# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk > Cryptocoryne Club >  Small Cryptocoryne

## ms

Hi,
Anyone know where to buy small crypts? I am looking for green, short types (about 5-6cm).
I saw some at the basement foodcourt of Tampines Mall, and was quoted $6 for a small bunch!

MS

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## danny

Most crypts are at that price some even more ex unless you get it from the farms.

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## juggler

> Hi,
> Anyone know where to buy small crypts? I am looking for green, short types (about 5-6cm).
> I saw some at the basement foodcourt of Tampines Mall, and was quoted $6 for a small bunch!
> 
> MS


Try to get C. parva (I could be wrong about the ID) from Teo Farm. They are about that height you wanted.

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## kadios

The C Parva from Teo's may not be the actual ones as they are taller than the ones I ordered from elsewhere. However, if you are looking for those that grows 5-6cm high, then the ones at Teo's will suit your requirement.

Cheers!

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## GaspingGurami

i've been looking for C. parva all over but did not find any. 

Are Teo's selling emmersed? With the current state of melting crypts in my shrimp tank, I'm hesitant to put in emmersed plants for a while, but yet I'm itching for a low light, small foreground plant. Have placed an order with a LFS who gets his from Oriental. Would you know if those grow to max 5-6cm height?

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## primavera

There is also another small Crypt, C. pygmaea. Its size is variable, but known to grow to 5 to 8 cm. Its really rare, only seen it mentioned in the Crypt Pages and some discussion in the APC forums. Would love to get some though. Maybe Oriental has it. Hey GaspingGurami, you should chase it up since you've already made an order with the LFS. If they have it please get it. Maybe I'll do a trade with you.  :Wink:  

I have this unidentified crypt too that grows to about 5cm. Looks like C. lucens or x willisii. Very slow growing though. 

Min

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## neon

c parva previously I bought from forumer Gratiola. You may want to check with him.

Also, Bioplast had them but not sure whether he is selling them.

This crypt is super slow one and algae prone if your tank condition not good.

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## primavera

Yup I agree with neon. I mail ordered a pot of parva April this year, and to date, it is still not growing much at all. They are incredibly tiny. The plant has virtually no leaf stalk, just spear shaped leaves coming out of the base. Its barely even 1 cm tall, as the tiny 2 cm long leaves lie prostrate on the gravel. Well, might be the less than desirable conditions I'm providing them, shaded by stem plants and all. 

If you are looking for a foreground lawn, forget about parva. Try APP, HC or something. Best still, use Marsilea, heard its low maintenence. And from the pictures I see of it, not so much different from parva!  :Razz:  

Parva I read needs stronger light than most crypts. Also, some people find it grows faster emersed. Haven't had time to pull them out of the tank into the soil yet. And I only have a couple of plants, with a total area of coverage less than 5 cm diameter!

Min

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## GaspingGurami

> There is also another small Crypt, C. pygmaea. Its size is variable, but known to grow to 5 to 8 cm. Its really rare, only seen it mentioned in the Crypt Pages and some discussion in the APC forums. Would love to get some though. Maybe Oriental has it. Hey GaspingGurami, you should chase it up since you've already made an order with the LFS. If they have it please get it. Maybe I'll do a trade with you.  
> 
> I have this unidentified crypt too that grows to about 5cm. Looks like C. lucens or x willisii. Very slow growing though. 
> 
> Min


Yes, my order included a pot of C. pygmaea and 2 pots of C. parva. Actually I needed only 4-5 plants to line the front of this driftwood cave in my shrimp tank, so slow growing is indeed ideal. But then I bought this 1ft cube and I'm thinking of growing it there too. Slooooow growing is best for a 1ft. less maintenance. Hopefully the 13 watts I have is enough for this tank.

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## primavera

I'm also redo-ing my 1.5 foot cube into a low maintenence crypt tank, ever since the crypto-bug bit me  :Grin:  . Have about 12 different types now, but really crazy about rare crypts. 

BTW, how much did you pay for your pygmaea? Is it readily available from your lfs? I'll be making a trip to Singapore late this year, early next. Hope I'll be able to get my hands on some. Also interested if bullosa, keei, cordata, griffthii etc (you get what I mean) are available in Singapore. 

Min

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## kadios

Those crypts usually need to be ordered from the LFS and it takes time to deliver. The last time I order plants from Oriental via 2 different LFS, it took about a week because the lfs usually restocks weekly. There may also be instances whereby the plants you ordered is not available.

