Re: [APD] Update on rare Crypts

["Richard J. Sexton" <richard at aquaria_net>]

At 04:54 PM 4/9/2005 -0400, you wrote:
>We wanted to let those interested know.
>
>The last recent import of rare Crypts, we received only 9 plants. Two we 
>placed in our lab to attempt TC, the others were sold at around $65 each.
>
>Notwithstanding this horrible price, we lost money. The cost of the entry 
>alone to clear customs and Agriculture inspections is just over $300 and 
>then we have to fly them here, pay for the plants, and Phytosanitary 
>certificate, also shipping to the USA etc etc.
>
>The last time when we brought some other are species, we did get around 35 
>or so plants, but also failed to break even
>
>This has made us think hard about how to bring some of the rarer Crypts to 
>the market place
>
>We have managed through contacts to find a young University graduate, who 
>will go out to specified locations and try to find named species for us. In 
>order to do this, we must pay him a good wage, air fares, and car hire, 
>permitting expenses, living expenses also probably some local guide etc etc.
>
>However if we collect sufficient quantities, then the price will come down 
>to an affordable price, ( though never to the cost of readily grown species 
>like wendtii etc). We believe we could get it down to say $8-$12 a plant.
>
>As it is obvious for many reasons we cannot send him to all of S.E. Asia, 
>we need to concentrate on those plants, that many of you would like, and 
>such plants as have a good chance of success when you buy them, as quite a 
>few are very difficult to keep.
>
>With this in mind we have prepared an fairly extensive PDF file giving a 
>good amount of information on each species, and a photo of most of them. 
>This PDF is available on request free of charge, only condition is we put 
>you on our mailing list ( many of you are on it already).
>
>Hopefully we will get sufficient feedback, as to which couple of species 
>would be of most interest to send our putative collector to search for.
>
>I look forward to hearing from those of you who are interested in these plants
>
>Yours
>
>Shawn Prescott
>
>Fish-Vet Inc.
>. www.fishvet.com
>  www.aquariumlandscapes.net

Hi Shawn;
Thank you very much for thinking of us this way, that's the kind
of cooperation between inporter and buyer I'd hoped the net would bring us.

If you were to ask me what would make for good introductions of new
species I'd day Hudoroi and Keei. Both are supposed to do very well
in aquaria, are virtually unknown in captivity and are large spectacular
plants.

http://132.229.93.11/Cryptocoryne/Gallery/hud/hud.html
http://132.229.93.11/Cryptocoryne/Gallery/kee/kee.html

Also, the large forms of cordata such as grabowski and zonata
would make for large showly introductions and while graboswki
is in the hobby, only barely. I know of less than 20 plants
in captibity in the America (4 of them are here :-)

These are all found in Borneo and Sarawak so they tend to be localized
to that region. I imagine the last thing you need to hear is "this
one from india, this one from Malaysia, this one from Si Lanka".

Borneo, baby, borneo. If nothing else you can find out what's
left after the Tsunami - although if memory serves these plants
are on the other side of the Island.

Cheers, and thanks.


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