# Crypt ID



## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

I thought for a long time these were c. parva, I guess because they were much smaller than my c. undulata. But then I actually got some real c. parva and realized they look nothing alike. They're a bit bigger and have wider leaves. Every few leaves that grow will have some brownish/reddish as seen in the plant to the left.

I know crypts can be hard to identify but some idea of what it could be would be nice.

Thanks!


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Could be walkeri, but it's hard to say at this point.


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## B76 (May 17, 2011)

I have lutea, little guys like that almost identical to photos. But might be to small huh?


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## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

Well, all the pictures I can find of walkeri 'lutea' seem more reddish, with heavier/longer stalks. These are pretty flimy and compact. Mine also have a bit more ruffle to their leaves.

Idk, I'll post pics from another angle when I get off work today.


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## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

Ok, here are the same plants with a few weeks more growth on them.



















Are we still thinking walkeri lutea?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

That is what I am thinking. The pattern of brown and green is familiar.

Young walkeri plants


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## B76 (May 17, 2011)

I still do. I'm no expert.


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## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

Does this mean I should expect them to get much larger (vertically) with time?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

yes. Maximum 10-12 inches.


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## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

HeyPK said:


> yes. Maximum 10-12 inches.


Yikes, well I'm going to have to think about where I'm going to move these to when they reach their full potential. I have them as foreground in a rather small tank currently. Would you say these are taller or shorter than c. undulata? Google's been giving me conflicting answers.

And can anyone recommend a better foreground choice? I have some parva, but for that particular location I'd like something a bit taller (like the height my walkeri is right now).


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Try this:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...ls.php?id=46&category=genus&spec=Cryptocoryne


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

_C. walkeri_ is more robust and it gets taller faster than _C. undulata_ or _C. beckettii 'petchii_'. _C. x willisi_i (_C. parva_ x one or another Sri Lankan crypt) would also be a good foreground, but would be mostly green.


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## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

Thanks for the help, guys! I think I'll probably replace the walkeri with willisii when they start to outgrow their current position. Then I'll rearrange the walkeri behind the undulata. This is quickly becoming a tank of almost entirely different species of crypts. ;p


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## Klaus07 (Sep 18, 2011)

That brown green pattern is more indicative of the amount of light the plant is getting rather than the species. I have C spiralis and retrospiralis that have the same pattern.


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## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

Klaus07 said:


> That brown green pattern is more indicative of the amount of light the plant is getting rather than the species. I have C spiralis and retrospiralis that have the same pattern.


Interesting. Do you have any other guesses? They're gaining a lot more brown and getting much larger in this tank than previous ones that had inert substrate. The lighting has only been improved a little, so I think nutrients are a big factor in the change, too.

Here's two weeks more growth to work with.


















Size comparison with c. parva and c. undulata in the same tank. It's gaining on the undulata for sure.


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## kafkabeetle (Oct 11, 2011)

Interestingly, they've filled out a lot, but haven't actually grown any taller. Does this change anyone's guesses? If it helps, my undulata are doing the same, growing shorter than expected, instead just getting denser. Maybe something about my water conditions is somehow dwarfing them?


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## totziens (Jun 28, 2008)

These are my top choice of foreground plants:

Marsilea hirsuta
Hair grass (a few varieties are available. Japanese hairgrass is the smallest) 
Fast growing Helanthium tenellum
Glosso

Others are hard to find or harder to keep in my opinion. I find small crypts very hard to form a carpet - growing too slow.


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