About the species

Cryptocoryne nurii was found growing wild in Malaysia around 1970 and became known in the hobby as 'Rose Maiden'. It has the same size and leaf shape as Cryptocoryne wendtii, but the leaves are patterned in pink, brown and green. How clearly the colours and markings show depends on light and nutrition. In time it sends out runners beneath the substrate, and new plants readily appear a good distance from the mother plant.

Facts

• Latin name: Cryptocoryne nurii
• Plant type: Rosette plant
• Origin: Asia
• Height: 10–20 cm
• Growth rate: Medium
• Position: Midground

Light requirement

Low light requirement. It manages with the lighting that comes with most aquariums and is happy in partial shade behind or beneath taller plants. Strong lighting does not harm it, but raises the risk of algae on the leaves because the plant cannot use all the available light.

CO₂ & nutrition

Manages entirely without added CO₂, which makes it as suitable for a simple aquarium as for an aquascape. Liquid carbon or injected CO₂ speeds up growth but is never a requirement. Dose an all-round fertiliser with iron and micronutrients every week.

Planting

Plant the root ball in the substrate so the roots are covered but the crown — where the new leaves emerge — sits just above it. Burying the growth point makes the plant rot. Give it plenty of room, since the leaves spread out in a rosette.

Rinse all the gel off in lukewarm water before planting, otherwise it can cause bacterial cloudiness. The cup holds many small plants — divide them up and plant them in several portions.

Care & propagation

Cut old outer leaves off at the base once they start to look tired, and the rosette stays fresh. The plant propagates itself with daughter plants from the rootstock; separate them from the mother plant once they have their own roots and a few leaves.

Position in the aquarium

Its height makes it a classic midground plant. It works nicely as the transition between low foreground plants and tall background plants, and looks best in a group or around a piece of wood.

Difficulty level

🟢 Easy — grows in most aquariums without CO₂ and under ordinary lighting.

Delivery format

Delivered as 1-2-Grow! — a laboratory-grown cup holding many small plants in nutrient gel. Because the plant is cultivated in vitro it is completely free of snails, algae, planaria and pesticides, which makes it the safest choice for a shrimp aquarium.

Recommendation

A collector-friendly alternative to the ordinary wendtii when you want patterned leaves in the midground. Leave it undisturbed — a Cryptocoryne allowed to root in peace turns out far handsomer than one that keeps being moved.