# best place to obtain crypts?



## ruki (Jul 4, 2006)

So, where is the best place to obtain various varieties of cryptocoryne?


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Your local plant club.


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## Pooky125 (Jul 26, 2005)

I don't believe we have a local plant club. Atleast, not that I was ever aware of, and I've been to several of the aquarium societys meetings. However, that being said, you could try world of fish. They don't have the best selection, but they have several of the more common species. If that doesnt work for yeah, AquaBid.com - Sell or buy aquarium related equipment and fish in an auction format! has a wonderful selection of crypts under the rooted plants section. I've ordered several species from Lowcoaster, his plants were beautiful, arrived in wonderful shape, and sent far more then I expected. I highly recommend him.


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## abnormalsanon (Jun 6, 2006)

I'm looking for larger crypts to fill out my goldfish tank, so I'll be interested to hear some other responses.

Let me give you one hint--don't order them from AZ Gardens. I got a number of crypt wendtii from them, and the plants were tiny and half-dead, with no more than two leaves each.


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## MrSanders (Mar 5, 2006)

I two can recomend Lowcoster from aquabid. I have ordered from Charley MANY times he is a pleasure to do buisness with and always has nice healthy plants. You can email him and get on his mailing list and we will send you a list every time he gets a new shipment of what he has in.


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## Kai Witte (Jan 30, 2006)

If you suffer serious cryptitis (cryptosis?  ), it's hard to beat an ECS meeting. Sean can attest to that, I guess.

Quite a few crypts are becoming commercially available (including once rare species like pygmaea, usteriana, etc.). As suggested, just select a good vendor to get good quality plants. Make sure to verify that that the identification is correct though or that you're getting at least the plant pictured (if that is more important to you).

OTOH, if you are patient enough to start with small/medium sized plants and need to get the crypts by mail, you might also want to consider asking other crypt growers for plants - that's often the only way to get rare species anyway.


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Well if we are dicussing once a year opportunities, the AGA is also a good place to at least get what is already available here in the US and you don't need permits or phytosanitary certificates. The ECS is a lot of work to bring home plants from, permits cleaning packing, phytosanitary certificates, when I got home I was exhausted. Many of the plants aren't suitable for aquariums, they require conditions that many fish would not appreciate. However, there are several species that will do well in aquariums. When the NACS starts up there will be some distribution of plants with known identifications, collection and cultivation data to members. 

Kai, I have been checking the plants everyday, some of them are unfurling new leaves. Cryptomania, Cryptophilia


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## ruki (Jul 4, 2006)

Pooky125 said:


> I don't believe we have a local plant club. At least, not that I was ever aware of, and I've been to several of the aquarium societys meetings.


At the end of the monthly meetings, there is a BAP/HAP auction. Sometimes there are alot of plants. The auctions are better. Not many crypt species though. Also, alot of members are cichlid fanatics, so that makes raising plants quite challenging.



> I've ordered several species from Lowcoaster, his plants were beautiful, arrived in wonderful shape, and sent far more then I expected. I highly recommend him.


That's good info, thank you.


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## ruki (Jul 4, 2006)

SCMurphy said:


> However, there are several species that will do well in aquariums. When the NACS starts up there will be some distribution of plants with known identifications, collection and cultivation data to members.


Guess I'll have to join NACS. It's fun to accumulate society HAP points and even more fun to watch the species come back again raised by others via the HAP program and the local auctions.


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## rodmarquezjr (Jul 16, 2006)

Are you looking for any crypts in particular or just starting a collection?


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## SCMurphy (Jan 28, 2004)

Plants with known locality collection data. Identification not needed, as the plants will be cultured for flowers.


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## ruki (Jul 4, 2006)

rodmarquezjr said:


> Are you looking for any crypts in particular or just starting a collection?


Right now I am wanting to increase my collection. I have a propagation tank I use for HAP and it's doing quite well. But, I can see that in the not-to-far future I'll run out of species to HAP.

I also want to construct interesting crypt tanks for aquarium shows. There is an incredible color and texture variety in crypts. Think this will make great building blocks for show tanks.


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## rodmarquezjr (Jul 16, 2006)

Likewise. But I'm doing it on a more "collect 'em all" basis. I don't have much space to showcase my collection, crypts or otherwise, so they're all mixed up according to kind and care requirements till I get ponds built for all of them.


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