# To seperate or not to seperate? C. wendtii



## artgecko (Apr 7, 2009)

Hello folks!

I was very happy to find a sub forum here dedicated solely to crypts. They are my favorite low-light plants and I'm hoping to setup a mostly-crypt low light shrimp tank soon. At the moment, I am replanting my 46gl tank and am waiting on an order of plants to come in. Among the plants I ordered, were two XL (10-15 plants w/ a golf ball sized root mass) red wendtiis. I haven't quite decided where to put them in the tank yet, but I wanted to know what your thoughts were on whether I should seperate out the plants some, or leave them "balled up"? I like the look of a large bunch of wendtii, but would also like to encourage growth and eventually have an even bigger bunch . Do you think seperating out the plants will encourage faster growth? 
BTW, my lighting is ~2wpg with a substrate of flourite black sand with added root tabs for ferts. 

One other question (although unrelated to the first)... Could you rec. a good species of crypt to use as a background plant? I'd like something with slightly wider leaves than spirilis or retrospirilis. 

Thanks!
Artgecko


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Go ahead and separate the plants. The next wider leaf is on balansae. I've had red wendtii that grew to the top of a 30 gallon aquarium. It made a nice background plant in that tank.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

My wendtii's grow to the top of my 50's. Keep in mind, there's a good probability that these guys will melt on you after they are planted in a new environment. This is especially true if they're going from a higher tech system to a lower tech system.


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## artgecko (Apr 7, 2009)

Thanks for the info!

I had no idea wendtii could get that tall... I've had some grow to the top of 10gls and 20gl longs, but never in a bigger tank. 

I'll check out the balanse.

Thanks again!
Art


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## plantkeeper (Apr 30, 2007)

_Cryptocoryne spiralis_ is a good background as well. They get a bit long though. I have some that are well over 3 feet and drap accross the surface of the water.


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

pssst Glenn....


artgecko said:


> One other question (although unrelated to the first)... Could you rec. a good species of crypt to use as a background plant? I'd like something with slightly wider leaves than spirilis or retrospirilis.


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## plantkeeper (Apr 30, 2007)

SCMurphy said:


> pssst Glenn....


LMAO... how did I miss that?? Blind as a bat.


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