My 180g com tank is predominantly full of val. It grows easy for me, under the basic novice care I can afford it.
When I planted it about 2 years ago now I also put in another plant which at first I didn't even know what it was. I just bought a bunch of random plants from my LFS to see which would grow for me, and which wouldn't.
Obviously the easy growing val took off pretty quick, others melted away. I just resigned myself to the fact that val was the plant for me. I loved it too, so I was happy.
However, one other plant, in time, a lot of time, started taking off too. I didn't even know the name of this plant. It looks and grows very much like val but the leaves are crinkly.
It turns out this plant is cryptocorene crispulata. I took a couple of pictures of it during a water change. You can see the thick purple stems coming up from the pot it is in and then the mass of olive green glossy long leaves, some of which are pushing 3ft. The way it sways in the current with the val is beautiful.
Just thought I'd share with you guys in case you come across this plant as a bedraggled young wimpy looking specimen in your LFS and just overlook it.
I bought two more a couple of months ago and put them straight in pots. At first they followed the same path as my original ones, started melting away and looking awful. But now, as you can see, they've picked up and are looking better now.
When I planted it about 2 years ago now I also put in another plant which at first I didn't even know what it was. I just bought a bunch of random plants from my LFS to see which would grow for me, and which wouldn't.
Obviously the easy growing val took off pretty quick, others melted away. I just resigned myself to the fact that val was the plant for me. I loved it too, so I was happy.
However, one other plant, in time, a lot of time, started taking off too. I didn't even know the name of this plant. It looks and grows very much like val but the leaves are crinkly.
It turns out this plant is cryptocorene crispulata. I took a couple of pictures of it during a water change. You can see the thick purple stems coming up from the pot it is in and then the mass of olive green glossy long leaves, some of which are pushing 3ft. The way it sways in the current with the val is beautiful.
Just thought I'd share with you guys in case you come across this plant as a bedraggled young wimpy looking specimen in your LFS and just overlook it.
I bought two more a couple of months ago and put them straight in pots. At first they followed the same path as my original ones, started melting away and looking awful. But now, as you can see, they've picked up and are looking better now.
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