# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk > Cryptocoryne Club >  Crypts ID

## andrewtyr

Please help me to ID these crypts

Crypt A






Crypt B






Crypt C






Thanks alot!

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## lorba

Your photos are too dark to see any details and colorations.

But the last 3 photos should be C. pygmaea

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## Justikanz

Mind sharing where you get the crypts from? If the pictures are not clear, the location where they are found might help...  :Smile: 

Just my guess from my limited knowledge... The first one looks like _C.beckettii_ var petchii... But how big is the plant? The second crypt looks like _C.willisii_...  :Opps:

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## andrewtyr

I got the package from the online shop, but din include label.
The plants are either c. becketti 'petchii', c becketti, pymmaea or wendii 'Tropica'.

The first plant is about palm size for the entire plant. It seems like c. becketti ' petchii'.
I think the last one is c. pymmaea

But really no idea what is the second crypt.

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## andrewtyr

the seller told me the second picture is c. wendtii 'Tropica' on the overexposed side.  :Grin:

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## lorba

I think crypt A most probably is tropica judging from the leaves and patterns (pic 2). Emerse leaveof wendtii tropica is usually more oval shaped too.

Becketii and petchii does not have that kind of veins and is more longish in shape.

The last crypt is definitely pygmaea.

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## Justikanz

Hmm... I didn't see any veins on my _C. wendtii_ 'tropica' leh... But maybe my leaves are a little new...  :Opps:  The colour seems to match, though...  :Smile: 

But do the stem colour say something about the plant?  :Huh?:

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## lorba

Sure have veins, see closer lor. But I would be able to recognise the tropica if i am holding one. ok... not really  :Grin:  

color is not a good nor accurate way to ID the crypts.

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## andrewtyr

> Sure have veins, see closer lor. But I would be able to recognise the tropica if i am holding one. ok... not really  
> 
> color is not a good nor accurate way to ID the crypts.


what about leaf shape?

there is a disguishable difference between A and B.

I thought that A looked more like petchii

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## lorba

leaf shape can only use to identify general groups of crypt.

For big, cordate (oval to round leaves) with long stem, we are probably talking about cordata series such as siamensis, blassii, cordata, zonata, pontederiifolia etc. These are generally malaysian species.

Wendtii series has their own shapes, and becketii, petchii are quite close to it. These are generally sri lankan species. 

For bullated crypts, we have these keei, affinis (sometimes), bullosa etc that looks quite alike. These are generally malaysian species, more towards the E. Msia side.

Of course, there are some other sp that have different leaf forms in the same area.

Uniquely shaped crypts are species like parva, lingua, balansae, etc.

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## andrewtyr

actually I thought that balansae's shape is more like usteriana.

so is there no other way to distinguish becketii and wendtii? I still think A is petchii and B is wendtii 'Tropica'.  :Smile:

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## lorba

I am not saying you can't ID them, in fact, if you handle them often enough, you can probably ID by just by looking at the plants.

If you are sure what sp you have bought, I think A = tropica anad B = petchii.

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## andrewtyr

thanks, lorba! now they are wasting away in my tank now. Hope they recover!

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## Justikanz

B could be petchii??  :Huh?: ...

Interesting... So, how to accurately ID crypts? A full combination of several factors? Like size, colour, leaf shape, etc? What about using only the flowers?

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## lorba

Flower is the only accurate way to ID them as some plants looks very similiar to each other.

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## andrewtyr

I see budak take years to flower a pot of crypts, it could well take the same amount of time to ID one pot.

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## budak

Crypts are a group of plant species which exhibit high polymorphism. So if you look at just the leaf (colour, shape, size) and growth pattern, you can't really tell betwen species like wendtii (and there are so many varieties of C. wendtii alone), walkeri, undulata, becketii (see the Crypt page's species section to see what i mean). Only the colour and structure of the flower can be used reliably to determine a species, and most species flower only when exposed to air. 

At best, it's usually good enough to identify a crypt at a group level, e.g. a Sri Lankan species, a member of the Cordata group, Crispatula group etc... without the flower, you cannot ever reach a conclusion with many species.

Even worse than crypts are the mosses. Don't get me started on this....

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## andrewtyr

is there anyway to accelerate the flowering process?

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## budak

Crypts will very very rarely flower in aquarium conditions. Except for those in the crispatula group and species like C. aponogetifolia, most species need to be emmersed or in very shallow water that allows their flowers to be exposed to air (for pollenation by small insects). Growing them emmersed in pot with a covered container (they need high humidity, our household condition is much too dry, unlike their native swamps) in a spot with a little sunlight each day seems to be the best bet. But basically, if you are looking to grow them as aquarium plants, knowing which general group they belong to is sufficient – e.g. most common Sri Lankan crypts tolerate a fair amount of handling and are unfussy, while the cordata group and other Indo-Malayan species (e.nurii, griffithi) like acidic conditions, dislike being moved and require a long time before they will recover and grow.

