# Growing crypts in hard water



## banderbe (Nov 17, 2005)

I have a couple of crypts, but I am not sure what kind. They're not the long tall kind, but more like a small bunch of leaves. The receipt from the LFS said "crypts-medium". Great, thanks! 

[Edit: after looking around I think it might be C. wendtii]

Anyway I was growing them for a few weeks in water that was softened by a home softener. The water had a KH of 18 and a GH of 2 to 3, plus an elevated sodium level of approx. 172 ppm.

For a few days they did okay, and I even saw new growth coming up from the soil, and then the new growth melted away, and then one by one leaves would get holes, yellow over, then melt away. Then I noticed the tips of the leaves turning black.

Well I thought it was probably my water, since I was aware that I may have trouble using "softened" water, so after some research I figured out how to bypass my home softener to get water with a KH of 18 and a GH of 22. Pretty hard stuff.

Anyway, I did a 75% water change this weekend so hopefully things will turn around in my tank.

I guess my real basic question is whether or not anyone else here grows crypts in hard water like mine, or if you can tell me what else to try.

See my sig. for more info on my tank.

I dose as follows:

Mondays: 50% WC, 1/4 tsp KNO3, 1/16 tsp K2SO4, 1/16 tsp KH2PO2
Tuesday: 10 ml Plantex CSM+B mixed at 1 tbsp. per 250 ml water.
Wed: Monday dosing
Thurs: trace
Fri: Monday dosing
Sat: nothing


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## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

Mine grows like a weed in kh 12 gh 12. While not as hard as yours, I think it shows this plant will tolerate just about anything you dunk it in.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

You may know this, but in case you don't, Crypts will melt fairly easily if you change any parameter in the tank. Sometimes even when you swear you haven't changed anything, they will melt. BTW, it is reported that wendtii's are someo of the worst ones for this. Let them be, they will bounce back. I too have hard water (kh 9, gh 12), I have wendtii and spiralis, both growing well, no problems.


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## MoonFish (Feb 12, 2006)

I've killed a lot of plants but not these. It does make me wonder though if you should try to get plants from somewhere that also has hard water so they don't need to acclimate so much. I only have one or two kinds. I am no expert but these do seem to survive neglect well.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

If water that hard is softened, the calcium and magnesium ions are replaced by sodium ions, and you wind up with a KH (alkalinity) just as high, but a GH (calcium and magnesium) quite low. Basically, you have a strong, alkaline solution of sodium bicarbonate, which is not particularly good for crypts. The unmodified hard water would probably be better. Better yet would be somewhat softer water obtained by diluting with RO (reverse osmosis) water or rain water.


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