Cryptocoryne Lucen
Cryptocoryne lucens
Scientific Name: Cryptocoryne lucens
Common Name: Crypt Lucens
Cryptocoryne lucens is a compact, bright-green crypt that forms tidy stands of upright leaves. Unlike its close relative Cryptocoryne lutea, lucens tends to stay smaller and grows more vertically, making it well-suited for foreground to midground placement in botanical method, blackwater, and biotope aquariums. Once established, the plant spreads slowly by sending out runners beneath the substrate, eventually creating lush clusters that resemble underwater grass. Because of its smaller stature and tolerance of low light, it is an excellent choice for tinted waters in the foreground of aquariums.
When first introduced, Crypts often “melt,” losing their emersed leaves before regrowing submerged foliage. This is normal and should not be a cause for concern. Once settled, lucens is hardy and resilient, especially when provided with stable water parameters and a nutrient-rich substrate. Root tabs are recommended in inert sand setups, and like all crypts, lucens prefers to remain undisturbed once planted.
Caring for Cryptocoryne lucens in Blackwater Aquariums
- Care Level: Easy
- Light Requirements: Low; tolerates shade beneath wood and botanicals
- CO₂: Not required
- Growth Rate: Slow and steady
- Tint Tolerance: Accepts low–medium tannin levels
- Native Habitat: India and Sri Lanka, often found in shaded, slow-moving waters
- Tank Placement: Foreground to Midground
All Plants may contain snails or snail eggs. We keep them in all of our tanks for the benefits they provide. Our blackwater aquarium plants are provided by H2OPlants in adherence to their Shipping and DOA Policies. Your curated selection will arrive in their packaging separate from your botanical & merch orders.
Cryptocoryne Lucen
Home is getting more natural
While the aesthetic appeal of botanicals and tinted water can be quite attractive to us, the recreation of nature to emulate water conditions, feeding patterns, spawning displays, and territory building are the true benefits botanicals provide to our critters.
Botanical FAQs
Compostable Packaging Promise
Our packaging is designed to return safely to the Earth, just like the botanicals inside. Every bag is BPA- and Phthalate-free, GMO-free, and contains no animal products. Each meets ASTM D6400 composting standards, ensuring it can fully break down in a home compost bin.
What are the Fluffy White Growths on my Botanicals?
That’s biofilm and fungi—what we call the “goo phase.” It’s one of the clearest signs that your aquarium is alive and functioning. These growths wax and wane naturally as botanicals decompose. They’re harmless, even beneficial, and will disappear on their own once microbial populations stabilize.
Will botanicals lower the pH of my water?
That depends entirely on your source water. In very soft or RODI water, botanicals can gradually lower pH as tannins and humic substances accumulate. In medium to hard tap water, buffering capacity often resists these shifts, and you may not notice much change. At Betta Botanicals HQ, our very hard water (350+ ppm) shows almost no pH change unless we use botanicals like Alder Cones or Macaranga Leaves.
When should I replace leaves or pods in my tank?
We recommend allowing botanicals to fully break down into detritus, since this fuels microbial life and enriches the substrate. You can remove them once they stop tinting the water, but you’ll lose some of their ecological benefits. Each time you add new botanicals, follow proper preparation and observe your livestock until you learn your aquarium’s rhythm.
Are your products just for bettas?
Nope. Our botanicals are safe for almost all aquariums, terrariums, vivariums, and paludariums. The only exceptions are goldfish and axolotls, which may ingest small pods like alder cones or casuarina cones. For those species, we recommend large leaves such as Indian Almond, Loquat, or Jackfruit.
What are Tannins?
Tannins are natural compounds released by leaves, seed pods, and bark as they decompose in water. They soften water, gently lower pH, and create the characteristic tea-stained tint found in blackwater habitats. But their role goes far beyond color—tannins fuel beneficial bacteria, fungi, and biofilms, which form the foundation of a healthy ecosystem. They also offer mild antifungal benefits and help reduce stress in fish by replicating the natural conditions they’ve evolved in. At their core, tannins are plant-derived antioxidants that connect your aquarium to the same processes at work in wild flooded forests and streams.