About the species

Cryptocoryne beckettii 'Petchii' is a small-growing form of beckettii from Sri Lanka. The leaves reach ten to fifteen centimetres, have slightly fluted margins and shade into dark olive-brown with a violet underside. As with most Cryptocorynes, both colour and leaf shape depend largely on conditions in the aquarium, so the same variety can look quite different in two different tanks.

Facts

• Latin name: Cryptocoryne beckettii 'Petchii'
• Plant type: Rosette plant
• Origin: Asia
• Height: 10–15 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 the stone in aquarium water and set it in place. It can be moved freely whenever you want to change the layout, and can also be stacked against other hardscape.

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 pre-grown on a lava stone. The porous stone gives the roots an excellent hold and at the same time plenty of room for beneficial bacteria. Placed straight into the aquarium, with no planting.

Recommendation

A dependable midground plant that builds a dense group of daughter plants over time. Push a root tab in beside the roots — Cryptocorynes take most of their nutrition from the substrate.