# What Causes A Cryptocornye To Change Its Color



## dolly (Jan 25, 2008)

I have many crpto in my 100 galon tank and they have changed their color from green to brown so I want to know what causes them to change this color 
Is it because of the light intensity? Its spectrum? water Ph? etc 
Kindly let me know the cause if sombody does know.

regards


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

*Re: What Causes Cryptocornye To Change Its Color*

An increase of light can cause a crypt to develop brown leaves. Also, submersed grown crypts tend to be much more brown than emersed grown crypts at the same light level.


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## dolly (Jan 25, 2008)

*Re: What Causes Cryptocornye To Change Its Color*

Dear hypek I have seen these cryptos from where i bought them they were in submeresed and were bright green in color so I really dont think this may be the cause.As far as the light is concerned I used to witnnessed a densely populated crypto tank in a local hospital whose care had been badly neglected that is no water changes or any other maintenance moreover the same tank used to get a direct sunlight for 3 to 4 hours a day and amazingly they were very healthy(bright green color) without any algae but i witnessed a lot of snails in the tank and sure the leaves were not bitten.But anyway thanks for your reply and sharing your experience I think that is why we are here for.

regards


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## dolly (Jan 25, 2008)

HI hypek is ti the intensity or the duration which is causing them to change thier colour brown?My tank specs are as under.
2wpg flourascent 6000k, 100gallon,duration 12 hr/day,
temperature 26 degree celcius.Weekly 20% water change.


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## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

They're kinda supposed to be brown. They are in the wild anyway.

You could either give them less (like, half) light or give them some nitrate to stimulate green coloration.

Low nitrate will promote brown coloraiton as plants need lots of it to make green chlorophyll but not so much to make the brown forms of it.


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## dolly (Jan 25, 2008)

dear rs79 kindly explain the half light if it is intensity or duration.Also let me know what is the best way to put nitrate in it.
thanks


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## Kai Witte (Jan 30, 2006)

Hello Dolly,

You kinda have to expect crypts to change colors, leaf shape, whatever when you place them into a different tank. Moreover, almost all commercially available crypts (except crispatula group and aponogetifolia) have been grown emersed and will change even more.

I've experienced almost any parameter to be able to induce growth changes: light intensity, light spectrum, and nutrient availability are among the most prominent though.


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## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

Well, I find that The dimmer the light the greener they get. And by this I mean half the intensity not half the duration.

I just mix up my own fertiizer. Here's the recipes I use:

http://aquaria.net/articles/plants/fertsols/


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Dolly, even if you bought them submerged, they were probably grown emersed and then shipped to the dealer and put in a tank. Emersed grown leaves do not turn brown when submersed, just the new growth.


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