Finally got around to do a little bit of trimming. Let me tell you this – 10G setup is way too small. This hobby, or I should say “sub-hobby”, is just as addictive as anything related to aqua growing/scaping. Although I’m not as successful as I would like to be when it comes to flowering, I’m growing most Cryptocoryne sp with very little effort. Plant -> Mist -> Fertilize -> Change Water -> Trim. That is all.

I pulled all the pots, re-potted with fresh substrate, re-planted with young runners, and placed it all in newly 75G setup that was sitting in the garage. I’m still running the pump to provide sufficient circulation and heater to increase water temperature and subsequently increase humidity levels.

Will report back in couple months. Until then, stay Green !

Update 2 months later … Plant growth has been excellent in last two months. Leaves look and feel extremely healthy and there are multiple runners in most of the pots. Since last update I moved entire setup into 10G aquarium with glass lid hoping to increase and control humidity levels. In addition, I placed a heater set at 76F and air-stone to introduce some water circulation. Looking at C. wendtii ‘Green Gecko’ and C. undulata I can tell that those changes are working. Despite all the improvements, I have yet to see a flower. Somehow disappointing but I have learned to be patient. Today I did another water change, removed the heater due to “springish/summerish” temperatures, removed air-stone and placed a small pump to further increase water circulation. I’m trying different fertilizer so I hope to see some flowers soon !

I think many of us, aqua hobbyists, get this “emersed growth” itch at some point in our life. I always had few zip-lock bags floating around the fishroom filled with Anubias sp. or various Ferns. This part of our hobby is a bit different because you don’t get to enjoy the progress like you would with rapid stem growth in hi-tech setups. Process is extremely simple. You place a bag on the shelf and you open it again next month to check on the progress. Those bags get weekly spray misting if lucky, otherwise they are just laying back, catching occasional sunlight and grow. Nothing beats a bag full of healthy and algae free Anubias nana “petite” when you are setting up a new aquascape. Enough about Anubias and plastic bags.

The point I’m trying to make here is that growing plants emersed is very interesting and for some even more enjoyable then submerged scaping. To make it even more appealing, growing plants emersed is fairly simple with visually pleasing reward – a flower. Hobbyist needs a clear container, good soil mixture, occasional fertilization, light, water, pots and …. Cryptocoryne sp – favorite pick for many in this field. I collected few species from my own tanks, local club members, and more advanced “Crypt-o-Mania” growers and placed them in your typical Humidity Dome. Am I completely satisfied with the setup and conditions this Dome provides, probably not. Although it is 7” tall, hobbyist will hit that limit very quickly assuming good conditions. I would recommend 40G breeder setup but then again, do we all have that much room ?

Just to show you how hardy Cryptocoryne sp could be, below is a picture of a plant that was taken out of the tank in November 2006 and placed in bare / clear container. No substrate, no pots, no water. I had done nothing except occasional water misting. I finally opened the lid and took the plant out in June 2007. Look at the quality of those leaves !!!

I plan on moving my Humidity Dome setup outdoor this spring/summer to see the impact of higher humidity and filtered through shade cloth direct sunlight. I will report back in Part 2 of this article. This current setup was extremely neglected due to different priorities. Water was changed approximately 2-3 times total, light wasn’t always on, leaves were left melting inside the setup, temperature and humidity levels were low. I finally got it all together and re-started it couple weeks ago. As you can see, quality is still there so its just a matter of time before I report back with some flowers, knock knock ! Below are few photographs from initial setup and current state.

If you are interested in joining the party, I would recommend the following links:

• Aquatika by Xema
• The Crypt Pages by Jan D. Bastmeijer
• Kryptocoryne BLOG by Ghazanfar Ghori
• Cryptocoryn Corner on APC Forum
• North American Cryptocoryne Society on AGA Forum