How do I plant my cryptocoryne?

Cryptocoryne plants, also known as “crypts” for short, are a kind of rosette plant that requires substrate and needs root tabs to grow well. Common types include Cryptocoryne wendtii, Cryptocoryne spiralis, and many other species. Similar to sword plants, you want to bury their roots while keeping the crown of the plant above ground.

Crypts are very prone to melting whenever they’re introduced into a new aquarium, so don’t throw away your crypt if its emersed leaves fall off. Once the plant gets used to its new surroundings, submersed leaves will soon appear. Before planting the crypt, some aquascapers even recommend trimming off the emersed leaves to encourage the plant to focus its energy on growing submersed leaves, since it’s likely to lose all the old leaves anyway. However, don’t use this technique with Cryptocoryne parva, which doesn’t tend to experience crypt melting.

For more information, read our quick guide on how to plant live aquarium plants.