Aponogeton crispus
Aponogeton crispus
Also known asCrinkled aponogeton · Ruffled sword · Rippled aponogeton
Water parameters
Light and nutrients
Substrate type: nutrient rich. Propagation: seeds.
Substrate compatibility
| Substrate | pH effect | Nutrient load |
|---|---|---|
| Aquasoil (ADA Amazonia) | lowers pH | very high |
| Mineralized clay substrate (Seachem Fluorite) | neutral / inert | moderate |
| Dirted tank (mineralized topsoil) (DIY soil substrate) | slightly acidic | very high |
With fish
Origin and habitat
Native to India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, where it grows in seasonal ponds, slow streams and shallow lake margins, going dormant through the dry season. A tuberous member of the family Aponogetonaceae, it grows from a corm-like tuber into a rosette of long, translucent, light-green to olive leaves with strongly wavy margins, the ruffling that gives 'crispus' its name. Leaves run roughly 20–35 cm long, and the plant reaches about 30–50 cm overall. It was one of the first Aponogetons in the aquarium trade and remains the most forgiving in the genus, far easier than the lace plant, A. madagascariensis. Its natural cycle includes a true rest: after months of growth it may shed all its leaves and the tuber sits dormant for several weeks before regrowing.
Care notes
Grows from a tuber set into the substrate with the top third left exposed, since a fully buried tuber tends to rot. Pet stores often sell these dry in 'aquarium bulb' packets, which are hit-or-miss as many arrive dead or fungused, so an actively growing specimen is the safer buy. Moderate light and no CO2 give good results, and the ruffled leaves look their best swaying in gentle current; root tabs help, as the plant feeds heavily through its roots and tuber. Dormancy is normal, not a fault: after several months to a year the plant may drop every leaf and the tuber appear dead for weeks, so do not discard it. Some keepers lift the tuber and store it in cool, damp sand for four to eight weeks before replanting, while others simply leave it to rest in place. Propagation is mainly by seed, set when an emergent flower spike is hand-pollinated with a soft brush, though seed rarely forms in home tanks; the tuber can also be split. Growth is moderate to fast, a healthy plant pushing a new leaf every few days. It is an ornamental rosette, not a crop, so it is unsuited to media-bed aquaponics or hydroponics.