# Growing C. keei



## ts168 (Apr 13, 2004)

Just to share with all how i grow my C. keei. Doing rather well.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Very nice. Can you give us details as to _how_ you're growing them? Have you tried the species submersed?


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## ts168 (Apr 13, 2004)

Just use sand and a low level of water as shown in the picture.

Yes i have them in submerse also. Growing very well also.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Are they growing submersed in a blackwater setup or under what many people would consider normal conditions? I understand this is one that may do well without a super-low pH and so on.


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## ts168 (Apr 13, 2004)

Hi Allen,

I think you are trying to ask what the nature biotop of C. keei.

You might want to checkout this link, it show the biotop and how to grow them.Hope this help. I think this one provide all the information needed.
http://natureye.com/cryptocorynes/cryptocoryne-keei.html#more-163

Do not bother about other termilogy. See the nature and learn from there.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Oh, I know about that. I was just wondering how it does under typical aquarium conditions.


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## ts168 (Apr 13, 2004)

Sure allen, hope you get what i mean here.

Just try to replicate as close to the nature.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

I understand that the substrate should be sand with some mud and that the water can be hard (having calcium and magnesium bicarbonate) without being harmful to the plant. Can you tell me more about the water? Do you add fertilizer? If you do, how much and what kind of fertilizer? Do you have fish in the water with the plants? Do you change the water? 

Thank you,


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## ts168 (Apr 13, 2004)

Hmm, where are the other C. keei grower. Come out and share your knowledge... Come on...


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## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

What do you mean OTHER keei growers? Do you have any idea how rare this plant is in cultivation? I've been trying to get some for a decade.


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## ts168 (Apr 13, 2004)

HeyPK said:


> I understand that the substrate should be sand with some mud and that the water can be hard (having calcium and magnesium bicarbonate) without being harmful to the plant. Can you tell me more about the water? Do you add fertilizer? If you do, how much and what kind of fertilizer? Do you have fish in the water with the plants? Do you change the water?
> 
> Thank you,


Yes in nature , the substract is sand and mud... There should be other mineral in the soil. and the good sunlight which make the crypt grow beautifully in nature.
What i can do is try my best to grow it well. I do believe crypt need more iron fert. I usually add some fert while growing them. There no fish in it, it close top. At the moment i did not change the water, if it turn bad, i might consider.


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## Kai Witte (Jan 30, 2006)

Hello Richard,

It's true that most plants you see pics of were commercially collected in nature. However, things are changing and I've seen plants growing and flowering as well as pics from several longtime cultures. They are a bit slow to propagate but submersed culture seems to be at least as stable as emersed culture.

It does remarkebly well in ... drum roll ... leaf-mold!  

Despite it coming from a limestone area, I've not seen it doing well in really hard water (even with added current) like affinis. The first plants I got in 1988 did ok till the mid-90s in pure rain water, natural carbonate-free sand from a lake with some weathered granite added, and really heavy current; too few nutrients for gaining size and propagation though.

I've seen submersed plants doing ok in soft water (with or without current; same with CO2 supplementation; even in small plastic containers); rule of thumb seems to be if a tank allows for really good plant growth without algae covering old leaves, that keei may fine with it. It still is a finicky plant and I strongly recommend to experiment with propagated plants only since the natural stocks are very limited.

I have stable emersed growth in pumice with small amounts of leaf-mold, a carbonate-free mineral mix (sand-like), and pure leaf-mold (preincubated for several weeks in aerated DI water to avoid heavy decomposition (and resulting O2-free conditions) after planting. I suspect that under my conditions the resulting growth is mainly dependant on (low but steady) nutrient availablity rather than more "esoteric" factors. 

I hope that some more keei growers will chime in...


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## Gelcast (Mar 30, 2012)

my keeis- so far so good with half pot of normal potting soil and half filled with aquarium substrate from Germany (Check the brand later) Planted on March 7 and now it has thrown 2 new Leaves. The growth seems moderate as I compared it to my bullosa's. Ive got 4 rhizomes from its excess roots kept in a plastic cups with java moss.... Ill try to score some aquasoil later and hack the other keei on the other pot so I can compare the growth rate.


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## Klaus07 (Sep 18, 2011)

I have a single C Keei jambusan that I am growing in a 20 gal long, where I use 1 inch of Miracle Grow Organic Choice (MGOC) potting soil capped with another 1 to 2 inches of Black Diamond Blasting Grit, heavily washed to remove contaminants and any residue from the BDBG which is really coal slag. 

I have a four foot fluorscent t8 hood with a shiny aluminum reflector (Home Depot about $36) with 2 6500 K T8 bulbs. I have it setup as a riparium so it is open top.

I added frogbit to soak up the craziness in the water that comes with new tank syndrome and it has multiplied exponentially and needs to be harvested weekly. All the plants in this setup are doing well, except the Cyperus helferi, which likely needs the addition of CO2.

The Keei has two new leaves in the last few weeks. My light regimen is 12 on/ 12 off.

Klaus


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## lbacha (Apr 12, 2011)

I have had mixed results with Keei, I have it in my aquarium growing in AS Malaya and I really dont think it likes the substrate although now that the tank is about a year old the plants are throwing new leaves off and getting bigger I just planted 6 large plants of it in ADA Sarawak sand mixed with used as Malaya and root tabs in my paludarium do we will see how they do. I also have a few more plants coming along with some bullosa and uenoi that I'm going to try different substrates in pots as see how they do since they all come from the same conditions (Clearwater streams in Borneo) they should have similar growing requirements.

Len

Len


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