# Cryptocoryne Emersed Setup



## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

@BDoss1985, nice setup! I'm definitely getting back in the swing of my emersed prop tanks. Sadly I don't have old pics of the original ones. You definitely won't need the tops on those tupperware's with your setup, if anything you will need some vent holes for gas exchange and for thermal regulation. I'd highly recommend putting a heat source in with the plants as it will assist in growth and give consistent water temps through night and day. As for the koralia or canister, don't waste them. A cheapo powerhead will do the trick, but you really don't need it. If anything just do water changes once a month and get out the stagnant water.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Thanks @Tihsho Any suggestions on substrate for crypts? 
I may add a vent on the top, also I figured a small 50w heater

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

@BDoss1985, you can use MGOPS just fine. I used it and crypts exploded with that and an Osmocote + tab in each pot. They are easy to make. In an hour I had a few hundred made and bagged up.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

@Tihsho I got some vigor... Organic potting soil. My home depot doesn't carry the miracle grow kind. Got it all setup last night 100 a heater and all going. I have a hydro meter and thermometer coming in today. What should I keep the humidity and temp at?

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

Hydrometer or Hygrometer? There is a big difference, one (first one) measures salinity through specific gravity and the other measures moisture. 

I keep my temps in the mid 70's, so like between 74-76 as my lighting adds heat during the day and brings the day temps up to 80-82.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

The humidity one, it's for a terrarium

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

It it a digital one or one that is based off a spring? The reason I ask is you need to be careful, actually with both, to make sure you don't accidentally submerse it.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

It's analog, still waiting for FedEx lol, I'll post a pic of it all in just A little while

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## WickedOdie (Aug 15, 2015)

Do you plan to drill holes in the side of the containers to let the air flow through them? I'm planning on making an emersed setup much like yours.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

The gauge came in, it's Velcro'd to a piece of cpvc right in the middle this is what it reads after an hour









Added today,
Cryptocoryne zukalii
Cryptocoryne Dewitii PNG
Cryptocoryne Matakensis Brown 












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## WickedOdie (Aug 15, 2015)

so what holds in your humidity?


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

The main container lid holds in the humidity

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

What do you have the heater set to?


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Heater is set on 80

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

What lighting are you running?


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

T5ho quad odyssea fixture with 6500k bulbs

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

You might want to turn down the heater then. Fluorescent tubes kick out a lot of heat in confined containers. I wouldn't be surprised to see your temps in the high 80's low 90's in your setup if there are no vents. My setup (half 10 gallon) is lighted by 4 25W CFL's and the heating pad is set to 75. When I get home from work I see temps that are up to 82 degrees F due to the lighting bringing up the tank temps. Also, I have a 1/8th inch grap at one end of the glass I'm using on top for venting purposes. Without that gap I had temps (when I first did this years back) running up to 89 degrees F.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Light has been on since 9am 230 now and I'm getting right at 81, I'm thinking the window ac above the setup is keeping it cooler... Gonna have to check tonight and make sure it's not too cool at lights out.










Btw the humidity look ok or do you think I should add a small closable vent?

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

90 percent is fine. 

Keep in mind that a temp flux isn't a bad thing. Dropping down to the 70's at night has actually caused some of my plants to flower in the past.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

It shouldn't dip too much the ac is usually set at 74 or so, thanks for the help @Tihsho I'll keep you updated with progress, if all goes well... Maybe I can get a few more rare crypts

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

I wish I had my crypt farm still going, I would have loved to trade with someone else!


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

I want a couple more rare varieties. Maybe after I get a couple offshoots I can trade for them.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Almost time for lights on, there's a little drop in temp over the lights off period.

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

My strongest recommendations are the following.

1 - Drop the temp down a couple degrees (say 76) to give the plants a slightly larger cool off drop. If you do this and increase it a couple degrees back up to 80 in the summer you will see the plants will act as if you're controlling the seasons. 

