Brown Albida

Cryptocoryne albida 'Brown' is a colour form of the highly variable species Cryptocoryne albida, which grows wild in southern Myanmar and Thailand. The species includes green and brownish forms; this aquarium form is traded as Brown. It is a rosette plant that spreads slowly by runners, making it a good choice for the middle ground of a planted aquarium where it can be left to form a small group. The leaves are narrow and, in the brown form, carry a distinct reddish-brown tone. It is easy to keep: medium light is enough, and the optimum temperature range is 22-29 C. It tolerates pH 5-8 and carbonate hardness of 2-12 dKH, and CO2 is optional; without it growth is slower but the plant stays stable. Like most Cryptocoryne it benefits from a settled aquarium, since large parameter swings can cause the leaves to melt, after which the rhizome usually sends up new shoots. Propagation happens by runners and by splitting the rhizome or dividing daughter plants. It also grows emersed, which is how nurseries usually propagate it.