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Trimming Cryptocoryne?

A

Anonymous

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Hi could someone give some advice on trimming Cryptocoryne? Is it possible to trim them and encourage shorter bushy growth?

Cheers
 
Couple of times that I have attempted to trim some of my crypts, both times I ended up getting crypt melts. I must be doing something wrong.
 
AAB said:
Couple of times that I have attempted to trim some of my crypts, both times I ended up getting crypt melts. I must be doing something wrong.
Click to expand...
You're not adding enough CO2. That's what's wrong.

Cheers,
 
ceg4048 said:
AAB said:
Couple of times that I have attempted to trim some of my crypts, both times I ended up getting crypt melts. I must be doing something wrong.
Click to expand...
You're not adding enough CO2. That's what's wrong.

Cheers,
Click to expand...

Doctor Co2 :lol:
 
If conditions for them are right you can cut them right down. All of them! They grow back nice and strong.
 
Seriously, what "conditions" are we talking about? Everybody talks about crypts as if they are some kind of fragile species from another planet. In aquariums, crypts have the same problems as any other plant in that hobbyists pummel them with too much light while not paying attention to nutrition and CO2. There are also plenty of non-CO2 tanks in which they adapt easily if the lighting isn't over the top. They don't need any special sediment and they don't need any special water parameters. I've grown crypts in hard water, soft water, acidic or neutral, high alkalinity, low alkalinity, clay substrate, humus substrate. The crypts don't miss a beat. They just carry on. If flow/CO2 and nutrition are poor then of course they suffer. But how is that different than any other plant?

When you see crypts melting, they are telling you that your overall approach to CO2 distribution is faulty. It doesn't mean that every plant will suffer, because all plants are not created equally. Some are better gatherers of CO2 than others. But the melting tells you that you probably have too much light for the available CO2. In humus sediments there tends to be a higher CO2 production in the sediment which some crypts can take advantage of.

Here is a sample video of a typical crypt habitat. look at the water "conditions". What's more important is that there is flow and that the lighting is subdued as a direct result of the water's turbidity and as a result of the stream being under a forest canopy. When you stick this plant under megawattage it's difficult for them to make the adjustment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bhKbX8z ... detailpage

Cheers,
 
i guess this explains my persistent crypt melt in my non CO2 tank. have been blaming nutrients, substrate etc. etc. have now got pressurised CO2 on the way, hopefully not too late to bring them back!
 
I have successfully grown a forest of various crypts in a non-CO2 tank with only minor algae issues to ruin my feeling of smug satisfaction. :)

I realise now from what Clive has posted above that it was as much down to luck and inadvertently limiting the amount of light hitting the crypts as anything else. I had a healthy floating plant population at the time and didn't realise just how much good they were doing.

Unfotunately, I had to break the tank down lately but the crypts from it filled 4 10L buckets....

I found a pic: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/T ... directlink

I'm sorry I moved the tank now. :)
 
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