Cryptocoryne Blassii

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Water Trumpet; Blassii Crypt

Synonyms

Cryptocoryne blassii; Cryptocoryne cordata var. cordata "blassii"; Cryptocoryne cordata var. siamensis "blassii"

Environment

Freshwater

Native to

Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo

Habitat

Marshy areas, swamps, shaded streams and ditches in lowland Southeast Asian forests

Sourcing

Aquacultured

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Moderate

Growth form

Rosette

Max height

6 – 16 in (15 – 41 cm)

Spread

12 in (30 cm)

Growth rate

Slow

Placement

Midground, Background

Water

Temperature

72 – 82 °F (22 – 28 °C)

pH

5.5 – 7.0

GH

2 – 12 dGH

dKH

1 – 10 dKH

Flow

Low-Moderate

Light

Low

CO₂

Beneficial

Planting

Substrate

Nutrient-rich required

Feeds from

Roots

Fertilizer needs

High

Colors

Green, Brown, Purple, Red

Feeding & breeding

Propagation

Rhizome division, Runners

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Care guide

Overview

Lowland swamps and shaded streams of Thailand, Malaysia and Borneo are home to the wild form of this crypt. It builds a large rosette of olive to bronze-brown leaves with purple-red undersides, staying put once rooted rather than tolerating repeated moves. Expect slow, steady growth and a need for stable, nutrient-rich conditions.

Care

This large crypt forms a bold rosette of oval, olive to bronze-brown leaves with a deep wine-red to purple underside, and it needs a permanent spot since it resents being uprooted once established. Low to medium lighting suits it best, as intense light without adequate CO2 tends to invite algae on its slow-growing leaves. Water parameters should stay stable, since sudden shifts in temperature, pH or hardness are the main trigger for melt in this species.

Planting & trimming

Plant the rhizome shallow with the crown at or just above the substrate line, leaving generous space around it since the mature rosette spreads wide and can shade shorter neighboring plants. It is best treated as a permanent focal plant rather than moved repeatedly, as disturbance to the root system slows recovery. Grouping a few specimens together produces a fuller, cohesive stand in the midground to background.

Fertilizing

Being a heavy root feeder, it depends on a nutrient-rich substrate supplemented with root tabs containing iron and trace elements. Clay-based substrates or a mature aquasoil work well to sustain its dense root system over the long term. Liquid fertilization can help but does not replace the need for enrichment at the roots, and pale or thin new leaves usually signal a lack of substrate nutrients.

Propagation

New plantlets form readily from the creeping rhizome and from runners (stolons) sent out by the mother plant. Once a plantlet has developed a few leaves and its own roots, it can be separated with a clean cut and replanted elsewhere. Division of an overgrown rhizome clump is also effective for multiplying established stands.

Problems

Cryptocoryne melt, a sudden dissolving of leaf tissue, is the most common issue and is usually brought on by transplanting, poor water quality, or abrupt parameter changes rather than disease. The rhizome typically survives beneath the substrate and will send up new growth once conditions settle, so plants should not be discarded after a melt event. Because growth is slow, algae can become a problem if lighting outpaces nutrient uptake, so shading with driftwood or floating plants can help during establishment.

Sources

1. Cryptocoryne blassii Care Guide & Tank Setup | Atlarium
2. Cryptocoryne cordata var. "blassii" - Aquarismo Paulista
3. B-Aqua - Cryptocoryne blasii
4. Ko-fi

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