# Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia - need a little help



## zimbo (Oct 8, 2011)

Hi folks:

I've had c. aponogetifolia for a while now, several months. It didn't do much of anything for months, then finally its started to send out new leaves. As soon as they get about 4 inches or so the ends seem to be melting off? It just did it again. I don't know if there's a specific deficiency or something i need to know about this plant.....or for any of the big crypts for that matter because I've had a terrible time getting most of the large crypts to really grow well. C. usteriana pretty much rolled up and died, i have 1 plant left, and i have 2 usterianxwalkeri plants barely keeping by too. Balansae finally started to do something after about 7 months.....its not really multiplying either. 

Any thoughts? I've attached a few pics. Its a 180. I EI dose, however, its not a full dose by any stretch with the tank pretty much just anubias and crypts ....I'm not growing stems after all. Lights are x2 buildmyled 72 inch strips, CO2, etc. 

C. aponogetifolia












The tank - i had wondered if the fish would be nibbling at it, but there's plenty of other crypts for them to attack, which they haven't....


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## ua hua (Oct 30, 2009)

This is one of the crypts that does better in hard water. 

What are your water parameters?


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## zimbo (Oct 8, 2011)

I'll whip out the test kits tomorrow pm again, but its GAinesville, FL......basically not much short of liquid rock.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

ua hua said:


> This is one of the crypts that does better in hard water.
> 
> What are your water parameters?


This.

I have soft water and I use GH booster and baking soda to keep mine happy.


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## Okedokey (Sep 2, 2014)

Potassium?


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## Zapins (Jan 7, 2006)

Can you post more photos of the other plants in the tank? A few of the anubias and a few of the stem plants will help. If there is a deficiency it will affect the entire tank and other plants will show symptoms well before crypts.


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## zimbo (Oct 8, 2011)

Thanks for the replies so far guys.

So water parameters:
TDS: 264
GH: 11 
KH: 1...and yes i rechecked and its 1. Test kits are less than 6 months old, API. 
pH: 6.75
NO3 10ppm

As far as additional pictures:

In taking photos some of the crypts have some faint spots, particularly on the underside of leaves, but not all species: 

c pontederiifolia


















C. nurii











Blassi










C. cordata 'rosanvernig' the veining was much more prominent, but seems to come and go. I moved it when i rescaped and its faded a bit, but it has done it before and come back a bit more prominent in the past. Its never multiplied unfortunately. 










C. affinis....i've heard stories of this plant being able to grow out of control historically (crypt style)....its been a straggler in many ways. This is not the red metalic version, but the green one. 










Anubias and stem - i only have a single rotala stem - i think its sunset, or what i was told when i got it. 




















'Gecko'












Hopefully enough pics! Thanks for any input.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Your KH is a bit low for the usteriana, balansae, and apongetifolia. Bring it up to 4-5 dKH since those crypts need the carbonates.

http://crypts.home.xs4all.nl/Cryptocoryne/Gallery/bal/bal.html

http://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/cryptocoryne-usteriana

http://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/cryptocoryne-aponogetifolia


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

I have it in my 180, does well, but is in the back lowest light area also. My KH is 1. If you allow it to take over and dominate, it will if there's a lot of competitors, it'll grow slowly. It'll get 3 ft long leaves, the current rips them apart in my 180, so they tend to stay shorter. 

It likes high light. I keep it where it is at with good reason, a huge stand of 3ft long plants, not a good look.


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