wabisabi

Taking a census to see how people are successfully growing their C.bullosa. Emersed or submersed? Also any parameters you are willing to share.

I currently have an emersed plant potted in AS that is struggling. Has about 3 tiny little leaves after the adult plant melted. No roots have grown since I received the plant maybe a month and a half ago. I'm starting to worry I'm gonna lose this one.

From what i've recently read, this is a very slow growing plant, so maybe things aren't as bad as they seem since I did get the new leaves (although very tiny).

Please share your experience with this beautiful crypt.

ferchu22

Hi wabisabi,
unfortunatelly I didn't get this plant yet, but here is some info from the forum:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...t-bullosa.html
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...osa-giant.html
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...c-bullosa.html
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/f...e-bullosa.html

Regards,

Kai Witte

Are the 3 new leaves getting bigger or smaller?

looking4roselines

I have mine grown submerged in a 4.5" clay pot - in the upper left corner. I am using ada malay/amazonia mix for the substrate and the water is on the softer side. The plant was slow growing but it didn't do too bad for me under these conditions. I only dose fert into the water column at my convenience (maybe once or twice a week) and it sent about one leaf a month.

wabisabi

I suppose they are getting bigger, it's hard to tell really. I think looking at this plant everyday is a bad thing. It's hard to notice any changes.

Here are some pics of it. I noticed that there are some roots developing right under the leaf nodes. Would you suggest laying the rhizome on top of the substrate and pinning it down? I've read others do that. I recently uprooted the rhizome and there was no root growth below the surface of the substrate.

wabisabi

Awesome plants as usual I see!

I'm still debating if I should grow it submersed or wait it out emersed. Would be a shame to lose this bullosa since it's my only one!

Vadim S

Hi,
I grow bullosa emersed and submersed.
In the aquarium is growing better and a little faster.

DogFish.02

Maybe it's your growing media/fert program? These are heavy root feeders.

I use a garden soil/ cheap topsoil/HOT compost 2 1/2-3" deep with a sand cap. My Cyprts do well my Downoi is growing fast. I have average light...well maybe poor light really. Two 4; shoplights with 10 year old tubes, (used about 100hrs...than sat for 9 1/2 years) I keep a tight seal on the tanks for humidity.

Kai Witte

Well, not all crypts are born equal - you can't apply culture experiences for members of the C. beckettii species group to every other crypt and expect them to thrive. C. bullosa is certainly a different beast: While we may have been too anxious with this species in the past, it certainly should be treated with respect. Even more so as all commercially available bullosa are collected from nature - AFAIK only runners distributed by the ECS are from propagated stock.

Kai Witte

Hello Vadim,

Sounds good - any pics?

Here's a snapshot of emersed bullosa from Niels Jacobsen's greenhouse (pic courtesy of Alfred Waser); his submersed plants are indeed larger.

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