Plants

Cryptocoryne 'Flamingo'

Freshwater

Origin: Cultivated form, not found in the wild; the genus Cryptocoryne is native to tropical India, Southeast Asia and New Guinea

Also known as: Cryptocoryne sp. 'Flamingo', Flamingo crypt

Fact sheet

Temperature: 24–28 °C

Overview

Cryptocoryne 'Flamingo' is an ornamental aquarium form of the genus Cryptocoryne in the arum family (Araceae). Cryptocorynes — "crypts" to hobbyists — are small rhizomatous amphibious plants that form rosettes of 5–15 leaves.

Crypts are valued as some of the least demanding aquarium plants: many of them manage without CO2 injection and in fairly low light. They take much of their nutrition through the roots, so a nutrient-rich substrate and stable conditions matter most.

Appearance

As in other crypts, the leaves grow in a rosette from a creeping rhizome; they are entire, lanceolate to ovate and stalked. Leaf colour in Cryptocoryne varies strongly with growing conditions and light, so the same plant can look different in different tanks.

Care

Placement: choose the spot in advance — crypts dislike being moved and produce new leaves poorly after frequent replanting
Light: diffuse, moderate light suits most crypts
Temperature: 24–28 °C; below 22 °C crypts suffer
Water: crypts prefer soft water; above all, avoid sudden changes in parameters
Substrate: muddy, nutrient-rich; a nutrient base layer is essential
New tanks: crypts are best planted in aquariums that have been running for at least three months

The genus is generally regarded as undemanding, but crypts may temporarily lose their leaves after a change in conditions (see crypt melt).

Fertilizing

Crypts draw most of their nutrients through the roots, so a fertile substrate matters — a nutrient base layer when setting up the tank and root fertiliser later.

Breeding

In the aquarium crypts reproduce vegetatively: young shoots appear on the mother rhizome. Once a daughter plant has 5–6 leaves it can be carefully separated and replanted.

Fun facts

The name comes from Greek crypto ("hidden") and koryne ("club"), because the spadix is hidden inside the spathe tube
The English name "water trumpet" refers to the trumpet-like inflorescence
The genus is known for "crypt melt": after sudden changes the leaves soften and dissolve, but the rhizome survives and regrows
Cryptocorynes have been kept in aquariums since the late 18th century