ranchwest

Does anyone have any extra Cryptocoryne Parva?

My current foreground plants don't seem to be working out.

Richard Mitchell

bharada

If you're hoping to build a foreground with C. parva you had better hope that someone has a bucketful of plants to give you. It is one of THE slowest growing plants around. I've had mine for over a year and feel lucky that I've gotten a few new leaves during that time...forget about any propagation!

ranchwest

Do you know of any small crypts that would grow more rapidly? My fish are uprooting my Marsalais and my Lilliopsis. I need something that would be more firmly rooted.

bharada

I have some C. willisii that's fairly short (about 3" tall), but it, too, is a slow grower. I'm surprised to hear that your Marselia is being uprooted as it develops a very robust root structure once it starts spreading. What type of substrate do you have and how are you planting it?

ranchwest

I have a combination of medium blasting sand and red Flourite with a little Estes colored gravel mixed in.

How am I planting the Marselia? Uh, haphazardly? Any suggestions?

I seem to be getting some good emersed growth in my outdoor bucket farm, but the weather is starting to cool, so it may not fair well through the winter.

bharada

Marselis is planted in much the same way as Glosso. You need to cut each plantlet off from the runner, then insert it deep into the substrate so that just the top of the leaf is exposed. Marselia, in general, is not a quick starting plant, but once it gets going it'll easily bury any other ground covers in its path.

ranchwest

Thanks, I'll definitely give that a try.