Description

If you want a planted tank that looks established without buying a CO2 system, cryptocoryne wendtii is where to start. It grows in low light, tolerates hard water, feeds mostly through its roots and asks for nothing beyond occasional fertiliser.

The brown variety throws bronze leaves with a crinkled edge that darken further under stronger light.

Planting notes

• Expect crypt melt. Leaves may die back entirely after planting – leave the roots alone and it regrows from the crown within a few weeks.
• Bury the roots but keep the crown above the substrate.
• Root tabs work better than liquid fertiliser for crypts.
• Once settled, do not move it. Crypts resent disturbance and melt again.