{"product_id":"cryptocoryne-lutea","title":"Cryptocoryne Lutea","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c!-- obsidian --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Cryptocoryne Lutea on the Surface:\"\u003eCryptocoryne Lutea on the Surface:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCryptocoryne Lutea is a slow-growing aquatic plant from the riverbanks of central Sri Lanka, forming a clump of stiff, upright leaves that emerge a few inches above the leaf litter bed. In the Botanical Method Aquarium, these leaves provide refuge for shrimp and small fish, along with surfaces where biofilm can encrust. It grows best when rooted into a nutrient-rich substrate beneath medium light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Essential Details\"\u003eEssential Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare Level:\u003c\/strong\u003e Easy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Growth via rhizomes; spreads slowly by runners into clumps\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Medium\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCO2:\u003c\/strong\u003e Not Necessary\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePropagation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Runners form new plantlets around the rhizome; separate once rooted\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTint Tolerance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Low to Medium\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHabitat Location:\u003c\/strong\u003e Central Sri Lanka\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOptimal For:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shrimp, betta fish, and dwarf cichlids\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUse with Caution:\u003c\/strong\u003e Rinse before introducing; may carry beneficial hitchhiking snails, snail eggs, or duckweed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize Range:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4 to 8 inches tall at maturity\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuantities:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sold as a potted plant\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Cryptocoryne Lutea for Planted Aquariums \u0026amp; Blackwater Biotopes\"\u003eCryptocoryne Lutea for Planted Aquariums \u0026amp; Blackwater Biotopes\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCryptocoryne Lutea absorbs most of its micro- and macronutrients at its roots, so we build these nutrients into the substrate via a layer of aquasoil, a dirted substrate, or root tabs pushed into sand. Once rooted, its leaves provide cover for betta fish, dwarf cichlids, and shrimp, and the biofilm that forms across them becomes a grazing resource, what we call supplemental nutrition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMedium light helps Cryptocoryne Lutea grow steadily. Stronger light, paired with a nutrient-rich substrate, deepens the bronze tones in its leaves. As your water darkens with tint, less light reaches those leaves for photosynthesis. In a heavily tinted Botanical Method Aquarium, give it a spot where taller plants and hardscape leave it in open light, or raise light intensity toward the upper end of its range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCryptocoryne Lutea spreads slowly, through runners that extend from the rhizome of the mother plant beneath the substrate and root as new plantlets. Once a plantlet has its own roots and a few leaves, you can separate and replant it. Most nursery stock is grown emersed, above the waterline, so expect some or all of the original leaves to melt back in the first weeks after planting. Leave the rhizome in place through this stage, since moving it again can trigger another melt, and new leaves adapted to submerged growth will emerge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Beneath the Leaves: *Cryptocoryne walkeri* in the Wild\"\u003eBeneath the Leaves: \u003cem\u003eCryptocoryne walkeri\u003c\/em\u003e in the Wild\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCryptocoryne walkeri\u003c\/em\u003e grows only in Sri Lanka, along riverbanks in the island's central region. A. H. G. Alston described this plant as a separate species, \u003cem\u003eCryptocoryne lutea\u003c\/em\u003e, in 1931. \u003cem\u003eLutea\u003c\/em\u003e is Latin for yellow, and the limb of its spathe, the hooded structure that encloses the flowers, ranges from yellow to greenish yellow. In 1975 it was reduced to a variety of \u003cem\u003eC. walkeri\u003c\/em\u003e, and later study found gradual transitions between the two in the collar at the throat of the spathe, the feature once used to tell them apart. Botanists now treat them as one variable species, and the aquarium trade kept the older name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere a botanical contributes as it breaks down, an aquatic plant is living and contributes as it grows. So let them grow. Mother Nature leads the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Sustainability Note:\"\u003eSustainability Note:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease select a heat\/cold pack if necessary. Check your local weather before ordering to avoid any shipment holds or cancellations. All Plants may contain snails or snail eggs. We keep them in all of our aquariums for the benefits they provide. Our blackwater aquarium plants are provided in cooperation with PNW Bettas in adherence to their Shipping and DOA Policies. Your curated selection will arrive in their packaging separate from your botanical, wood \u0026amp; merch orders.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PNW Bettas","offers":[{"title":"Potted","offer_id":45619896123568,"sku":"sku-45937816600755","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0598\/7948\/9712\/files\/cryptocoryne-lutea-blackwater-aquarium-plants.jpg?v=1758984969","url":"https:\/\/bettabotanicals.com\/products\/cryptocoryne-lutea","provider":"Betta Botanicals | Natural Aquarium Products","version":"1.0","type":"link"}