2- Invest in a cheap ultrasonic fogger. I replaced any pumps in my emersed setups with these. I had them on a timer to go off for 30 minutes ever 3 hours during my 12 hour light cycle. This would not only raise humidity, but it would also allow the water suspended ferts to be dosed to the plants throughout the day. Also, I noticed a raise in temperatures with this running.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Got an ultrasonic... Love the look when it comes on lol










I do see some growth in the last week. The far right plant is S. Bihar from the small.emersed tank transitioning from submersed about 3 wks.

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

Good choice! You'll notice the longer it's on/more often it's on that plants will stay in their submeresed form even though grown emersed. Crypts grew tighter and shorter when I used one on a crypt farm, the other setup I had running parallel a year ago had the same crypts that were taller and leggy. 

Now you have the USF, you can remove any pumps you have, the water will not be in a stagnant state now and you can save some electricity.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

I have it set to come on 2-3 times during lights on, I have some anubias rhizomes laying in the water by the containers they're just about to make leaves. Think it would be ok to lay them in the containers?

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

Is the substrate moist? If so you can lay the Anubias on the substrate. Be sure to not plant the rhizome, but I think you know this.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Yeah it stays moist not soaking wet as the water level is only half way up the container

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

What are the tubes on the left of the egg-crate?


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Nothing now that was a filter to keep water moving, There's a small power head and that fogger taking it's place.

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

Axe the powerhead, it's not going to do anything. Honest.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

I know the fogger moves water was just scared it would go stagnant, being in the bedroom I'd be killed by the wife. if it started stinking

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Anubias rhizomes
All seem to have leaves starting.









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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

The setups I have right now are in an adjoining room (office) to my bedroom. Two of my 2.5's are stagnant, one having nothing in it just yet and 99.99% sealed and the other has live sphagnum and a nepenthes that is 95% sealed (open for gas exchange as well as the line for the digital hygrometer and thermometer.) My half 10 is 95% sealed, but I have the fogger kick on throughout the day to move the water and there is 0 smell from it. My nepenthes setup is the only one I'm concerned with stagnant water... I might actually clean that out tonight for freshwater.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

I did a water change today in mine took maybe a third out and siphoned it back down from the turtle tank.

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Tapatalk


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Added Ferruginea and silver queen

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

This collections going to need a bigger tub


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

I'll wait a while hope to be trading for what i want by next spring and maybe make an outdoor bin very high humidity in Louisiana should work good. 

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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

When things kick off I know who I'm PMing for Crypts


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

*Update 10-31-15*

Update, adding the small emersed tank into thread just to make it easy.

The small tank has marsilea minuta 2 pots on right. AR Mini middle pots, hygro compact bottom left and top left i'm not sure? 

Just added the 2 Hygro Compact on bottom left Wednesday.. they seem be be holding up good were submersed growth.

Big Container


Alot of new leaves on the Anubias in the last week..


Through some Hygroryza Aristata in the tank to grow out.


New growth on some of the crypts




Then there's this... is that a start of a flower?

(isn't it odd how when you take a close up pic you get green, and the far off container pic it's a solid brown plant)


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Done collecting for now lol, added 
C Fusca
C Rosen Maiden
C Cordata Siamensis
C Affins Red
and C Parva (small emersed setup)


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## denske (Feb 20, 2013)

Good job bud, do you keep track of the ph of the water in the tank?


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## philipraposo1982 (Mar 6, 2014)

Where do you get your crypts. I have such a hard time finding new crypts that I don't already have. I guess there is not many crypt lover here in Ontario Canada.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

denske said:


> Good job bud, do you keep track of the ph of the water in the tank?


I really don't keep track, i know my fish tank water i use is around 7.6, I'll check that on the saturday wc to see what the soil does to the ph.

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

philipraposo1982 said:


> Where do you get your crypts. I have such a hard time finding new crypts that I don't already have. I guess there is not many crypt lover here in Ontario Canada.


