Re: Cryptic Advice -- Oh Coryna Coryna

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

Rachel Sandage said about cryptocorynes:

> As you may recall, I am having trouble growing crypts in
> my tanks. 3 tanks 
> in the house have crypts: a 29G with 30W of light, a 10
> gal with 30W of 
> light, and a 72 gal with 220 W of light. In all three
> tanks, the crypts 
> either grow very slowly (if at all), or grow 3 leaves and
> then melt.
> 
> Our water here in Portland, OR is very soft; someone in
> the fish club coined 
> the term "liquid silk". In two of the tanks I add
> Seachem's Equilibrium to 
> bring up the GH to around 5; in the big tank, I also
> bring the KH to around 
> 5 with baking soda. Without intervention KH and GH are
> around 1.5-2.5, 
> depending on the time of year.
> 
> I have recently been given two possible causes for the
> failure of my crypts 
> to grow. The first is, crypts don't like acidic water.
> The pH in the tanks 
> ranges from 6.6 to 7.4, so I don't think that is it, but
> I was wondering if 
> anyone would like to comment on the pH requirements of
> crypts?

I can tell you that some of the more common ones, lutea ,
wendtii, walkeri, balansae don't mind too much a pH in the
range of 6.7 - 7.0
> 
> The second theory is that crpts don't like large water
> changes. Water 
> changes range from 20% every 10 or so days in the 10
> gallon tank, to 75% 
> weekly in the 72 gallon. Any comments on this theory?

Well, 50% weekly doesn't seem to hurt them in my slow grow
or CO2-fast-grow tanks -- but they don't like to be rubbed
or bumped.

> 
> I'd sure like to grow crypts!

At last, the secret is out!  

Just some counter examples to encourage you,
Scott H.

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