Cryptocoryne Wendtii Red care guide
Cryptocoryne Wendtii Red (Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Red') — medium light, 22-28 °C, pH 6-7.5, no CO2.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Cryptocoryne Wendtii Red (Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Red') is a broad-leaved plant of the family Araceae, grown as an aquarium plant. Red-leaved selection of C. wendtii. Develops bronze-to-burgundy tones under stronger light and rich substrate. Slow but steady; brings warm color contrast to a green midground.
Taxonomy
- Family: Araceae
- Genus: Cryptocoryne
- Scientific name: Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Red'
- Common synonyms: Crypt Wendtii Red
Habitat
Cryptocoryne species inhabit slow-flowing forest streams, peat-swamp creeks and seasonally flooded lowlands across South and South-East Asia. Most grow rooted in soft mineral or organic sediments under partial shade. In the Aquairi knowledge base this species is recorded from Sri Lanka.
Growth requirements
- Lighting: medium
- CO2: not required
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 6-7.5
- GH: 4-14 °dGH
- Substrate: nutrient-rich aquasoil
- Maximum height: 25 cm
- Growth rate: slow
- Nutrient demand: medium
- Recommended placement: midground
Placement
In aquascapes this plant suits the midground. It is planted into a nutrient-rich substrate; emersed-grown stock often melts after submersion and regrows submersed leaves within weeks. Stable parameters minimise repeated melt.
Propagation
This species is spreads vegetatively by runners that form daughter plants on the substrate; clumps are divided once the colony has filled the area.
Common issues
Sudden parameter shifts, particularly temperature drops or large water changes, trigger so-called Crypt melt in which existing leaves dissolve while the rhizome regrows new ones; stable conditions prevent repeat events.
Propagating Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Red': Runners and Rhizome Division
Overview
Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Red' is a red- to bronze-leaved selection of C. wendtii, a species native to Sri Lanka and one of the most robust and easy-to-grow members of the genus Cryptocoryne (family Araceae). The species is very variable under different light and other environmental conditions, and this form develops warmer tones that contrast nicely with green plants in the midground.
It is a rosette plant growing from a rhizome, not a stem plant, so it is never propagated by topping cuttings.
Propagation Method (Runners / Division)
Cryptocoryne wendtii is propagated by runners. As a submerged crypt it reproduces vegetatively, sending stolons under the substrate that each form a daughter plant with its own roots. A mature clump can also be lifted and its rhizome divided into several plants.
Step-by-Step
- Let the parent rosette establish and send runners that produce daughter plants in the substrate around it.
- Wait until a daughter has developed its own roots and several leaves.
- Cut the connecting runner with clean scissors and ease the daughter out of the substrate.
- For faster multiplication, lift a mature clump and divide the rhizome into rooted, leafed sections.
- Replant daughters or divisions in nutrient-rich substrate with the crown sitting above the substrate.
Conditions for Healthy Growth
Crypts fall into peat-bog types needing soft acidic water and limestone types tolerating harder alkaline water; hardwater crypts are generally easier to keep. As a root feeder, the red form does best in a nutrient-rich substrate, and brighter light brings out its color. Like the green form it does not require CO2 to grow.
Maintenance
Avoid frequent uprooting and keep parameters stable. Thin the colony by lifting rooted daughters as it fills in. Remove old or discolored outer leaves to keep the rosette tidy.
Common Challenges
Do not remove the rhizome during melt; it regrows submersed-adapted leaves once conditions stabilise. Keep parameters steady, and expect color to return as new leaves harden off.