Cryptocoryne Balansae

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Cryptocoryne balansae, often just called balansae, is a background crypt with long, narrow, reed-like leaves that ripple and pucker along their length. The fresh green blades sway in the current and give fish quiet places to shelter, and they read as a soft green screen behind your hardscape.This is a rosette plant, not a stem plant, and it spreads by sending out runners to form a tidy stand over time. It settles well in modest light and richer light can pull a bronze tint into the leaves. It comes from fast-flowing rivers in Southern Thailand and takes happily to harder water. Like all crypts, it may drop its leaves after a move, the well-known crypt melt. That is normal, so trim away any mush, keep your water steady, and fresh growth follows once it has acclimatised. To replant, just tuck a runner back into the substrate.Care at a glance Placement: Background Lighting: Low CO2: Low, not required Growth rate: Moderate Difficulty: Beginner Colour: Green Not all plants are equal. We work hard to get you healthy, algae free plants harvested fresh, and the conversion to submerged form starts in our grow-out tanks so your success is maximised once it settles in.Submerged: A plant grown completely below the tank's waterline.Emersed: A plant with growth above the tank's waterline, such as leaves, stems and flowers. Show more