Decoding the crypt id

[ratchet]

Hi,

It's been ages since I first set up my tropical tank and bought a bunch of plants from eBay. Most of those original plants have long since gone, my tank's been running for over 16 years now.

I recall having some crypts that did amazingly well - they grew fast, self-propagated and formed lovely clusters. The long, thin leaves were a nice green colour and reached heights of about 25cm.

Does anyone know what type of crypt this might have been? I'd love to get some more if possible.

TIA

[thenoob]

Could've been spiflakeis, a pic would help though, would make it loads easier to ID.

[ratchet]

Unfortunately I got rid of the last of them when I replanted a couple of years ago. I really regret not keeping some back.

[thenoob]

You're probably on the right track with spiflakeis - take a look at some pics and see if that's the one. It's got those long, whip-like leaves, and there are a few variations but that's the main one that comes to mind. This particular type has really narrow, wavy-edged leaves with a reddish-brown pattern, which sets it apart from some of the others you might find.

[ratchet]

Nope, not that one, I've got it in my tank now but it's not the one I'm thinking of.

[barnicle]

Why not just do a quick search for crypt varieties and see if any match what you're looking for?

[belleora]

Nevellii's a possibility, I suppose. I've got that one in my tank and it's got those long, thin leaves you mentioned, nice bright green too. Thing is, there's just so many varieties of crypts that look similar, I've got a couple of others and I've no idea what they are. Even with the living plant in front of you, ID can be tricky.

[thenoob]

Providing a description of the leaf shape could be helpful in identifying the crypt. Were the leaves more grass-like, or did they have distinct ridges? Did they have a wider middle section, or were they relatively uniform in width?

[boomer]

I'm going to take a guess - it might be Cryptocoryne balansae. I had this plant in one of my old tanks, and the leaves were long and narrow with crinkled edges, which matches your description. Kasselmann actually considers it a variety of C. crispatula, as var. balansae. I had it for a couple of years before it started sending out runners, and when I moved them to my 90g tank, they quickly spread out. I've got a photo from back then - it's not the best, but it gives you an idea of the plant's growth.

[starlord]

Whatever the crypt is, iron is key. It completely transforms them, taking the struggle out of growing. My C.balansae has gone from sluggish to unstoppable - it's even cracked the ceramic planter I use to keep it contained. It's an incredibly strong rooter, and iron's made all the difference.