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Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia Emersed Flower

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Found a nice little surprise this morning, good thing I just happened to look at the right place or I would have completely missed it.

Due to where it is located this is the only angle possible to take a pic of.


Cryptocoryne pontederiifolia
by randallsimpson, on Flickr
 
Very cool! Can you post a full tank photo?
 
Awesome! I love seeing crypts flower. That one is really cool too.
 
Here is a full tank photo as of this afternoon. Spring/fall are the worst times to take photos for me as I just finished heavily pruning anything I could so they have room to grow over the winter/summer months.
DSC_0842 by randallsimpson, on Flickr
 
So what's in there? I see moss, ferns, African violets, orchids, crypts, little vines . . .

Any animal life or strictly plants?

It may be recently pruned, but it's still beautiful! Thanks for posting the photo!
 
No animal life, probably alot of bug life due to the amount of decaying plant matter. These types of things are more of a 5-10 year project than short term. Nothing fast growing in there and about 50 mini/micro orchids that will take many many many years to fill in. I've been adding in more mini/micro ferns but I've been very careful to keep everything small. I'm just now seeing the first signs of live sphagnum moss growing in some areas.
 
Very nice terrarium. I see you live in TX so you may not have a winter heating problem. But I am in NJ and I let my house get down to 62 F in winter at night. Is there a way to heat terrariums?
 
Very nice terrarium. I see you live in TX so you may not have a winter heating problem. But I am in NJ and I let my house get down to 62 F in winter at night. Is there a way to heat terrariums?
You bet there are! Heating lamps, ceramic heat emitters, radiating heat pads, even a mason jar filled with water and an aquarium heater might do the trick. Just a get a fogger or mist the terrarium more often to make up for lost humidity. I hope that helps.
 
  • #10
I don't think 62 would be any issue at all, it would actually be more helpful for flowering cues for alot of the orchids. Given a choice I would like winter nights in the 55-60 range.

Even with my temp drops in the winter I get alot more flowers once the temps start dropping than any other time of year.
 
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  • #11
And here I thought no one grew Cryptocoryne in terrariums!
They make a great addition, with nice and unique flowers.
About the heating, the lightig keeps the terrarium nice and warm during the day, and you can incorporate an underground heatnig cable in the soil, connected to a temperature sensor.

Sent from my phone, so sorry for mistakes
 
  • #12
I don't think 62 would be any issue at all, it would actually be more helpful for flowering cues for alot of the orchids. Given a choice I would like winter nights in the 55-60 range.

Even with my temp drops in the winter I get alot more flowers once the temps start dropping than any other time of year.

Thanks to all that responded. I don't have a terrarium like RSS, just one gallon jars. I have two orchids on cork bark in my 62F home: Bulbophyllum taiwanese and Chiloschista segawai. Both are growing, the Bulbo better than the Chilo. I have been fertilizing weekly with Dyno-Gro Bloom for a month now. The plants get soaked in tepid water each morning. Fertilizer on Saturday. 1/4 tsp per gallon. Both cork slabs are in a North facing window.

I have a few Bucephalandra's growing in one gallon jars emersed on Mopani wood. I spread mineralized soil on the wood, covered with LFS, tied on the Buce's and placed wood in jar in substrate. I have about 2" of water in the jar and a few Cryptocoryne parva planted in the substrate. I had these at work and placed them on an electrical transformer to give them 80F all winter under a 55W PC. I have other emersed Crypts in similar jars. I only kept one jar at home at 62F containing C. parva, Sagittaria subulata, and Hairgrass. Fully filled with water and a few Endler Guppies. Plants have been growing slowly at home. The Buce's have grown a few new leaves since fall.
 
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