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## andrewtyr

thanks! very informative stuff from the experienced green hands!
I just picked up the love for crypts not long ago, I must say they grow really slow, mine is still rotting away.

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## Aquaspot World

Hi Andrew, you should have planted the Crypts, including the C.nurii? Take note that C.nurii is more difficult in an aquarium but is easier to keep emersed. 

After the initial melt, they will show new growth in a few days to a week. Just try not to shift them during this period and keep your water parameters stable.  :Smile:

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## andrewtyr

> Hi Andrew, you should have planted the Crypts, including the C.nurii? Take note that C.nurii is more difficult in an aquarium but is easier to keep emersed. 
> 
> After the initial melt, they will show new growth in a few days to a week. Just try not to shift them during this period and keep your water parameters stable.


yea, the c. nurii is melting now. I have placed root monster near it's roots. Hopefully they do well, it's really a nice plant. Thanks for the advice, do keep us posted on new species on your catalog.

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## Aquaspot World

Actually, the list we have here is a trial. For the whole range, do refer to our website. You are always welcome to send us an enquiry for any plant. Thanks!

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## Justikanz

Wow... Interesting info... I am in the process to obtain more crypts... Think I am sinking deeper into this crypt thing...  :Laughing: 

I have some crypts growing emersed in a vivarium setup... I do hope they can flower!  :Smile:

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## andrewtyr

There is such a wide variety of crypts, and they are quite hassle free which makes them ideal collector's items. I have 10 types of crypts in my 2ft tank now.Quite excited at the prospect of seeing them grow side by side, having came from all parts of SEA.

C. tonkinensis
C. usteriana
C. parva
C. wendtii 'Tropica'
C. becketti
C. ferruginea
C. affinis
C. pygmea
C. balansae
C. nurii

Like what Lorba and Budak describes, I like crypts from E. Malaysia, the bullated and wild look gives a more ancient feel to the tank. Is that the suitable word to use? haaa

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## lorba

if you have sensitive crypts, the best way to keep them alive is to float them first, until u see new roots. Or you can plant them without burying the crown, allowing water to flow. This will prevent melting down of the crown.

Keep them at the outlet of filter or places with strong flow will give you big strong leaves.

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## andrewtyr

I read and see that their natural habitat is at flowing streams, I think mimicking this helps them.

Could you elaborate more on " plant them without burying the crown, allowing water to flow"? I can't quite picture it.

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## Justikanz

Let me see... I have the following:

C.beckettii
C.beckettii 'petchii'
C.crispatula var balansae
C.nurii
C.parva
C.walkeri
C.wendtii 'Brown'
C.wendtii 'Green'
C.wendtii 'Tropica'
C.willisii

Some emersed and some submersed, in 3 different tanks. Some of the plants were accidentally mixed up and unfortunately, could not be ID-ed properly anymore...  :Opps: 

I would be getting C.griffithii, C.striolata and C.tonkinensis... And maybe more...  :Smile:  I will make sure I plant them separately as best as I can...  :Laughing: 

I hope the emersed plants will flower...  :Smile:

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## lorba

> I read and see that their natural habitat is at flowing streams, I think mimicking this helps them.
> 
> Could you elaborate more on " plant them without burying the crown, allowing water to flow"? I can't quite picture it.


stuff the rhziome or roots into the gravel and leave the crown above gravel will do.

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## driftw00d

Where to get these crypts? Especially the C. pygmea? I've been to so many shops and seldom see crypts. Sometimes I see C. balansae but I only like smaller ones. 

I already have C. parva, C. wendtii and another unknown species (which could be another variety of C. wendtii).

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## Aquaspot World

> Where to get these crypts? Especially the C. pygmea? I've been to so many shops and seldom see crypts. Sometimes I see C. balansae but I only like smaller ones. 
> 
> I already have C. parva, C. wendtii and another unknown species (which could be another variety of C. wendtii).


Do a mail order and get it from us?  :Smile:  
We have received quite a few orders on this forum alone.

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## driftw00d

> Do a mail order and get it from us?  
> We have received quite a few orders on this forum alone.


I would shop online (I'm a regular online shopper for various things, not just aquarium products), but your website doesn't say your location. Are you local, based in Singapore?

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## Aquaspot World

Yes, we are local. But we mainly export to the States. 
Check the Merchants section of this forum. We have a list of plants for sale here. You can also contact us for prices of other plants on on the list here.

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