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Crypts and Aponos



Subject: C. willisii

> Now I have some questions.  Has anyone kept C. Willisi or C. pet

Yes, I keep C. willisii.

> their normal requirements the same as other crypts?

I find them to be one of the easier Crypts.

>  They will b
> relatively rich substrate (laterite and earthworm castings) w/ m
> light.  The tank will be CO2 injected with either Flourish or PM
> fertilizer. 

For me, although they grow slowly in a gravel/laterite substrate, 
they have done much better in my tank with a peat/laterite/gravel 
substrate.  This in spite of the fact that it is my only tank with 
lower light levels and no supplemental CO2.

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 Subject: Aponogeton Dormancy
> 
> First off, one possible reason for the "keep bulb cool & dry" ad
> if the weather in their native habitat is cool and dry (i.e. the
> evaporate) during their natural dormant period.  I don't claim t
> much of an expert on this, but winter in India/Thailand/SE Asia 
> rather on the wet side, isn't it?

From what I have read, Asian Aponogetons require a cooler rest 
period, but are usually at least damp even at rest, while African 
species require a longer, drier resting phase.  In fact, the 
reason that the Aponos we see in the hobby are Madagascar species 
is that the wetter climate makes these plants more suitable for 
aquarium culture, while the ones from the continent spend too much 
of the time dry (and dormant) to be of much interest.

> I had an experience with the plant that may be of interest. 
<snip description>

>  But the interesting
> bit was that after many many months of dormancy, the reduced Ph 
> the crispus plants to come back - they quickly grew leaves of ab
> inches before settling back into the normal pattern of this tank
> off again.
> 
> Anyway, I guess the lesson learned is that under some conditions
> be possible to leave the bulb in the tank.  I have no idea what'
> about my tank that allowed all three to survive, but they did.

This actually is pretty typical.  I stongly suspect that the 
reason that most Aponos do not come back has little or nothing to 
do with how they are kept during dormancy.  I'm pretty well 
convinced that it has more to do with the growing conditions 
during their _GROWTH_ phase.  If they are not given conditions 
good enough to store enough energy during this phase, they do not 
have the strength to break dormancy, or if they do, it is at a 
much reduced size (as you have seen). A healthy plant that is 
growing well should be larger after each resting phase, (or have 
produced offsets) not smaller.

Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Assoc.
Boston, MA