# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk > Cryptocoryne Club >  How to attain brown leaves on crypts

## andrewtyr

I do notice that some crypts in their natural habitats have brownish tints or brown leaves yet they also appear green in aquariums. 

Is there anyway to get the brownish tints?

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## grey_fox

My crypts in the tank were green when initially planted, however after the acclimatization period, new leaves that emerge have that brown tint & tinge to it as well. 

I am not sure if lighting has to play a part. Maybe you can ask Xema from AQ, he is Mr. Crypt here  :Razz:

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## bclee

Same for mine too. Some crypts seems to take on some brownish colour when they mature.

BC

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## andrewtyr

haa, this thread should catch his attention.

I have a stalk of C. usteriana, it remains green under strong light but is well bullated. Very nice. I saw some C. wendii tropica pictures 

the site http://aquatika.bitacoras.com/ seems to be related to xema

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## grey_fox

I think the site belongs to Xema as well.

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## bclee

I have C. wendtii "tropica" in my tank. They are always brown and do not turn green.

BC

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## andrewtyr

> I have C. wendtii "tropica" in my tank. They are always brown and do not turn green.
> 
> BC


are they heavily bullated? what are their growing conditions and placement in your tank?

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## juggler

Maybe excess lighting causing them to be brownish red? Or depending on species?
I have some crypts that stay brown even in subdued lighting.

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## Justikanz

I still think it depends on species... _C.wendtii_ 'green', _C.parva_ and _C._var willisii, for example, are always green, while, _C.wendtii_ 'tropica' is always brown, _C.wendtii_ 'brown' is always greenish brown and _C.nurii_ is always reddish-yellowish-browish-green, for example...  :Smile: 

So Andrew, what cryptys do you have?

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## andrewtyr

> I still think it depends on species... _C.wendtii_ 'green', _C.parva_ and _C._var willisii, for example, are always green, while, _C.wendtii_ 'tropica' is always brown, _C.wendtii_ 'brown' is always greenish brown and _C.nurii_ is always reddish-yellowish-browish-green, for example... 
> 
> So Andrew, what cryptys do you have?


I just ordered a few types, expecting to get them next week. now only got c. usteriana and another which I haven ID yet.

There are so many types of crypts!

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## Xema

Hello guys,

Yah, that picture is from me. The _C. wendtii_ 'Tropica' showed in the picture was growing in a little (40 liters) tank without CO2, and lighted with 2 x 18w PLL 6500ºK, under that condition the got the reddish colour. Same plant with other lighting doesn´t get the sema colour, it got a more brownish colour.




> I do notice that some crypts in their natural habitats have brownish tints or brown leaves yet they also appear green in aquariums. 
> 
> Is there anyway to get the brownish tints?


What species did you see?? 
The most common _Cryptocoryne_ we grow within our tanks are from Sri-Lanka, most plant from there have browinsh colour growing under artificial condition. 
If you live in Singapore, and you main plants you saw in the wild, probably you are speaking on plant never grown (or rarely) within tanks.

I don´t know if you catch my point...

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## Shiv

im having some crypts & rueben which started developing red leaves after i fitted a metal halide lamp. so i guess more intense lighting is responsible for the change in colour.

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## primavera

I remember a thread back some time ago about getting crypts to turn green. I want mine to stay green. They revert to brownish red every time I grow them submersed. Emersed, they are green. The intense brown ones are petchii, brown wendtii, even green wendtii turns a light shade of brown for me.

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## Rupert

Lighting has a large impact, my hypothesis is that plants require less chlorophyll with the more lighting available, so underlying colouration stands out. In my 4ft tank with 574 watts of lighting, Cryptocoryne undulate takes on a strong reddish look:

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