Cryptocoryne fusca Care Guide
Cryptocoryne fusca is a large Bornean crypt with elongated dark olive-brown leaves that grows in soft, acidic blackwater streams and is demanding in cultivation.
Overview
Cryptocoryne fusca is a large species of the genus Cryptocoryne from Borneo. It has elongated, dark olive-brown leaves carried on reddish-brown petioles and is associated with soft, acidic blackwater habitats. It is regarded as demanding in cultivation and is used as a background plant.
Taxonomy
- Family: Araceae
- Order: Alismatales
- Genus: Cryptocoryne
- Scientific name: Cryptocoryne fusca
Habitat
The species occurs on Borneo, with records from Kalimantan and from a blackwater stream near the Sarawak-Kalimantan border. Cryptocorynes in this region grow in very soft, strongly acidic water in semi-shaded to shaded locations, often associated with peat and decomposing leaf litter, which explains the plant's blackwater requirements.
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 5.0-7.0
- GH: 1-8 °dGH
- Lighting: low
- CO2: not required
- Growth rate: slow
- Maximum height: about 30 cm
- Placement: background
Planting and care
Cryptocoryne fusca needs soft, acidic water and a nutrient-rich substrate, ideally with leaf litter or peat to mimic its blackwater origin, and benefits from shaded to moderate light. It is more demanding than common crypts and reacts strongly to abrupt changes in water chemistry. Crypt melt is likely after planting or relocation, especially into fresh substrate; established plants regrow from the rhizome.
Propagation
Propagation is by runners. The plant produces daughter plants on underground runners; in soft, stable blackwater conditions these can be separated and replanted once they have grown sufficiently.