Cryptocoryne balansae

Cryptocoryne crispulata var. balansae originates from flowing rivers and streams in southern Thailand, often forming dense colonies with leaves extending across the water's surface.

Tissue culture plants are grown in-vitro (literally: in the glass) in a nutrient-rich synthetic growing medium, either liquid or gel, without the presence of any other lifeforms. This guarantees a pest and disease-free specimen, while also providing accuracy throughout the trade.

Loose cuttings are harvested from our aquariums at Aqua Lab. While we try our best to remove snails, we can't guarantee that these plants will be pest or disease-free. It's common for tiny snails or microscopic snail eggs to hitchhike on plants that come from an established aquarium. A single portion of cuttings can vary and depends on the species, but generally, it's about a handful. For stem plants, this is typically a bunch of several stems that are approx. 6"+ in length. If the stems do not have roots, simply plant them and roots will sprout in time. For crown plants like Crypts, it will be a single established plant with roots. For rhizome plants like Anubias, Java Fern, and Bucephelandra, a portion is usually one segment of rhizome with several leaves and roots coming off of it. Please keep in mind that plant and portion sizes can vary as our plants grow and propagate.

Tissue culture plants should be removed from the cup as soon as possible. All plants grow on some sort of synthetic growing medium, ranging anywhere from liquid to jelly to firm gel. This should be removed and rinsed off. Gently massage the roots between your fingers until the gel dissolves away. Most plants can be broken up into smaller pieces and spread out in your aquarium. Smaller pieces are easier to plant.