# my crypts wont grow :(



## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

How long have you had it?


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## medicineman (Sep 28, 2005)

I'm not a crypt expert but it looks like some kind of wendtii. The stuff can grow very big and tall, 6-7". Under right condition I've managed to triple the size of a wendtii in several months.

One thing for sure : you should not move a crypt unless it is totally necessary.


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## Aquaspot World (Jun 16, 2006)

That is a C.wendtii 'Tropica' and is a very easy to grow Crypt. It appears that you may have buried the rhizome too deep into the substrate.


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## RachPreach (Jan 16, 2006)

ok whats a rhizome? lol...and how can i get it to grow better?


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## bigstick120 (May 23, 2005)

Most Crypts are slow growers, if its not dying then its doing fine. The rhizome is what the leaves attach to. Pull it up a little so just the crown is above the substrate


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## RachPreach (Jan 16, 2006)

ok ill try that....are my ferts. ok?

BTW i also add flourish iron at 2 capfuls 1x weekly


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## RachPreach (Jan 16, 2006)

ok i know this thread is old but im still having difficulty growing this crypt. Any advice?


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## RachPreach (Jan 16, 2006)

anyone????


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## sfcallen (Dec 13, 2006)

Mine is out in the full light and seems to grow ok, but slow. Did you get the crown up out of the substrate? Your dosing looks ok. Maybe a little lite on traces depending on you plant mass.


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## RachPreach (Jan 16, 2006)

yes the crown is up i believe....ill check though....


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## Galactic Doug (Apr 14, 2006)

How bright is your lighting? and what type of bulb plus age? I had some of this crypt many times and if the light is too strong it lays its leaves out like yours are then does not grow for long periods of time, but when I reduced the light by adding some overhaging plants or wood piece directly above the plant it seems to "Reach" for the light and start growing. 

Not sure if this will help but ...

The rizome could be above the gravel but not entirely needed since I have seen this plant in the little black plastic pots completely covered with gravel still grow...

Hope you figure this out though as that can be one mag plant when growing properly.:icon_bigg


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## RachPreach (Jan 16, 2006)

well i have 192 watts over my 100 gallon. The leaves have started to grow longer, the pic at the top is kinda old. But its still not growing to its full potential.


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## Galactic Doug (Apr 14, 2006)

Look at your chem makeup of the tank and if possible test for individual fert amounts to see if there is something lacking. That plant does not grow too fast though if mem serves. so I wouldn't take it as being to big a deal unless it stops almost all together.

Do the leaves lay more horizontal(flattened to gravel) than vertical(reaching towards light)? Too much light can make a Crypt slow to non-growing. Maybe, to just check, put a piece of tinfoil on top of the glass top (if you have one) right above the plant in question. Say about a foot across to see if dimming the light for that plant makes it grow faster and change the direction of the leaves to more reaching upwards...

Just a thought but too much light might be your issue if there is an issue dealing with light at all.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

not sure if anyone else has seen this (or maybe everyone with crypt's has and im not privy) but it seems my crypts "stand up" when thier happy and "lay down" when my other plants shade them too much.

sound like a crypt behavior?

B


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## Galactic Doug (Apr 14, 2006)

bsmith782 said:


> not sure if anyone else has seen this (or maybe everyone with crypt's has and im not privy) but it seems my crypts "stand up" when thier happy and "lay down" when my other plants shade them too much.
> 
> sound like a crypt behavior?
> 
> B


Depends on the color of the crypt in question. Those with brown leaves require less light than those with green leaves, as brown leaves are more efficient at using the light for photosynthesis. So if the crypt is brown colored or has some green and brown it will do "best" under large plants which dim the light just a tad such as Echinodorus Swords. 

Happy crypts are those that grow evenly over long periods of time. So if they are just sitting there they have something missing in the total array of conditions. Yes they do grow slower than some other plants but not growing is exactly that "Not Growing".

Yes Crypts can grow out in the open also, and do just fine but they come from an area where they grow under trees and overhanging vegitation more often than not in the wild. Of course what ever works for one person might not work for someone else in another part of the world in aquariums.


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## RachPreach (Jan 16, 2006)

well my crypt leaves are growing up at tall...so i guess they are reaching for the light....


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## Galactic Doug (Apr 14, 2006)

RachPreach said:


> well my crypt leaves are growing up at tall...so i guess they are reaching for the light....


In the picture you have at the top of this thread the leaves are lying down on the job but if as you say the plant has changed some since then and is growing new leaves more upwards then the light is dimmer or just the bulbs have gotten older and putting out less light so the plant is reaching for more.

Think of it like the leaning man cactus on land it leans in the direction of the sun, so in the morning you find it pointing towards the morning sun and as the day goes on the Earth rotates so the sun moves accros our sky and the cactus moves towards the sun and eventually points towards the evening sun, but if you put a bright light above the cactus it just point towards the light and forgets the sun.

This is something I have noticed on my crypts over the last 20 years of keeping those I have had, but thats not to say that yours is not getting enough or too much necessarily, the original 2WPG you mention is not to bright or to dim for them. 

Since your plant is not growing as it should, its probably just to slow growing for your tastes or something is missing from its "needs equation" like co2, (BTW how much CO2 are you adding if any?). If none I would go out on a limb and say you need to get a co2 system going and see if the growth accelerates. If the plant is not getting any co2 then it can't use the ferts very well you are adding.

Light + Ferts + CO2 in the right amounts(ie. balanced) = healthy plants that grow as fast as possible.


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## happeboy (Apr 21, 2007)

I have 3 of the same crypts; the one that is slightly covered and by the filter grows the best (about 10" across and 6" hi and only 3 m.o.) the other 2 are much smaller ~5" across. I've tried to figure out what they like shade or water movement. I added a little filter/pump on the other end of the tank to see if that helps, so far nothing.


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## Blacksunshine (Oct 11, 2006)

RachPreach said:


> anyone????


Try putting a root tab under it. might help it get some extra nutrients. Mine grows like crazy and send runners all over the tank. But I'm also running super high light +co2. in my big tank with less WPG no CO2 they stay pretty small like yours.


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