Crypt Wendti - turning bronze

[jsoong]

I've never have much luck with crypts (except for a couple of C. Balanisae which is growing like mad), but since they are classed as easy, I can't resist trying them.

Anyway, I got a couple of Crypt Wendti around March. They did the usual crypt melt with the transplant, but I got some new leaves of about 1". Strangely, the leaves all started to turn brown/bronze after a week or so, and remained so. The plants have stopped growing, but the leaves are not rotting or anything. The leaves are quite an attractive red/green veins on the bottom, but an ugly bronze on top. The leaves are also turning ruffly along the edges.

I suppose I must be missing something so the Crypts are unhappy. But what?

The tanks normally runs 0/0/0. However, all the other plants are growing like weeds (I am throwing out 50% of the plant mass of my hornwort & hygro weekly), so there can't be too severe of a defeciency...?

Any thoughts?

[An t-iasg]

Hi jsoong!

I have four or five Crypt wendtii and one that I think is a walkerii. When I got them, they all were green and looked similar to each other (except the one I think is a walkerii).

The leaves on my wendtii crypts also have turned brownish-bronze on top, and have a red hue on the underside. The edges are ruffly too. I have wondered why their appearance has changed substantially since I've gotten them. The walkerii doesn't have ruffly edges but it's much more bronze than it used to be.

I've had them for about 3 years now. I've used DIY CO2 and now pressurized CO2. My substrate is Eco Complete.

I admit I would rather have green crypts! I like red-hued plants but this brown-bronze color isn't the prettiest. But my crypts are rather big and healthy. They put out new leaves every 2-3 weeks. I cut off the oldest leaves if they are too long and detract from the rosette look of the overall plant. If they color can't be very attractive, then I keep the shape attractive! They do have an attractive shape.

My lighting is still considered low light, at 27 watts CF over 10 gallons. When I first got the crypts, I put them in a 5 gallon tank under 9 watts CF. I suspect that the greater intensity of light that I have now, even though it isn't high light, brought out more of the bronze color.

Are you adding any fertilizers? A nitrate level of 0 can allow a cyano outbreak to occur (I'm sure you know that!) In my 10 gallon tanks, with a low bioload of one betta each, I add about 1/8 teaspoon of KNO3 twice a week. I have wondered if my fertilization was affecting the color somehow. But if your nitrate bottoms out frequently, or you don't add nitrate, and your crypts' coloring is the same as mine, that may rule out a fertilization issue, or at least a nitrate issue. All the rest of my plants are growing very well also.

[Purrbox]

I'd recommend placing a root tab under them and see if they start growing again. Other than not growing much they sound healthy and the appearance is fairly common with C. Wendtii. For green leaves you'll want to try different varieties. As to why they changed appearance, I'd bet they were grown emersed before you received them.

[jsoong]

I have tried a root tab, but no real changes.

I didn't know that C. wendtii is supposed to be bronze.... all the pics on the web shows nice green leaves .....

I add 5 ppm of KNOP3 with each weekly pwc. I tried adding more but then the green algae goes to town .... not to mention the hornwort - they'll double in size in a couple days with any hint of NO3 & I end up having to prune every day!

[Purrbox]

Since you have green algae problems when dosing KNO3, you're probably short on some of the other nutrients as well. If it's green spot algae, then you'd need to dose phosphates which I would expect since your Nitrates are so low.

[SpeedEuphoria]

I have some Crypts also, I believe they are Crypt wendtii. On the large plant most of the leaves are redish-bronze, but there is still 3 large leaves that are mainly green. The new sprouts are always green then once larger they change colors.

My setup is very noob, meaning that its low light and zero ferts, using regular gravel. I have not had this plant very long but it has new growths regularly and currently has 7 small new leaves.

I was considering getting some root tabs to help, now I'm not so sure.

[jsoong]

Originally Posted by Purrbox

Since you have green algae problems when dosing KNO3, you're probably short on some of the other nutrients as well. If it's green spot algae, then you'd need to dose phosphates which I would expect since your Nitrates are so low.

Thanks for the tip. Yes, I am having green spot algae problem. I was dosing EI before, but stopped because it seemed to make BBA worse. Now that the BBA is gone, maybe I should restart dosing the rest of the ferts.

OTOH, all the other plants are growing like weeds & I actually need to slow things down a bit. Maybe turning down the lights a bit?

[Purrbox]

How long is your lighting on currently? Cutting back to 8-10 hours would be advisable if you're trying to maintain your current scape. Another way to cut back would be to add some floating plants. Perhaps some Red Root Floater or Water Lettuce.

[jsoong]

I am at 10 hours daily right now, might try cutting back by an hour or 2.