Crinum is not very crinumy

[AquaAggie]

So I have had my crinum for a year. It seems to be growing well. Get leaves long enough to teach top of my 60 gallon. However these longer leaves are much smoother not as crinkly as the leaves it came with as a baby. Is this some kind of deficiency? How do I make my crinum more crinumy?

[lefty o]

you need one of them 1980's crinkle hair curler things. i have no idea, but am curious as to what others say.

[FlyingFishKeeper]

Hi, sorry, I also don't know the answer, but this is definitely my favorite title that I've seen in a while lol.

[AquaAggie]

Just now, FlyingFishKeeper said:

Hi, sorry, I also don't know the answer, but this is definitely my favorite title that I've seen in a while lol.

Happy to provide entertainment @FlyingFishKeeper

[OceanTruth]

I’ve never had the plant before, so I can’t say why it’s not crinumy. I want one now so I can say crinumy though. Great word. Crinumy. 🙂 

[gardenman]

Back to the original question, my best guess would be more light. Crinums will survive just about anything, but thrive in medium to high light. If I had to venture a guess I'd say you'd get more crinumy leaves with more light.

[Dirtydave]

I have had this plant but with little success. I love the plant so will give it another g

[darkG]

It is probably crinumy enough albeit not very calamistrategical. (The tetras however are decidedly neonous!)

I think I have read that the crinkles come as the leaves mature.

[AquaAggie]

On 3/4/2021 at 7:24 AM, gardenman said:

Back to the original question, my best guess would be more light. Crinums will survive just about anything, but thrive in medium to high light. If I had to venture a guess I'd say you'd get more crinumy leaves with more light.

I cut back a bit because I was green spot algae on my crypts and anubias. I have the attached profile on an AquaSky 2.0. What do you think. 
 

[Kirsten]

Looking at a number of different crinum plants for sale online, I'm seeing a fair number with wrinkled outer leaves, and a few lighter, narrower, straighter, presumably younger leaves in the interior.

I agree that more light will help it grow more robust leaves and help keep it from getting leggy. I say get a strong cleanup crew for the algae or maybe dose some liquid carbon and crank it up.

[Yanni]

Crinums are heavy root feeders. By the look of it, it doesn't look like your crinum is buried all the way into the substrate. I would definitely try some root tabs and higher light. Also, try to add some flow into the tank, crinums love having some flow on their leaves, that might help. 

[AquaAggie]

34 minutes ago, Kirsten said:

I say get a strong cleanup crew for the algae

What would you suggest I already have 5 nerite snails and amano shrimp best I can tell no one really eats GSA. 
 

ive also heard mixed things about carbon. 

[AquaAggie]

20 minutes ago, Yanni said:

it doesn't look like your crinum is buried all the way into the substrate

I have tried multiple times and it keeps pushing itself up. I’ve read they are really more like bulb plants and they don’t want to be buried all the way??? I got my shipment of root tabs yesterday. There will be a number going in to the tank for everyone this weekend. I don’t travel vac much anymore either. 

[AquaAggie]

23 minutes ago, Yanni said:

 

Crinums are heavy root feeders

 

Really? The site says just easy green. But I figure if a plant has roots it will use them?

[Kirsten]

1 minute ago, AquaAggie said:

What would you suggest I already have 5 nerite snails and amano shrimp best I can tell no one really eats GSA. 
 

ive also heard mixed things about carbon. 

Nerites will eat GSA, but in my experience, only on glass or hardscape. My nerites are not adventurous and don't like to venture out on plant leaves. Ramshorn snails were the only thing that worked for my GSA on plants, but livebearers like guppies or endlers would probably work, too.

[Blurb]

Looking at your aqua sky profile you run your red-light high. according to master aquatic horticulturist Bentley Pascoe, red tends to make plants grow tall. Check him out. hes got good videos on lighting.He made one video recently on the color spectrum and how it affected plants. good stuff. might be if you adjust your red lights the crinum maybe will slow down and "crinum up" some. 

you also run high on the blue light. Blue tends to grow excess algae. If you take that down and you might see less of the algae.

good luck. keep us updated.

[AquaAggie]

@Blurb Thanks. Great resource. I see he supports the co-op. 
 

you think this looks better?

 

Edited March 7, 2021 by AquaAggie

[Koi]

If I could interject. It's not that the red light makes plants grow tall because of the color but its because red does not penetrate light as deeply as something like blue. I think I know what study he was referring to and the reason that the result shows that is because red was being used by itself. Since red can't reach further depths, plants have to reach higher to the point where it can actually photosynthesize from. When you are use multiple colors in conjunction, this isn't so much the issue unless all the other colors are turned down substantially.

[AquaAggie]

@Koi 🤦‍♂️  Yes. That makes complete sense. I should have thought of that. Although in the video he does discuss differences in how photosynthetically available different wavelengths are beyond just their penetration in the water. Reading the actual paper would be helpful and seeing all the different experiments they set up. Being in science I know all to well how selecting bits and pieces of paper and can be presented as a truth and yet be all together wrong or inaccurate. Thanks for pointing this out. 
 

all that being said. It could be any number of light conditions that lead to ‘crinuming’ or crinkling of the leaves. 

[Koi]

I'm having trouble finding it but I remember the picture was something like this.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/floriculture/uploads/files/blue-light.pdf

12 minutes ago, AquaAggie said:

Being in science I know all to well how selecting bits and pieces of paper and can be presented as a truth and yet be all together wrong or inaccurate.

I wouldn't say the video that Bentley made was trying to misrepresent the study. I just think the way he presented it was a little vague which allows itself to be misinterpreted. But don't discount the fact that I could be entirely wrong. From my general understanding thats how it makes sense to me. Everything begins to go over my head when it gets too sciency.

Wish I could help you with your crinum issue. I kept it before but I can't remember if I used more light to achieve the crinkles. I Have crinum natans at the moment that I got a month ago. The new leaves aren't as crinumy as I would like but I don't really expect to see any progress until at least 6 months from now. I feel like in general for both of these plants, you really don't ever wanna mess with then or move them unless you want them to hate you for a few months. It is always around the year mark for me when they  really take off.

[AquaAggie]

@Koi I wasn’t trying to imply any intentional misrepresentation. It’s just an easy trap to fall into. That picture is very similar, but you are correct, not the same.   Your point about the red light is well taken, especially in the setting of other color spectrums. Thanks 

[Koi]

2 minutes ago, AquaAggie said:

I wasn’t trying to imply any intentional misrepresentation.

Oh I'm sorry I wasn't talking about you, I was trying to clarify the point I was making. What he said isn't wrong I just felt it wasn't fully explained.

I've noticed the way I write sounds very abrasive, not my attention at all! I just want to make it clear for others that I'm not disagreeing with what he said. Last thing I want is a mob out to get me haha

Sorry for the misunderstanding!

 

[Maggie]

On the bright side (no pun intended), your tetras really stand out nicely!