# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk > Cryptocoryne Club >  Possible to grow Submersed Crypt EMERSED?

## limsteel

I see many bro here growing Crypt as potted plant... Any idea is it possible to have my aquatic Crypt to be grow out of water...

I remember most my aquatic plants will dried up within minutes once out of water. ..

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## brianclaw

They can be grown out of the water, but they'll still need plenty of moisture.

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## limsteel

So meaning, I have to constantly mist them with water? OK Maybe I cover the plants totally with plastic bag to seal the moisture in...

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## brianclaw

It can be as simple as putting them in a tank with enough water to cover the roots and then covering the tank with an acrylic sheet to seal in the moisture.

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## bossteck

Hi, 

Are you looking at having part of the leaves submersed, and another part emersed? Perhaps like arrowheads and such? 

If so, I think it is quite difficult. Like what Brian mentioned, usually only the roots are underwater in emersed setups. 

If it is only the roots underwater, you can cover the top of the tank like what Brian mentioned, but be prepared to have restricted visibility, another method is to have rain bar aimed at the side of the tank, the splashing would provide sufficient moisture, but this method would require you to top up the water quite frequently due to higher level of evaporation.

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## brianclaw

Eric, the visibility issue can be overcome by drilling small holes into the acrylic sheet along the area that's going to be directly above the front glass panel of the enclosure. That's what I and I'm sure many others do for their vivarium(s).

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## limsteel

thanks... Will try some of my common crypt that I have... will try to find a cheapo 5plan tank with cover to try out...

IF I am successful and manage to let it grow of the water... should I transplant it to normal pots with garden soil or what? must the soil be very wet? Any good links/tips for planting land crypt?

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## brianclaw

I'd suggest going with ADA Aquasoil, my Crypts seem to do really well in it.

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## Fei Miao

Do a search, I believed this topic was discussed before.

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## StanChung

Can use those 'flowerhorn' divider plastic sheet as cover for the tank. Comes in many sizes and has checkerboard holes on it. I use it because I like some air to go in and out because of heat plus the whole tank won't look too steamed up.
To prevent too much moisture fron escaping, you can put some cling wrap to partially seal some of the holes.

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## kirana1

ya understood that some are very easy to grow emmersed, my be i need more info regarding the crypt wich are very easy to grow emmersed such as :
wendtii famaly
balance
walkery
ciliata
nevellii
undulata
beckettii
parva
pontederiifolia
fusca
and based on my experience there are some crypt very dificult grow emmersed such as
striolata
hudoroy
usteriana
aponogetifolia
blasii

and right know i have some new crypt that i got from japan,such as ferguriana, descus silvae, nuri, fuyii, timahensis, coronata. and is some body could help me which category are they ???

thanks

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## wintor56

Hi Kirana 1,

C . Coronata is in the same group as usteriana and aponogetifolia. Is also from the Phillipines and in my view would be better submerged. The rest should do well emersed.
I have just started growing a few different crypts emersed.
What substrate do you use for growing yours emersed?.

Regards,
Des.

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## kirana1

dear des

i agree with you for aponogetifolia, usteriana is cant grow emersed, but for cononata i dont have the plant so that i dont know about it. 
but for striolata cordata dan huduroi i also cant cultivate emersed. may be i still have some mistake in cultivate it.
and how a rosaneruvig, delcus silvae, timahensis its posible cultivate emersed, becouse i just got that plant ??

for the substrate that i am using is normal soil and i mixed with goat feces and add some Hyponex 

most of my crypto i put in a small green house

nico

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## bossteck

I am experimenting with keeping some C. Wendtti in soda bottles and in those tall plastic bottles used to store egg rolls leftover from Chinese New Year. I had aquatic compost at the bottom. By right, I am suppose to add in some cereal for co2 and dried liver for nitrogen, but i am not doing both. So far, plants are still alive and new leaves had emerged.

