Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Tropica'

Overview

A form named after the Danish nursery Tropica. According to Tetra it is one of the easiest forms to keep and fairly resistant to crypt melt; suitable for small aquariums.

Appearance

Dark, hammered leaves with a bronze tint. According to Tropica the leaves are 10–20 cm long and the rosette 10–20 cm wide; in open spaces the leaves almost lie on the bottom.

Care

Shared with the species: Wendt's Cryptocoryne

• Placement: foreground, midground or background depending on the form; tolerates shade from taller plants well.
• Substrate: coarse sand mixed with fine gravel, ideally with some mulm, or a nutrient base layer; at least 5 cm deep because the root system is strong.
• Light: undemanding; diffuse light and a photoperiod of at least 12 hours (Tetra, Russian Wikipedia). Tropica rates its light demand as low.
• CO2: not required (Tropica: low).
• Temperature: 24–28 °C; at 20–22 °C growth slows down markedly. Tetra's genus overview gives 24–26 °C as optimal.
• Water: medium hardness, GH 9–16; the pH value itself matters little, but sudden swings are dangerous. Grows in hard water and in both fresh and "old" water.
• Crypt melt: after a sudden change of conditions — a pH swing, transplanting, new lighting or filter media, very soft water — the leaves turn mushy and dissolve within a short time. The rhizome survives and regrows leaves once conditions settle; C. wendtii is less prone to this than most crypts. According to English Wikipedia, nursery plants are often grown emersed, and the switch to submersed growth can itself trigger melt; recovery takes about 30 days, and crypts are best planted in tanks that have been running for at least three months.

Difficulty: easy — one of the hardiest and most adaptable species of the genus (Tropica: Easy).

Fertilizing

Shared with the species: Wendt's Cryptocoryne

Crypts take up much of their nutrition through the roots, so a nutrient-rich or mulm-rich substrate and root feeding are important. Tetra recommends a long-lasting nutrient base layer or regular root tablets, plus occasional small doses of micronutrients and liquid fertiliser with iron and potassium.

Root feeding means liquid fertiliser can be used less often, which lowers the risk of algae.

Breeding

Shared with the species: Wendt's Cryptocoryne

In the aquarium it reproduces only vegetatively: by runners from the creeping rhizome and by dividing the rhizome. A daughter plant can be separated and replanted once it has 2–3 leaves. In very coarse substrate the runners come up right next to the mother plant and compete with it for nutrients.

In a paludarium or humid greenhouse it grows faster and may flower, but no seeds are produced. Emersed-grown plants can be planted in the aquarium without any preparation.

Fun facts

Shared with the species: Wendt's Cryptocoryne

• The genus name comes from Greek words for "hidden" and "club"; the English name water trumpet refers to the trumpet-shaped inflorescence.
• The 'Mi Oya' form is named after the Mi Oya river in north-western Sri Lanka, where the plants spend most of the time out of water in a humid environment and tolerate floods.
• The cultivar 'Tropica' is named after the Danish nursery Tropica.
• According to Russian Wikipedia, four subspecies of C. wendtii are recognised.
• C. wendtii is considered the most variable species of the genus.