Want a red Crypt that stays small? Cryptocoryne albida 'Red' forms a compact rosette of slender, arching lance-shaped leaves in soft pink through deep crimson — far narrower and lower than a wendtii, and unusual enough to work as a detail plant rather than a mass.
Be aware before buying: despite Cryptocoryne being an easy genus in general, this cultivar is genuinely difficult. It is sensitive to unstable conditions and is not a beginner plant.
What You’ll Receive
One 4-inch sealed Vitro Culture® bag containing 3–4 healthy Cryptocoryne Albida 'Red' plantlets, grown in sterile gel or liquid media and ready for aquascaping.
Plant Profile
- Common name — Crypt Albida Red
- Scientific name — Cryptocoryne albida 'Red'
- Placement — Foreground to midground
- Mature height — 3–5 in
- Growth rate — Slow
Care
- Difficulty — Advanced
- Light — Medium to high. Intensity is what brings out the red
- CO₂ — Required for reliable growth and colour
- Water — 72–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5. Stability matters more than any single value
- Substrate — Required. Root feeder — nutrient substrate or root tabs
- Growth habit — Amphibious. Also grows emersed in paludariums
- Propagation — Substrate runners, slowly
Grower’s Notes
- This is the hard Crypt. Most Cryptocoryne shrug off neglect; albida 'Red' does not. It wants stable parameters, good light, CO₂ and a nutrient substrate, and it declines rather than adapts when any of those swing. Do not buy it expecting wendtii behaviour.
- Expect a heavy melt after planting, harder than most Crypts. Leave it in place for three to four weeks and let it rebuild from the roots — pulling it up is what turns a recoverable melt into a loss.
- Place it once and do not move it. Every relocation triggers another melt, and this plant is slow enough that a second one costs months.
- Feed at the roots. In inert gravel it will not develop the colour or density it is bought for.
- Rinse the gel off completely before planting or it clouds water and feeds algae in the first weeks.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Cryptocoryne Care Guide.
Notes
- Photos represent mature plants under ideal conditions. Upon planting, melting is common — especially when transitioning from emersed to submerged growth. This is normal and temporary; new growth will appear with time, light, and stable care.
- Some aquatic plants are restricted in certain U.S. states — check before ordering, and never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
Shipping Policy
At Aquarium Plants Factory, we carefully package and ship all orders to ensure plants and livestock arrive healthy and ready to thrive.
Order Processing Time
Most orders are processed within 1–2 business days after payment is received.
Orders placed on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.
Orders containing out-of-stock, pre-order, or backorder items may require additional handling time.
Once your order ships, tracking information will be sent to your email.
Shipping Schedule
Live Plants
Live plant orders ship Monday through Saturday when using United States Postal Service (USPS).
Most plant-only orders ship within 1–3 business days, excluding products that are out of stock, pre-order, or backorder.
Estimated USPS delivery time is 2–5 business days, depending on your location.
UPS Express Shipping
We offer the following UPS expedited shipping options:
UPS 2-Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 2 business days
Please note that UPS 2-Day Air® is not a guaranteed service in the event of carrier delays, weather disruptions, or operational issues.
UPS Next Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 1 business day
This service is guaranteed by UPS according to their service guarantee policies.
UPS expedited orders ship Monday through Wednesday only to ensure packages arrive within the same week and avoid weekend delays.
Please note that orders require 1–2 business days of handling time before shipment.
To help ensure same-week delivery, please place UPS orders on or before Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (PT).
Live Animals Shipping
Live animal orders ship Monday through Wednesday only.
This schedule ensures animals arrive within the same week and do not remain in transit over the weekend.
Handling time for live animal orders typically ranges from 1–5 business days, depending on:
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Weather conditions
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Livestock health
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Shipping destination
Tracking information will be emailed once the order has been shipped.
Free Shipping
We offer Free Shipping on eligible orders over $150 within the contiguous United States.
Estimated delivery time for free shipping orders is 2–5 business days.
If your order contains both live plants and live animals, the shipment may be combined and the appropriate shipping rate will be shown at checkout.
Free Shipping is not available for customers located in:
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Alaska
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Hawaii
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Puerto Rico
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Guam
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U.S. Virgin Islands
Customers in these locations must select Expedited or Express shipping options at checkout.
Delivery Time Estimates
Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates provided by the shipping carrier.
While we work hard to ship orders quickly, delivery times may vary due to factors outside of our control, including:
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Weather conditions
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Carrier delays
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High shipping volumes
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Transportation disruptions
Aquarium Plants Factory is not responsible for shipping delays caused by the carrier.
Delayed or Lost Packages
Occasionally, shipments may take longer than expected.
