TankBud

One species · 5 forms

Lagenandra meeboldii varieties

Lagenandra meeboldii

Lagenandra meeboldii is the crypt's Indian cousin: a slow rhizome plant with soft, rounded leaves that runs from green to wine pink depending on the form and the light. Every trade form carries the same easygoing midground care.

Pick a variety

Care, the same for every form

One setup covers every form on this page.

Difficulty
Easy
Light
Medium light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Midground
Type
Rhizome
Temperature
72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH
6.0–7.5

A crypt cousin with a bigger rhizome

Lagenandra sits in the same family as cryptocoryne and wants the same life: gentle light, a fertile substrate and time. The practical difference is the thick creeping rhizome, which must sit on top of the substrate like an anubias rhizome; bury it and it rots. Roots go down, rhizome stays visible.

Slow, steady and worth it

Nursery plants arrive emersed-grown and spend their first weeks swapping to rounder, softer underwater leaves, usually without the dramatic melt crypts pull. From there it adds a leaf every week or two, and the colored forms deepen noticeably under brighter light with iron in the mix.

Common questions

How is lagenandra different from cryptocoryne?

Same family, different build: lagenandra grows from a thick surface rhizome with rounder leaves, while crypts grow from buried crowns. Care is nearly identical apart from keeping that rhizome exposed.

Is it hard to keep?

No. It is slow but forgiving: moderate light, root tabs and an exposed rhizome cover everything on this page.

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