{"product_id":"cryptocoryne-wendtii-red-potted-freshwater-crypt-plant","title":"Crypt Wendtii Red (Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Red') - Potted","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"background:#E8F5E9;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding:10px 14px;margin:0 0 14px;font-size:0.95em;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIn-store pickup only.\u003c\/strong\u003e Your order is reserved, we hold off on bagging until you arrive so it stays healthy in its display tank.\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCrypt Wendtii Red\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eCryptocoryne wendtii\u003c\/em\u003e 'Red') is the color version of the easiest midground plant in the hobby. Its blades come in a deep bronze-red with a hammered, puckered surface and dark red stems, and they hold that color in ordinary low-tech conditions with no CO2 and no special lighting. That combination is rare: most red plants demand high light and injected carbon, while this one just needs a root tab and time. Browse the rest of our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/collections\/freshwater-aquarium-plants\"\u003elive freshwater plants\u003c\/a\u003e to fill in around it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eCare Guide\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;margin:6px 0 10px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScientific Name\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eCryptocoryne wendtii\u003c\/em\u003e 'Red'\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003eSri Lanka\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare Level\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003eEasy, beginner friendly\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLighting\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003eLow to high, more light gives deeper red and shorter leaves\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCO2\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003eNot required\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTemperature\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e72 to 82F\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003epH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e6.0 to 8.0\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardness\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e2 to 18 dGH\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlacement\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003eMidground\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHeight\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e4 to 8 in, taller in dim tanks\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003eSlow to establish, then steady\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeeding\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003eRoot feeder, wants root tabs\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSold As\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;vertical-align:top;\"\u003ePotted nursery plant in rock wool\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eAbout Crypt Melt\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNearly every crypt sheds its leaves after being moved, and this one is no exception. A week or two after planting you may find the leaves going soft, translucent, and falling apart. \u003cstrong\u003eDo not pull the plant out.\u003c\/strong\u003e The rhizome and roots underneath are alive and busy, and they will push an entirely new set of leaves grown for your water rather than the nursery's. Trim off the mush so it does not foul the tank, leave everything else alone, and keep your parameters steady. Recovery typically takes two to four weeks, and the replacement leaves usually come back stronger and better colored than the ones you lost.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eWhy This One\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"margin:4px 0 10px;padding-left:22px;\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRed without a high-tech tank.\u003c\/strong\u003e It keeps its bronze-red tone under a basic LED with no CO2, which almost no other red plant will do.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIndifferent to water chemistry.\u003c\/strong\u003e Soft and acidic or hard and alkaline, it adapts. Very few plants are this forgiving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpreads on its own.\u003c\/strong\u003e Runners push up daughter plants around the parent, so a single pot becomes a stand over a season.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShade tolerant.\u003c\/strong\u003e It keeps growing tucked behind taller stems or under driftwood where most midground plants give up.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSafe with everything.\u003c\/strong\u003e Fish, shrimp, and snails all leave the tough leaves alone.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eHow to Plant\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSlip the plant out of the pot and rinse every trace of rock wool off the roots, since buried wool rots and fouls the substrate. Separate the mass into individual crowns if you want to spread them out, then plant each one with the roots buried and the crown, where the leaves meet the roots, sitting right at the substrate surface. Burying the crown is the one reliable way to kill a crypt. Push a root tab into the substrate beneath it and then leave it be, because crypts resent being moved more than almost anything else.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eRecommended Pairings\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"margin:4px 0 10px;padding-left:22px;\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/crypt-wendtii-green-potted\"\u003eCrypt Wendtii Green\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/cryptocoryne-wendtii-bronze-potted-freshwater-crypt-plant\"\u003eCrypt Wendtii Bronze\u003c\/a\u003e, the same plant in other colors. A mixed group of all three is a classic midground.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/cryptocoryne-lucens-potted\"\u003eCryptocoryne Lucens\u003c\/a\u003e for a narrower, shorter crypt in front of it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/seachem-flourish-tabs\"\u003eSeachem Flourish Tabs\u003c\/a\u003e, the root tabs this plant genuinely feeds on.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/anubias-coffeefolia-potted-freshwater-plant\"\u003eAnubias Coffeefolia\u003c\/a\u003e on hardscape above it for contrast.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/java-moss-taxiphyllum-barbieri-freshwater-moss\"\u003eJava Moss\u003c\/a\u003e to soften the substrate line around the crowns.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eFAQ\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow red will it actually get?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExpect bronze to reddish brown rather than a bright scarlet. Stronger light deepens the color and keeps the leaves short and compact, while dim light gives taller, greener, more stretched blades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAll the leaves melted. Did I kill it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlmost certainly not. Crypt melt is a transplant response, not death. Leave the roots undisturbed, remove the decayed leaves, hold your parameters steady, and new growth follows in two to four weeks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it need CO2 or special light?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo to both. It is one of the best plants in the hobby for a basic low-tech setup and does not benefit enough from CO2 to justify adding it for this plant alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow is it different from the Green and Bronze?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSame species, different color forms. Red is the darkest and most strongly red toned, Bronze sits in between, and Green is plain green. Care is identical for all three, so they mix well in one planting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it safe with shrimp and snails?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes, completely. The leaves are tough enough that nothing eats them, and shrimp graze biofilm off the textured surface.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Squeaky's Aquatics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48176171385051,"sku":"FW5-PCRWER","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0767\/5209\/3403\/files\/71eGGKyz1fL._AC_UF894_1000_QL80.jpg?v=1769100185","url":"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/cryptocoryne-wendtii-red-potted-freshwater-crypt-plant","provider":"Squeaky's Aquatics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}