TankBud

Cryptocoryne petchii

Cryptocoryne beckettii 'Petchii'

Also known as Crypt Petchii, Cryptocoryne beckettii var. petchii, Cryptocoryne x beckettii-petchii

FreshwaterRosetteRunnersRhizome division

Care at a glance

Light
Medium light
CO2
No CO₂ needed
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
5.9 in
15 cm
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Midground
Type
Rosette
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
4–18 dGH
Spread
5.9 in (15 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Araceae
Origin
Sri Lanka (Cryptocoryne beckettii is endemic to Sri Lanka)

Overview

A compact, slow-growing midground crypt that forms tidy clusters over time and stays smaller than most wendtii forms. It is undemanding, needs no CO2, and does fine under medium light with root tabs in the substrate. Expect the usual crypt melt after planting or a big parameter change, followed by full recovery once conditions stabilize, so avoid moving it around.

In the wild

Petchii is a small form associated with Cryptocoryne beckettii, a species endemic to the shaded streams and riverbanks of Sri Lanka. It grows in soft, slightly acidic to neutral water among leaf litter and roots, spreading slowly by runners. Like other crypts it lives submersed underwater or emersed on damp margins depending on the season.

Good to know

The accepted parent name is Cryptocoryne beckettii Thwaites ex Trimen in the arum family Araceae, with 'Petchii' treated as a small brown-green form or hybrid within this complex. Its ruffled leaves shift between green and reddish-brown depending on light intensity. Cryptocoryne beckettii is one of the Sri Lankan species long confused with Cryptocoryne wendtii, which shares its island range and similar leaf forms.

Did you know

Did you know the same Petchii plant can look bright green or coppery brown in the same tank. Higher light pushes red-brown pigment while shaded leaves stay green, so a single clump often shows two colors at once depending on which leaves catch the most light.

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