About the species

Cryptocoryne albida 'Brown' is a small Cryptocoryne from Thailand with narrow, red-brown leaves. The leaves are one to three centimetres wide and up to fifteen centimetres long, with clear black markings and beautifully waved margins. The overall impression is light and graceful, which makes the variety easy to combine with other plants. Like many Cryptocorynes it copes with even very low light, but then grows extremely slowly.

Facts

• Latin name: Cryptocoryne albida 'Brown'
• Plant type: Rosette plant
• Origin: Asia
• Height: 5–15 cm
• Growth rate: Slow
• 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.

Carefully remove the pot and rinse the rock wool off the roots before planting — leftover rock wool can otherwise hinder rooting.

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 a pot grown submerged, with the roots in rock wool. The pot holds several plants or stems that can be divided and planted separately.

Recommendation

A fine way to bring brown tones into the midground without the plant taking up height. Be patient after planting — Cryptocorynes often shed their leaves first and only then get going properly.