Growing Cryptocoryne Wendtii (Cryptocoryne Wendtii) In The Aquarium

This is a semi-aquatic species which comes from south-eastern Asia. Its natural habitats are muddy coasts of ponds, lakes, rivers, tributaries in Sri Lanka.

The plant has small rhizome with rosulate, lanceolate leaves with sinuate margins and pointed tips. The leaf stems are not too long. The plant has extensive roor system. There is several variants of this plant. These variants differ each other shape of their leaves, size and colour. This colour can be from green, with red leaves tips to rusty-brown.

The species is relatively easy to grow but it prefers certain conditions. The substrate should be fertilized by clay, peat or garden soil and it should be minimum 5 cm thick. The diameter of its grains shouldn't be too high. Substrate temperature should be the same as water temperature. It shouldn't be "fresh" (too clean). This species prefers slightly muddy substrate, so we should plant it in pots. We should take care when we plant it that we don't damage its roots. The plant can lose all leaves before acclimatization. Then we should leave it because new leaves will grow. Water conditions and parameters should be permanent. When plant acclimatizes in certain conditions we shouldn't change their. The species prefers moderate partial water changes, scattered lighting and minimum 12 hours lighting.

It should be planted in the foreground or middle parts of the aquarium in groups of several pieces at certain distance.

This is spermatophyte plant but in aquarium we reproduce it vegetatively – by dividing the rhizome.