# Good substrate for emersed crypts?



## WeedCali (Mar 6, 2010)

Hello APC, I plan on turning my 20g emersed setup into a paludarium. I will be using my crypts for the emersed part and probably in the submersed part as well.

My question is, What should I use that would be best for my crypts? IDK if I have any blackwater Crypts but I can tell you what I plan on planting up there anyway.

C. Usteriana, C. Undulata (i think), C. Balansae, C. Pontederifolia, C. Wendtii 'Green Gecko', maybe C. Lucens.

I currently plan to have a good 3-4" layer of Hydroton on the bottom with some screen, then the soil mix.

The materials I have already is Organic Potting Soil, Peat Moss, Clay Gravel.

Thanks to anyone with some useful input


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

Used or new aquasoil seems to work well.

A mix or potting soil and sand works as well.

With what you have you could try the soil, peat, and gravel mixed.
All you can do is try it out and see if it works.


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## WeedCali (Mar 6, 2010)

Im already using the the soil,peat,gravel mix in most of my pots and it seems fine. Im trying to see if theres anything I could do to be more beneficial to the Crypts, like mimicking their natural habitat. Is leaf litter used commonly?

I do also have sand available.


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

you think usteriana will fit in a 20 gallon? i don't know outside of the water growth (emersed?) but under water this think will likely take the 20 gallon for itself! this plant gets a huge root system so make it pretty tall around it, like 4-6 inches high substrate. 

as far as substrates go i dont know much but i add clay to help with iron.. before i used flora max which is supposed to be iron rich and have very good results with all the crypts you mentioned =D 

post pics!!!


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## WeedCali (Mar 6, 2010)

Oh Ill probably start a journal once I get the glass painted and siliconed. I already have it cut to size.

The Usteriana is already pretty big with only 4 leaves. it has a stretch of about 10". Ill have to keep up on trimming if it gets out of hand.

Also, another question. for this paludarium, could I leave some of the Crypts in their pots and just bury the pot? so if i have to move them, i would disrupt their roots. Ill be planting smaller ones and some others in the actual substrate though.


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## NeonFlux (May 15, 2008)

I use regular ADA Aquasoil Amazonia substrate w/ a little MS for my crypts; but I'm just a amateur. Just growing 2 species.


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

Leaf litter if more suited for the blackwater sp. of crypts, not really needed for what you are growing.


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## illustrator (Jul 18, 2010)

I use the same substrate above and below water. Also emersed grown crypts have to be kept rather wet and I figured that it is better to have something that doesn't rot quickly.

When you buy crypts, they tend to be a big tangle of roots and short stems and so on, because of the in-vitro culture methods. I never leave them in the pot but in stead take them out and tear all small plants apart from each other. Then I plant each small plant individually, with a few cm between the plants. This is the same when planted in a landscaped-set-up submersed or in an emersed set-up (also the same when grown on in pots). If the environment is OK, the plants will quite quickly recover, adapt and grow on. On the long term they will grow much nicer than if they are left in the original "bunch". Damaging some roots at this stage is pretty irrelevant, many roots anyway die when the plants are put in a different set-up (roots melt just like leaves, the plant has it's nutrient storage in the rhizome, from where it regrows).


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## WeedCali (Mar 6, 2010)

Thanks for the info but it sounds like your talking about the net pots that plants come in when you buy them. These are not newly purchased plants. These are in pots that I made out of the bottoms of 1L water bottles so I was wondering if I can just keep them in the pots since theyre already established.


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