TankBud

Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis

Cryptocoryne ferruginea var. sekadauensis

Also known as Cryptocoryne sekadauensis, Crypt Ferruginea Sekadauensis

FreshwaterRosetteRunners

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
7.9 in
20 cm
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Midground
Type
Rosette
pH
6.0–7.5
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Medium
Family
Araceae
Origin
Borneo (near Sekadau, West Kalimantan, Indonesia)

Overview

Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis is a slow, slightly fussy crypt for the midground. It is a plant of medium difficulty.

Did you know

The home stream of Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis rises up to two meters in the monsoon. The same wild plant can start the year high and dry on a bare bank and end it deep underwater.

Caring for Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis

Plant Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis in a nutritious substrate in an established tank, with the crown just above the surface. Expect some melt as tissue-culture plants convert to submersed growth. Leave the roots alone while it recovers, and be patient.

Give it gentle, low light. It grows without injected CO2, but CO2 helps it settle and color up. It takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves, so root tabs and a liquid fertilizer help. It suits 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and a pH of 6 to 7.5.

Growth is slow, and once established it is reasonably hardy. It spreads slowly by runners, and you can cut a young plant free once it has roots. Specialist growers find it easy emersed in mineral soil with leaf litter. Its long-term track record fully submersed is still short.

Good to know

Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis is a formally described variety of Cryptocoryne ferruginea, in the family Araceae. Bastmeijer, Kishi, Takahashi, Wongso and Jacobsen published it in 2013 and named it for the Sekadau region. It is a green, rather narrow-leaved plant. It differs from the typical variety mainly in the spathe, which carries a threadlike tail and a more closed limb. Var. ferruginea has a thick, mostly open tail. Trade plants are typically offered as tissue culture.

In the wild

Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis is known from a small tributary of the Kapuas River near Sekadau, in West Kalimantan on Borneo. It grows there on steep banks. The river swings hard with the seasons, so the plants shift between partly submersed and fully emersed life through the year. A brown, wider-leaved plant found upstream is pollen-sterile and is regarded as an unnamed hybrid rather than a form of this variety.

Common questions

Does Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Bury the roots and leave the crown, where the leaves join, just above the substrate.

Does Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis need CO2?

No, but it helps. Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis need?

Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis is a low-light plant, and the light that comes with a standard tank kit is enough for it.

Does Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis need root tabs?

They help. Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.

How do you propagate Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis?

Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis propagates by runners. New plants grow along its runners. Cut one free once it has roots and plant it.

How tall does Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis grow?

Cryptocoryne ferruginea Sekadauensis grows to about 7.9 in (20 cm) tall. It grows slowly and rarely needs trimming.

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