For those rare crypts you mentioned in your post, you can order them online from GreenChaper. Depending on your luck, Teo's farm at Lim Chu Kang do have C Nurri, C Blassi, C Griffithi and C Tokinesis seasonally. I just went down 2 days ago and they do not have any special crypts for the moment. But they do have Cinerum species and lotsa beautiful emersed downoi.

Cheers!

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## wasabi8888

hi all

wat about crypto becketti? i got some from kingfisher.. growing well for me.. plant has settled there so chances of melting is low...

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## GaspingGurami

> hi all
> 
> wat about crypto becketti? i got some from kingfisher.. growing well for me.. plant has settled there so chances of melting is low...


I'm still new to crypts. In my mind, it is better to buy submersed plants (normally from another hobbyist) than to try converting the emmersed plants that LFS with fresh stocks carry.

But I understand that crypts will melt with an environment change, so regardless of whether it is submersed or emmersed, the plant will melt when introduved to my tank. But the new leaves grown from it will be acclimated to my tank.

So there's no point trying to look for crypts from other hobbyist, but to put up with the initial meltdown when I get plants ordered from the farms.

If this is true, what should I look out for in order to get healthy strong plants that can survive the meltdown, and should I trim away all the leaves before planting since they're going to melt and foul the water sooner or later?

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## GaspingGurami

> hi all
> 
> wat about crypto becketti? i got some from kingfisher.. growing well for me.. plant has settled there so chances of melting is low...


I'm still new to crypts. In my mind, it is better to buy submersed plants (normally from another hobbyist) than to try converting the emmersed plants that LFS with fresh stocks carry.

But I understand that crypts will melt with an environment change, so regardless of whether it is submersed or emmersed, the plant will melt when introduved to my tank. But the new leaves grown from it will be acclimated to my tank.

So there's no point trying to look for crypts from other hobbyist, but to put up with the initial meltdown when I get plants ordered from the farms.

If this is true, what should I look out for in order to get healthy strong plants that can survive the meltdown, and should I trim away all the leaves before planting since they're going to melt and foul the water sooner or later?

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## kadios

What i usually do is to trim away the rotten leaves and try to keep at least 2 healthly (or not too healthly) leaves. I'm not a botanist but I believe the remaining leaves can still carry out some photosynthesis to provide nutrients for the plant to grow new leaves. Maybe some botanist can comment on it. 

So far I manage to grow my crypts this way. However, I am not sure if it applies to all crypts as some crypts are ultra sensitive and difficult to grow. By far the most sensitive crypt(C Nurri) in my inventory has survived this way. Now trying out this method on my suspected C Ferruguinea. Hope it works.

Cheers!

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## primavera

Thanks for the tip, Kadios.

I also trim my crypts whenever I plant them. If they are new from the farm/lfs, I unpot them and trim away 50% of the leaves, and halve the roots too. It seems easier to plant this way, and they dont melt much most of the time. For tank grown(submersed) specimens, I just shorten their roots and maybe one or two oldest leaves. 

Recently, I was a bit lazy and just thrown in a few pots of newly bought crypts into my main crypt tank. Some started to melt and it seems even those established ones in the tank melted some leaves too. I think it was mentioned somewhere that high organic/decaying content will cause such melting. Not sure, hope someone can clarify.

Kadios, how is your nurii doing? Are they as difficult as what they are made out to be? 

Min

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## Phillipians

hi, i presume you are looking for crypts that are ok for a small tank. That case, why not consider c.walkeri, i m using in my 1 ft cube tank, grows quite slowly and nicely too. The one you are lookig for is most prob parva. Yup chk out and see whther you cna get it cheaper elsewhere

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## ms

Hi,
I brought a handful of small crypts from Teo's and planted them on the side of my foreground. It is definately more cost effective buying them from the farm.

That was my first time to the farm in LCK, it was very far away!

Thanks!

MS

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## vinz

Parva is slooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. I have a small stand in my newt tank for 3 years. It's still a small stand. Does not seem to have spread much at all.

I agree with Phillipians recomendation... C. walkeri is a nice easy crypt that does not get too tall if it does not get shaded. However, it's leaf is much broader then C. parva, closer to C. wendtii, but the leaf blade and petiole is shorter. Nice splahses of maroon and a redish under side makes it a attractive plant.

As for planting newly bought crypts, I just get rid of yellowed, dead, dying leaves and shorten the roots. If they melt in the tank, just siphon out the mush. If I get lazy or busy, I just leave the mush there. Does not seem to cause much trouble in the tanks. They'll disintegrate soon enough and dissappear on their own or get filtered.

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