DIFFICULTY Advanced

Benefits from more deliberate care.

LIGHT High

Around 10 hours is a useful starting point.

CO₂ Recommended

Can grow without it, but responds noticeably to supplementation.

GROWTH Slow

Low trimming needs.

PLANT OVERVIEW

About Cryptocoryne wendtii 'Pink Flamingo'

A prized pink cultivar crypt that needs light and CO2 to hold color.

Pink Flamingo' is a coveted crypt whose new leaves emerge bubblegum-pink. Unlike most crypts it wants stronger light, CO2 and steady nutrients to keep its color rather than fading to green, so it belongs in high-tech tanks despite the genus's easy reputation.
Shrimp friendly Nano suitable High-tech suitable
CARE PROFILE

What this plant needs.

The useful numbers and practical notes, grouped around how you actually keep the plant.

TANK FIT

Placement + size

Primary placementMidground
Typical height3–6 in
Typical width4 in
Suggested minimum tank5 gal
Suggested tank height8 in+
LIGHT + CO₂

Energy demand

Ideal lightHigh
Photoperiod range8–12 hr
Approx. PAR40–100
Injected CO₂Recommended
CO₂ benefitHigh
NUTRITION

Where it feeds

Root feedingHigh
Water-column feedingLow
Overall fertilizer demandModerate
Iron demandModerate
MicronutrientsModerate
WATER

Useful parameter range

Temperature72–82°F
pH6–7.5
GH2–15 dGH
KH1–12 dKH
PLANTING

How to plant it.

Substrate: Nutrient-rich substrate; root tabs help

Plant the crown just above the substrate; roots feed heavily.

GROWTH + PROPAGATION

What to expect after planting.

Propagation

Runners / daughter plants

Acclimation

Prone to "crypt melt" after a move or parameter change; usually regrows from the rhizome — leave it be.

COMMON PROBLEMS

What usually goes wrong.

Crypt melt after replanting or sudden parameter swings; slow to establish.