Dennerle Cryptocoryne usteriana In-Vitro

Description

Cryptocoryne usteriana is an impressive plant from the Philippines.
Unlike many other Cryptocoryne species, it grows permanently under water and is therefore not suitable for emersed cultivation in the greenhouse.
For this reason it is very rarely found commercially.
The bullate leaves are up to 70 cm long and the leaves are bright mid-green with a reddish underside.
With medium lighting, Cryptocoryne usteriana grows best in hard, alkaline water and is therefore ideal for cichlids from Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika.
Even with a low CO2 supply the plant still grows rather well and is very easy to care for.
The more familiar Cryptocoryne aponogetifolia looks confusingly similar.

Growth height
– 70 cm
Origin country
Philippinen

Usage
Barschaquarium, Gesellschaftsaquarium
Type
Rosettenpflanze

Family
Araceae
Species
Cryptocoryne

Breeding
Ausläufer
Growth speed
langsam

pH
6 – 8
Water hardness
7 – 21 °dh

Hints

Cryptocoryne usteriana: a hard-water crypt for SG cichlid keepers

Usteriana is the unusual crypt that thrives in hard, alkaline water, which makes it one of the very few live plants we can confidently suggest for Lake Malawi and Tanganyika cichlid tanks. With long, bullate green leaves and reddish undersides, it grows permanently submerged and reaches an impressive size, so think of it as a background statement plant rather than a foreground filler. At our ambient 27-29C it needs no heater.

This species feeds heavily through its roots, so a deep, nutrient-rich substrate with root tabs is essential; in a bare cichlid tank it struggles, but a planted pocket lets it flourish. It is undemanding on CO2 and forgiving of robust tankmates once well rooted, though boisterous diggers can still unsettle it. Give it room, leave it to anchor, and it forms a tall, dramatic clump over time.

See our Cryptocoryne usteriana care guide and our root tabs guide for feeding. Discover more hard-water-friendly rosettes in our Cryptocoryne live plants range.