn't travel as far as say, Val runner do. But when I pulled them up to move to a new tank, it was obvious what the new plants/runners were. 

yes, i should have worded my response better, i get new crypt leaves popping up all over.

[Odd Duck]

Crypts definitely send out runners but it seems to vary a bit between species.  Pontederiifolia runners fairly prolifically but they runnered so vigorously in my 14 G they went directly under the slate holding my driftwood piece in that tank - runner was at least 8” long.  Most of the wendtii varieties I’ve grown will runner but seem to like to get a little bigger and more crowded before they do compared to the pontederiifolia.  My parva must be runnering because my stand keeps getting denser but they’re so small and they do it so slowly I only notice when I compare photos over time.

Parva stand pics for entertainment.  First pic from September 13, 2021, next from December 1, 2021, third from February 3, 2022, then January 4, 2023, fifth from November 8, 2023, then the last one from just now.  I can’t find any pics from when my Crypt. ponte. kept shooting runners across the tank under the slate.  I was very annoyed about it because I wanted a thicker stand in the back left corner of the tank and it kept shooting runners under the slate to the right front.  I finally had to dig out that runner and redirect it to the back.  Pulling it was not keeping it controlled.

 

[Flipper]

On 2/8/2024 at 10:49 AM, MattyM said:

Crypts do indeed shoot out runners

I stand corrected 🥴

[JettsPapa]

On 2/9/2024 at 1:32 AM, Odd Duck said:

Crypts definitely send out runners but it seems to vary a bit between species.  Pontederiifolia runners fairly prolifically but they runnered so vigorously in my 14 G they went directly under the slate holding my driftwood piece in that tank - runner was at least 8” long.  Most of the wendtii varieties I’ve grown will runner but seem to like to get a little bigger and more crowded before they do compared to the pontederiifolia.  My parva must be runnering because my stand keeps getting denser but they’re so small and they do it so slowly I only notice when I compare photos over time.

Parva stand pics for entertainment.  First pic from September 13, 2021, next from December 1, 2021, third from February 3, 2022, then January 4, 2023, fifth from November 8, 2023, then the last one from just now.  I can’t find any pics from when my Crypt. ponte. kept shooting runners across the tank under the slate.  I was very annoyed about it because I wanted a thicker stand in the back left corner of the tank and it kept shooting runners under the slate to the right front.  I finally had to dig out that runner and redirect it to the back.  Pulling it was not keeping it controlled.

My Cryptocoryne usteriana is prolific about sending out runners.  On the other hand, my Cryptocoryne spiralis has never sent out one.

[Tanked]

On 2/9/2024 at 10:46 AM, Flipper said:

I stand corrected 🥴

Learning new things is why we all come here.🙂

I have 3 crypts in pea gravel, but only remember buying two, so I was glad someone else asked the question.