A package is considered lost only after 15 business days (approximately 3 weeks) from the ship date.
If a package is confirmed lost by the carrier, we may offer a 50/50 replacement, meaning:
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Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost
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The customer covers 50% plus shipping
Address Accuracy
Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address when placing an order.
Please ensure that your address is correct when using payment methods such as:
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Credit / Debit Card
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PayPal
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Apple Pay
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Google Pay
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Amazon Pay
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Shopify Pay
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AliPay
Orders returned due to:
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Incorrect address
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Refused delivery
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Failed delivery attempts
may not be eligible for a refund.
Order Cancellations
If you need to cancel an order, please contact us as soon as possible.
Orders can only be canceled before they have been shipped.
Once an order has been shipped, it can no longer be canceled.
Returns
Due to the sensitive nature of live goods, all sales are final.
We do not accept returns or exchanges for:
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Live plants
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Live animals
For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.
Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com
What We Guarantee
24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee — We guarantee that live plants and live aquatic animals will arrive alive. In the rare case of a Dead on Arrival (DOA), you must notify us within 24 hours of the delivery time recorded on the carrier's official tracking page. The guarantee is void after that 24-hour window, as condition can no longer be attributed to transit.
How to Submit a Claim
- Take at least 2 clear, well-lit photos of the affected items in their original, unopened, sealed packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label on the box.
- Email your photos and order number to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com within 24 hours of delivery.
- Do not photograph plants or animals after they have been unpacked, planted, or introduced to your aquarium — once an item enters your aquarium's ecosystem, it is no longer covered.
Approved claims are resolved with a replacement, store credit, or refund at our discretion, under the terms of our Refund Policy. Each item is eligible for one replacement only — replacements are final and we cannot replace a replacement.
Conditions That Void the Guarantee
- Incorrect or incomplete shipping address (vacant address, missing apartment number, or any issue that prevents delivery)
- Packages marked "invalid address," "undeliverable," refused, or returned to sender
- Packages left unclaimed, held at a carrier facility at the customer's request, or not retrieved promptly after delivery — live goods must be brought indoors and unpacked the day they arrive
- Carrier delays, weather events, or delivery exceptions once the package has left our facility
- Shipments to freight forwarders or package-forwarding services
Providing accurate, complete shipping information and monitoring your tracking are essential to keeping your guarantee valid.
Please note: the Live Arrival Guarantee covers arrival only. We cannot guarantee ongoing success — aquarium environment, water quality, nutrients, temperature, lighting, filtration, and CO2 all affect long-term results.
What We Can't Guarantee
- Pest-free plants (potted & bare-root): Although our plants are grown in our own clean greenhouse, we cannot guarantee they are 100% free of snails, algae, or other hitchhikers. We recommend rinsing and quarantining all plants before adding them to your aquarium. Tissue culture (in vitro) plants are the exception — they are grown in sterile lab conditions, are 100% free of pests, algae, and disease, and have never been in contact with any aquarium.
- Pesticide-free plants: We use homemade, organic pest control in our greenhouse and never use copper-based pesticides, which are toxic to invertebrates such as snails, crabs, and shrimp. However, we cannot guarantee plants are entirely pesticide-free — always rinse and quarantine before use in invertebrate tanks.
- Your aquarium's success: We are not responsible for your aquarium inhabitants, including fish, shrimp, snails, and turtles. Please quarantine all plants before use.
- Growth form: Unless specified, we do not guarantee plants will grow emersed or submersed in your particular setup.
Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.
Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.
Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.
Customers praised this tissue culture aquarium plant for its "otherworldly" vibrant red coloration and strong root system. Plants arrive in excellent condition with healthy growth and transition well to tanks. Some shoppers experienced minor melting during acclimation, but new growth appeared within 3 weeks. Roots may require careful separation.
- The red on these is simply otherworldly even as plantlets right out of shipping.
- Came in colored up amazing and taller with more plants than expected!
- Roots were thick and strong.
J
Plants arrived in perfect condition and are transitioning well.
C
Albida came in colored up amazing and taller with more plants than expected!
C
I purchased two packs of these for a 35 gallon and let me be the first to say the red on these is simply otherworldly even as plantlets right out of shipping. It took some fussing with the plants to massage the roots apart as best I could before having to snip the truly knotted pieces. I've had them for three days in my tank so far and all of them are going strong with no signs of stress or melt either. Really glad I bought these!
a
Plants arrived promptly and in good condition
H
Came in looking great - large, healthy tissue culture strip.
D
Floated until new roots came out, but once planted, experienced a little melt but they are rebounding and new growth is appearing after about 3 weeks.
B
This TC came in great shape, roots were thick and strong. Hopefully it takes off in my tank
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