jazzlvr123

very interesting read its amazing how much you learn just browsing around this site lol thanks for posting kai

PetiteFleurBleue

Hello, after looking for plants that would do in my "hot" blackwater tank with a pH around 4, durng a while, it seemed to me that unless I could find the Cabomba aquatica var schwartzii the best choice would be the unfindable pallidinerva cryptocoryne, or the schlulzei. So really glad to find this forum and this thread (with some other threads) to list the blackwater sp. of Cryptocoryne.
here is the list I found here:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...er-crypts.html

By the name of the jpg. file, the one photographed on the first page of the present thread, would be longicauda

If I welle understood, after looking for information about the current crypts in the hobby, all the crypts sold in my local petshop are hard water species. I'm trying a common wendtii crypt (I imagine, I don't have a clue about the determination but it's growing in our local aquarist club) in the tank, it doesn't die but it seems to me that it grows only when the pH rise upon 5, when the pH goes down it freezes.
I used this site to get the descriptions of my local store sp.:
http://www.nationaalherbarium.nl/cry...y/min/min.html

Which would be the more suited cryptos for a acid pH around 4 AND a high temperature around 29°C, and the lowest TDS I can obtain for my Dicrossus filamentosus.

Which Cryptocoryne species are the most suited for submersed culture?
It seems that the longicauda would, but can it handle high temperature?
http://aquaworld.netfirms.com/Labyri...4cae361b0517d6


And last but not least...

Because to start the submersed culture of blackwater crypts it way be another difficulty...

How may I have a chance to find these Cryptocorynes???

hope it can be easier than getting Paedocypris !?!

Kai Witte

Hello PetiteFleurBleue,

Welcome to the forum!
Is there any specific plant (like Myosotis?) connected with your nick name in French?

You'll need loads of light to get C. aquatica growing well at high temperatures! And still some other leaves for spawning Dicrossus...

I wouldn't recommend schulzei (more of a rainwater stream species). While pallidinervia would be suitable, I'd recommend other blackwater species to start with. Most (all?) blackwater crypts don't have problems with higher water temps.

Yes, the inflorescence is from a longicauda - sorry for not mentioning this in that thread!

Yes, all commonly sold crypts are "tapwater hardy" - you need to obtain more specialized crypts from other sources.

Send me an email...

(BTW, to the others in the audience: I'm behind with my emails - if you're waiting for an answer from me just give me a kick in the ...)

PetiteFleurBleue

Thanks a lot for your answers.

Well "Petite Fleur Bleue" would be almost linked to Myosotis.

On french forums, full of polemics, started generally for the pure pleasure of polemics, your nickname must inspire peacefullness and kindness to avoid being banned.

With a nickname like Darth vader, you can't repply the half you can do with a name like "pretty little duckling", that would inspire more compassion, no admnistrator can be mercyless enough to crush a Myosotis or a little duckling. Myosotis is a pretty good nickname, maybe "Joli bouquet de Myosotis " is even better than Petite Fleur Bleue!

Indeed, Cabomba aquatica wouldn' match my main interest, the "periodicaly flooded broad leaved riparian vegetation".

I rode that Spathiphyllum wallisii had been used to spawn Pterophyllum altum as an imitation of a natural rainforest Spathiphyllum, but it wouldn't fit in my tank and I'm not sure it would stand long the pH and température. As for an Anubia, the problem would be to find them a place to rest between these traumatic flooding events.

Blackwater cryptocorynes, that would enjoy these conditions permanently, would indeed be a really elegant solution I imagine.

PetiteFleurBleue

From this webpage about Sarawak:
http://natureye.com/uncategorized/ex...ak-part-2.html
I understood that at least these must be considered as blackwater species, but there are no temperature indication.

C. Pallidinervia
C. Yujii
C. Zonata
C. longicaudata

If I well understood the thread, nutrients like ammonia may be a threat that would cause the vitrification of the cryptocorynes.
It also seems that some silt is present in some blackwater habitats, and I rode that silt can be usefull for Cryptoryne culture. But it was about the current species.

In all case, it seems that the species coming from really oligotrophic waters may be affected by the ammonia from the fish. In my tank I use really fast growingSalvinia auricalita and Ceratopteris spp. to pump the nutrients.

Would this competition for nutrients and light be even beneficial for a long term growth of the blackwater cryptocorynes?

Since there may be in all case a presence of ammonium, is it possible to make a "classification" of the blackwater cryptocorynes upon the gradient of nutrient, or the gradient of pH from their typic location?

Kai Witte

There just aren't enough crypt records with detailed and reliable water parameter measurements available to make any definitive statements. A good guess might be that those crypts most often seen at the lowest pH will also be those with the fewest nutrients available. However, the differences will be very small and all actual amounts much lower than what the crypts get offered in culture! Actually, crypts grow exceptionally well at nutrient levels they can only dream of in nature; ammonia is also no problem at a low pH.

That will very much depend on the actual conditions in each tank: E. g. I'm trying to avoid excessive shading by fast growing plants since my light levels are low to begin with. High temperatures result in faster depletion of energy reserves - especially for submersed culture, I'd start without shading first (i. e. remove competing plants once crypts start to grow well).

cryptoria

Very informative and useful thread. Thanks for sharing!