Forum sales, and HanAquatics has been the majority, also a fb auction group. 

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Small update, Zukalii has a small spathe starting! Woot

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

@denske i checked the ph yesterday and it comes in right at 7. So the soil does lower my ph to neutral.

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Dewitii PNG spathe... man they pop up fast. 

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Changed up the small setup a little, gotta figure out some room have 2 more varieties coming in this week

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Little Dewitii popping up. 

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## denske (Feb 20, 2013)

Looks like your leaves on the dewitii are yellowing a little bit, do you fertilize at all?


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Haven't added ferts i change out with tank water every 2or3 weeks and i do ei on the tank 

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Update, it's been a while. I was gone and the heater wasn't turned on in the bed room so the small emersed had a little melt. Then I re did it to a tote with tons more room than the 5g tank and a heater/plant light.

Larger setup pics






















The crypt on the left of the fusca isnt known came free with the fusca but isn't






































Small emersed setup








































































And the lonely Cookie jar setup








Pallidinervia

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

In full melt mode, was grown submerged

New Var of parva


Pretty sure this was submersed grown also waiting for full melt to set in.




The left is Affins Red Denerle Var... very hard to see the little plantlets very dark stems.

Albida submersed grown melt away.




Still unknown var. I at first thought maybe wendtii bronze or another var but the leaves are getting much longer than those. I'm now thinking a type of Nurii?


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## Grubs (Jun 2, 2007)

Great collection @BDoss1985 roud: Its nice (though a little painful) to see varieties we don't have in Australia.


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

I'm sure there are alot of variations yall have that id like @Grubs lots i find on the net i can't seem to find

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## rebelbuck1993 (Sep 3, 2014)

BDoss1985 said:


> In full melt mode, was grown submerged
> 
> New Var of parva
> 
> ...


bottom photo looks just like my C. Undulata submerged, check my sig


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

rebelbuck1993 said:


> bottom photo looks just like my C. Undulata submerged, check my sig




















Just shot up a spathe last night

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## rebelbuck1993 (Sep 3, 2014)

BDoss1985 said:


> Just shot up a spathe last night
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


yep that is for sure a c. undulata


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

2nd spathe on this in a week









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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi Rebelbuck1993,

That's a nice emersed set-up you have there! The plant above certainly could be C. wendtii 'Florida Sunset' it also looks a little like Crytocoryne cordata 'Rosanervig'









This is my emersed C. wendtii 'Florida Sunset'


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

The leaf is going more green, that pic was still of submerged leaves before transition... my slow slow enemy lol









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## Ligyron (Mar 10, 2016)

Fantastic collection!!

Where did you find the mini parva?


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Bought from a guy on fb, but its avail on aquabid now. .. mine was tissue from start in sure

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Added some varieties mostly thanks to @denske

















































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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Added 5 more. Varieties

No idea what sri lanka really is. The leaves are thicker like lingua but the shape is much different. 










































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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

A few pictures from 6-10-16 
*

Silver Queen(got a baby SQ coming up)



Sri Lanka



Rosen Maiden



Purpurea



Thwaitesii Ratnapora



Yellow Ring (starting to make it's come back)



Albida Red(Finally coming up)



Fusca



Flamingo(first spathe)*


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

A few pics 8/30/16


























































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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

April 2017
















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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

holy cow nice emersed setup


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## geekdad (Aug 7, 2014)

Any updates?


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## BDoss1985 (Sep 15, 2011)

Should be some soon got the new setup stable

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## Grubs (Jun 2, 2007)

Great setup Brian - besides the magnificent plants, I'm interested in the grill in the end wall - are you ducting in warm air or extracting exess humidity? I think I also see a fan at the top. Have you found air movement improves growth or supresses moulds?

My crypts live under bubblewrap blankets (too dry in summer, too cold in winter) but I do find they seem stronger with a little less humidty created by leaving a few gaps.


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