{"product_id":"cryptocoryne-parva","title":"Cryptocoryne Parva","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c!-- obsidian --\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Cryptocoryne Parva on the Surface:\"\u003eCryptocoryne Parva on the Surface:\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCryptocoryne Parva is the smallest known Cryptocoryne, an aquatic plant from the central highlands of Sri Lanka that forms a low rosette of green leaves just above a thin leaf litter bed. Its runners slowly fill the foreground of a Botanical Method Aquarium with a carpet that provides refuge for shrimp, loaches, rasboras, and betta fish, along with surfaces where biofilm can encrust. It grows best when rooted into a nutrient-rich substrate beneath low to 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 Intermediate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Growth via rhizomes; spreads very slowly by runners into a low carpet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Low to 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 highlands of Sri Lanka\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOptimal For:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shrimp, betta fish, loaches, rasboras, and other nano fish\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 2 to 3 inches tall at maturity\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eQuantities:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 to 4 plants per pot\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Cryptocoryne Parva for Planted Aquariums \u0026amp; Blackwater Biotopes\"\u003eCryptocoryne Parva for Planted Aquariums \u0026amp; Blackwater Biotopes\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCryptocoryne Parva 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. Pale new leaves or small holes in the leaf blades point to low iron or potassium, and a fresh root tab placed near the base of the plant helps restore both. As the carpet fills in, biofilm builds across its leaves and becomes a grazing resource for shrimp and nano fish, what we call supplemental nutrition. For a Sri Lankan biotope, pair it with native species such as the loach \u003cem\u003eLepidocephalichthys thermalis\u003c\/em\u003e or the rasbora \u003cem\u003eRasboroides vaterifloris\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a foreground plant, Cryptocoryne Parva sits at the bottom of the water column, farthest from your light. When your water darkens with tint, less of that light reaches its leaves for photosynthesis. Moderate light produces a denser carpet, so in a heavily tinted Botanical Method Aquarium, keep taller plants and hardscape from shading the foreground, and layer leaf litter around the edges of the carpet so its leaves stay in open light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCryptocoryne Parva spreads very slowly, through runners that extend from the rhizome beneath the substrate and root as new plantlets. In our 75-gallon Botanical Method Aquarium, our clumps have produced about one new plantlet every five months. CO2 injection is optional and can encourage faster runner production. To build a carpet sooner, you can divide the pot into several small clumps and plant them a few inches apart. Most nursery stock is raised emersed, above the waterline, so expect some or all of the original leaves to melt back in the first weeks after planting. Once planted, do not disturb them, since moving them again can trigger another melt. Over time, new leaves adapted to submerged life will emerge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-heading=\"Beneath the Leaves: *Cryptocoryne parva* in the Wild\"\u003eBeneath the Leaves: \u003cem\u003eCryptocoryne parva\u003c\/em\u003e in the Wild\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCryptocoryne parva\u003c\/em\u003e is found only in Sri Lanka, in the central highlands near Kandy, where it forms dense colonies on riverbanks. Its leaves usually stay under two and a half inches, and botanist H. C. D. de Wit described it as a species in 1970. \u003cem\u003eParva\u003c\/em\u003e is Latin for small.\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":45619896221872,"sku":"sku-45937816666291","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0598\/7948\/9712\/files\/cryptocoryne-parva-biotope-aquarium-plants.jpg?v=1758985442","url":"https:\/\/bettabotanicals.com\/products\/cryptocoryne-parva","provider":"Betta Botanicals | Natural Aquarium Products","version":"1.0","type":"link"}