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## wintor56

Hi Nico, (Kirana 1)

You might be interested in this article by Niels Jacobsen:-
http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/Cry...Fagus_soil.doc

Althought the above article states beech leaves, I believe any old composted leaves might work , which have not been recovered from limestone areas, for neutral to acid loving( black water) crypts

I have yet to try growing in 2 or 3 litre soda pop bottles as described in another post, which would be like a miniature greenhouse. The top ( curved part)of the bottle would have to be cut off and inverted.

You stated that you are growing in a small greenhouse. You may be having problems not being able to grow certain crypts :
1)Due to being too hot? if the green house is in a sunny spot
2) Not enough humidity. You could try having a closed area within the greenhouse, eg in an old aquarium,or polystyrene fish box with a glass or perspex lid, or a polythene sheet, to keep the humidity up. Leave a slight gap to ensure it doesnt get too hot.

Most of the experts seem to have the pots submerged/partly submerged in water with the actual plants/ leaves emersed.

Regards,
Des

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## |squee|

The way I did it was to buy the plant from a LFS, which is already emersed. 

Plant it in a normal small planting pot filled with Aquasoil Amazonia. Place the pot in a small tank with about 1 inch of water. I did not cover the tank, it's placed on the floor of my balcony with a betta living in it. 

It will melt like nuts first, then new leaves will grow out quickly.

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## StanChung

Getting it to convert is tricky but some like C lutea needs little help. I just throw it into my lotus pot and it start putting out emersed leaves.

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## kirana1

Dear Des

Thanks for your valueble information, that article is very useful.

i am using Para-net to make my green house not to hot, and in the green house the humidity is ok

nico

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## wintor56

Hi Nico, 

Its my pleasure.  :Smile:  Thats what we all are here for, to learn from one another and share information.
I am currently growing my emersed ones ,in peat based compost, that I already had. Only been a week but looks promising. Nothing dead or melting yet !!!
One of these days, will have to go looking for a forest, with decomposed leaves, for those more difficult crypts,that prefer low conductivity ,acidic substrates.

PS. Sent you a PM ( private message)

Regards,
Des.

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## Kai Witte

Hello Nico,




> ya understood that some are very easy to grow emmersed, my be i need more info regarding the crypt wich are very easy to grow emmersed such as :
> nevellii


I don't think you have nevillii...




> and based on my experience there are some crypt very dificult grow emmersed such as
> striolata
> hudoroy
> usteriana
> blasii


Many cordata strains prefer submersed growth but you should also be able to get them going reasonably well emersed for faster propagation. 

C. hudoroi and some strains of usteriana are growing better submersed.

C. striolata does do well emersed if it happens to grow at all (and that's a pretty big if).




> and right know i have some new crypt that i got from japan,such as ferguriana, descus silvae, nuri, fuyii, timahensis, coronata. and is some body could help me which category are they ???


C. ferruginea, yujii, and coronata grow very well emersed; decus-silvae (or rather what gets passed around under this name), nurii, and timahensis do ok like many other blackwater crypts.

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## kirana1

Dear kai witte

i have two type of nevellii and parva
this is the picture

crypto nevellii 1( the end of the leaf more oval)


crypto nevellii 2


Crypto parva 




thanks for your info kai, i will inform you for the progress of my new crypto later on

regard
nico

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## lorba

nico, nice set up and healthy bunch of plants!

Anyway, just to share my joy. My elliptica flowered few days ago while i was away and there are 3 inflorescenes, 2 already rotted. Didnt manange to get the photo!  :Knockout:

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## Kai Witte

Don't despair: IME, elliptica is a pretty prolific flowering crypt once it got started...

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## Kai Witte

> i have two type of nevellii


Hello Nico,

both should be x willisii - these are hybrids (with parva as one parent) and there are many different strains, even in nature.

The true nevillii is a different crypt and difficult in horticulture:
http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/Cry...y/nev/nev.html

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## kirana1

Dear Kai

thanks for your feed back

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