# Advice on harvesting Cryptocoryne parva



## ced281 (Jul 6, 2012)

Hi all,

The Cryptocoryne parva carpet in of my tanks is getting pretty dense and I'm looking to try and harvest it so that I can sell on the forums. Anyone have any tips or advice on how I can do this without disturbing the substrate too much?

I'm using PetCo black aquarium sand as substrate, but underneath it is a ~1 unit layer of osmocote that I really don't want to uproot (I don't want to deal with the subsequent algae bloom from all the nutrients being released into the water column).

Any advice would be much appreciated!


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

I don't know about harvesting it but I am curious about how you are growing it. It seems like you are getting really good growth out of this plant. How much osmocots did you use? What exactly is 1 unit layer? 

Other than that I would say pull it up very slowly and recap the area. Using a tube of some sort and pouring the cap through the tube makes adding it less messy.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Ditto: Move VERY slowly, one plant at a time. Gently ease one or two fingers under the plant to start loosening it. Be ready with the scissors so you can cut any root that threatens to lift up more substrate than you want. You are trying to lift each plant through the substrate with enough roots to make a viable plant, but leave as much substrate in place.


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## ced281 (Jul 6, 2012)

BruceF said:


> I don't know about harvesting it but I am curious about how you are growing it. It seems like you are getting really good growth out of this plant. How much osmocots did you use? What exactly is 1 unit layer?


By 1 unit, I literally mean 1 little osmocote "stone", so basically a 1 "stone" layer at the very bottom that covers about a 8" by 8" area. 



Diana said:


> Ditto: Move VERY slowly, one plant at a time. Gently ease one or two fingers under the plant to start loosening it. Be ready with the scissors so you can cut any root that threatens to lift up more substrate than you want. You are trying to lift each plant through the substrate with enough roots to make a viable plant, but leave as much substrate in place.


Do either of you know if Cryptocoryne parva roots will attach to osmocote? I don't want to accidentally pull up a plant with the root system speckled with osmocote... I REALLY want to avoid any fert overdose incidents in this shrimp tank since.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I do not know. 

Try it, with a plant that is more isolated from the other plants, but as near as you can tell on top of the Osmocote. If any Osmocote show up push them back under the substrate. 
If too many show up then you know that you will have to remove the shrimp, harvest the Crypts, then replant. 
But that is WAY too much Osmocote. I just gently scattered it, 1-2" apart on the floor of the tank.


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## HybridHerp (May 24, 2012)

FYI, I think that is x willisi and not true larva, since larva should be shorter from what I understand.

Regardless, nice plant, just pull up slowly and cut the roots as you are pulling so that you don't take all the substrate too


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## Cardinal's Keeper (May 19, 2012)

In addition to the above suggestions I have a technique that could help alleviate water quality issues during up rooting. 

I don't have any pictures currently so I will be as descriptive as I can but it's pretty simple. 

Get a long length of airline tubing, enough to have it in the tank and also draping in the bucket with enough slack do that you are able to move it around in the tank without it every lifting up out if the bottom of the bucket or water container for water siphoning you use. 

Get a chop stick (they've worked best for me) and stick into your substrate gently at a 45 or 60 degree angle not vertical. Note how far up the substrate is on the chopstick and then remove and place the airline tubing approx 1" above where the substrate was. Attach the tubing using small zip ties or wire ties near the end of the tubing and at the top or as many needed to make the airline tubing securely on the chop stick. 

Now your going to place the chopstick with tubing near where your slowly/gently uprooting plants. Before you uproot start a Siphon so that any cloudiness/mulm/nutes are slowly siphoned out before they can mix in the water column. 

Couple notes, you can use a tube pinch or inline air adjusting valve to slow or stop the flow during up rooting of relocating. Also the slack is important so that when the siphon is started the weight of the line does not pull at chopstick in the substrate. 

This takes extra time and patience/steady hand, but IMO is worth it not to spread around the detritus etc and have to clean off all plants etc.


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## ced281 (Jul 6, 2012)

Thanks, that sounds like a good idea! I actually have a similar tubing setup for cleaning detritus from my smaller tanks (I have airline tubing running through a long thin plastic cylinder for siphoning).


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