# An all-crypt tank



## Error (Apr 16, 2004)

I know Robert Hudson has recently been talking about this on another forum, but I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with an all-Crypt tank. Obviously there are some token species to be kept, but does anyone know how difficult it is to aquascape one of these things or their eventual growth habits? I was thinking a 50 breeder (I think it's 36" long by 18" tall by 18" deep) with 90 watts over it and a soil underlayer below gravel.


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## Paul Higashikawa (Mar 18, 2004)

I have posted in Aquabotanic with some input of my tank. You see, one of my tanks could be classfied as such. It is an 18-gal with 30W NO; very low light set-up. Presently, I have 7 individual Wendtii growing nicely in the middle to the back of the tank. These don't grow taller than 3-in., so essentially they have become the 'carpet' of this tank(I consider myself very lucky in this case) Another detail about this tank is I purposely don't top off the tank to make it near 15-gal(18 without substrates); it is more close to 12-14 gal by sight estimation. On the left is a large drift wood that has protruded as a result. So in a way, it kind of resemble a paludarium, with 2/3 of it water and 1/3 of it land by the wood. On this piece of wood there isn't much area but I still managed to cram several different plants on it. There are 2 Ciliata plantlets, few strands of lilaeopsis, one root system of dwarf hairgrass that is sprouting new leaves, some of Gomer's Monosolenium tenerum, a large covering of Java moss where all these plants are on, 1 or 2 Hygro Green temple, and 1 surviving Nana petite. Sounds like alot but it is not because all these are either leftovers from other tanks or cuttings and trimmings I saved. As of now, I've ordered few more Wendtii, Lucens, and Walkeris. These I plan to fill in the front of the tank to make the overall layout more complete. Given my poor light setting, I truly appreciate and thankful for the wonderful quality and versatility of these plants: Cryptocorynes will forever be one of my favorite all-time plant genera!


Paul


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## tanVincent (Mar 19, 2004)

Hi,

my set-up is not exactly an all crypt setup, but it feature a huge crypt bed.

My setup is a 2 way scape, meaning I can see from the front or back. From the front, I have a driftwood stacked high with java fern growing straight on top with occasional java fern winderluv. I have java fern tropica growing by the side of the driftwood and anubias nanas petite, anubias nanas and crypt wendtii bronze growing around the driftwood.


right beside the driftwood is a combination of echinodorus cordifolius "marble queen" and anubias "coffeefolia", then comes my crypt bed, made up of crypt wendtii, crypt becketii, crypt cruspatula v tokinensis and a fewmore others. on the crypt bed, i lay a couple of small driftwood covered with moss and pellia. right to the extreme right, I feature taller plants, like crypt nurii, crypt spiralis, aponogeton undulata, java fern "narrow leaf", crypt crispatua v sinensis and a echinodorus oriental growing out of the in the midst of this taller plants.

Setup for the tank is a 90 gal with 144W of compact florescent.

well, never knew it turned out to be this long.


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

I've had all crypt tanks before and they do take a bit of planning. Unless you're good at anticipating how the plants will grow they can be a bear to work with. Eventually all but willisi and parva will get tall and will take some trimming. That's really the tricky part there, trimming the plants without causing a melt. 

A tank with good front to back depth and extensive terracing will help a proposition like this a lot. As would grouping everything a Dutch style. Alternatively one can go with just a couple species which helps keep size conflicts to a minimum. Check out my crypt tank page.

http://www.geocities.com/ellindor/biotope/Sri_Lanka.html

Two months after that photo the large Crypts had all hit the surface and were starting to crowd the tank. That's when selective and restrained pruning helped out a lot.

Best,
Phil


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## Error (Apr 16, 2004)

Hey, thanks for all the responses!

I've been mulling over this idea for the past few days, and I think I've decided that I want to do a Cryptocoryne-heavy setup with plants and fish endemic to Southeast Asia. It's not going to be anything as complicated as a specific river or regional biotope, though.

Like I said in the first post in this thread, I was thinking a 50 breeder (I think it's 36" long by 18" tall by 18" deep) with 90 watts over it and a soil underlayer below gravel. Other than Crypts, what other plants might be suitable for that sort of an environment? I was thinking that maybe Limnophila sessiliflora would be an appropriate choice, as well as some Rotala rotundifolia. Other non-Crypt species I have been considering include Barclaya longifolia 'Red' (perhaps as a focal point?), Vesicularia dubyana, and Hygrophila difformis.

I was thinking that C. x willisi (I think it's usually sold under C. lucens) would be a good foreground. I've heard it grows faster than C. parva, even though it's a little bigger.

Is there a plant from the Sri Lankan wendtii/becketii/undulata/walkeri group that doesn't get TOO tall? I am fairly new at this, but I have seen pictures of the triploid form of C. becketii ("C. petchii") and also the bronze form of C. wendtii that are really pretty.

I was also hoping to add some Malaysian driftwood that I have in another tank to the setup and let the java moss grow on that.

Attached is a rough outline of what I have been thinking. PLEASE tell me what you think!


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Well, about the only thing I would say is that you should make sure that the substrate under your C. petchii stand is thicker than under the C. 'willisii foreground or you won't see them. They are about the same height in my tank, growing next to each other.

I would use a different Limnophila than the L. sessiliflora, which isn't the most attractive plant. L. aquatica, L. 'gigantia', or L. aromatica would be better choices in my mind. Besides if you are in the US L. sessiliflora is on the Federal noxious weed list and is not supposed to be for sale. 

Any thought to using Cryptocoryne moehlmannii instead of the Hygrophilia?


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## Error (Apr 16, 2004)

SCMurphy said:


> Well, about the only thing I would say is that you should make sure that the substrate under your C. petchii stand is thicker than under the C. 'willisii foreground or you won't see them. They are about the same height in my tank, growing next to each other.
> 
> I would use a different Limnophila than the L. sessiliflora, which isn't the most attractive plant. L. aquatica, L. 'gigantia', or L. aromatica would be better choices in my mind. Besides if you are in the US L. sessiliflora is on the Federal noxious weed list and is not supposed to be for sale.
> 
> Any thought to using Cryptocoryne moehlmannii instead of the Hygrophilia?


Thanks! Those are some good ideas. If the C. petchii doesn't get that big, I might want to consider a larger species like C. undulata. Also, I was thinking of swtiching the R. rotundifolia with the L. sessiliflora anyway.

C. moehlmannii is a good idea behind the Barclaya...and I just happen to have some


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

I forgot that the Barclaya was there, but you know if it is the red form I think it will make an interesting contrast against the light green of the C. moehlmannii, which is not the typical dark olive green you are used to seeing when you have crypts.


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## Error (Apr 16, 2004)

Bingo! That's why I wanted the difformis there to begin with. Same shade of green as the C. moehlmannii.

Do you think there will be any issue with the leaf shapes being too similar?


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## Xema (Mar 24, 2004)

This is my all full cripts tank...


















Saludos


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Error said:


> Bingo! That's why I wanted the difformis there to begin with. Same shade of green as the C. moehlmannii.
> 
> Do you think there will be any issue with the leaf shapes being too similar?


That's why I started talking about the colors, the similar leaf shapes would be a problem if you got a green Barclaya but not if it's red.

I posted a pic of my mostly crypt tank in this thread, but the tank is even more overgrown then that at the moment and requires some severe pruning.


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