Submersed culture of blackwater crypts

[Art]

This is a gem thread started by Kai Witte on the submersed culture of blackwater crypts. If anyone knows Kai, please invite him to this forum.

The thread starts with:

I've been keeping blackwater crypts submersed for decades, often in small breeding tanks and other low-tech set-ups. I never had any problem when their natural environment got reproduced reasonably well:
Rule #1. No carbonates in the water nor in the substrate/mix.
Advice #1. A low pH is your friend.
Suggestion #1. Keep nutrients limiting.
Common sense. Don't overdo lighting.

 

[anewbie]

I grow nearly all my crypts in blackwater of course some do well and others not so well. I try to pick plants that are known to favor blackwater origin but not all work out - as they are dwarf cicihld aquairums the light is mostly subdue and the substrate inert after all these fishes breed best in sub 6 ph and some really need sub 5 ph.

Though not well i manage to get some stringy affinis to grow but could not get any of my colourful nurii to grow - which leads me to some text that suggest an error in your listening - that not all nurri are the same and some are hardwater plants and others not a time when the var means more than just a change in colouring.

keei appears to grow quite easily as it quickly rooted in my aquarium as shown by this picture and crypt blassii also seems to have quickly rooted. Crypt c. crispatula var balanse grows incredibly well. I believe this is keei which i temporarily pulled to catch a fish



and this shows another fast growing plant:


Spirarlis tiger seems a mix bag and i think it is more nutrient hungry and i have to remember to feed it root tabs as it will grow quite well for a while but eventually exhaust itself after 6 or 12 months without an infusion. Yujii and green greco seem to struggle quite a bit more.

On the bright side s repens grow fairly well without co2 and seems to really like the blackwter environment as long as it gets enough light and some root tabs - not super fast grower but steady after a year or so.


On the inverse side this guy will not grow in blackwater: