Tissue Cultures?

How hard are tissue cultures to grow? I saw some crypt tissue cultures, but knowing crypts are easy plants, i’d expect those to be easy to grow. Would they?

 

It can vary. Tissue culture just means it was cultured & propogated in sterile conditions (a lab), and therefore doesn't carry pests or diseases.

Crypts from tissue culture should be just as easy as normal crypts.

 

I see. Would that mean they grow slower or faster than a regular emersed grown crypt?

 

I see. Would that mean they grow slower or faster than a regular emersed grown crypt?

uhhh, I'm not sure Anyone?

 

I think tissue cultures tend to be more delicate since they’re essentially baby plants. Make sure you’re dosing enough since they’ve been living in a nutrient rich gel/liquid, and now they’re being put into a tank. They’ll probably melt some, but that’s normal for crypts.

 

So I planted cryptocoryne wendtiI red about a week ago. It seems to be doing fine. There isn’t much difference as it has only been a week.

Overall my experience with tissue cultures has been successful. If there is something inherently wrong with the plant it will melt and die by week one. Otherwise it seems to take about two weeks for them to get acclimated and really kick off growing.

Usually they do not have a hard time adjusting to new tank parameters (at least I’m my case).

It may take them two or three weeks, but they should start acting like normal plants. As for nutrient dosing I have found that lighter dosing seems to help rather than heavier dosing. One it keeps algae at bay, two the plants do have to acclimate and will not require as much nutrition because their nutrient uptake will be delayed as they adjust.

 

I’m curious to find out for myself. I know crypts can go through crypt melt. Knock on wood nothing noticeable is happening to mine. Which is why I was hesitant to get them. Wonder if tissue culture crypts are less likely to go through this process when initially introduced to the tank.

^^Anyone have input to add to that?

So advice for tissue culture if you didn’t already know:

1) wash off the gel. Try to get all of it because it can melt the plant when submerged in substrate, and supposedly it can cause an ammonia spike, so I’ve heard. But washing off the gel is a must! Use warm water it will go right down the sink without any issues.

2) Most often you can separate some of the plants. Sometimes there will be 3-4 big clumps of plant. However they can be separated into more if they have a good root structure. This is especially helpful when you have a carpeting plant such as dwarf hair grass. It encourages better, faster and healthier growth. You can separate with tweezers. I usually keep a spray bottle to keep the plants moist and lay them out onto bath or hand a towel. Chunks to the left. Separated portions to the right.

You will notice that at times there are roots all over the plant. I believe this is because the plants are taken from a leaf or small stem cutting and put into the gel which is nutrient rich and may have a rooting hormone in it as well to encourage root growth. I’ve gotten some wonky looking plants with roots out all of the leaves.

As a side note when I separated the hair grass I bought 4 packs. Two different species. One $5 pack was more than enough to start my 10 gal. Of course I put it in a immersion tub to get better root growth before planting it in the tank.