Big, coarse, deeply textured leaves on an upright rosette. Cryptocoryne usteriana is the heavyweight of the genus — a Philippine species reaching over a foot, with a rugged, quilted surface that reads as structure rather than foliage. One of the few crypts that genuinely works at the back of a large tank. This is the sterile Vitro Culture® format.

What You'll Receive

One 4-inch sealed Vitro Culture® bag containing multiple Cryptocoryne usteriana plantlets, ready for planting in your freshwater aquarium.

Plant Profile

• Common name — Usteriana Crypt
• Scientific name — Cryptocoryne usteriana
• Origin — Philippines
• Placement — Background
• Mature height — 10-16 inches
• Growth rate — Slow

Care

• Difficulty — Intermediate
• Light — Low to medium. Brighter light brings out the bronze and red tones.
• CO₂ — Not required, though it speeds a slow plant up
• Water — 72-82°F, pH 6.5-7.5. Hard, alkaline water suits it particularly well.
• Substrate — Required. Root feeder — nutrient substrate or root tabs under the crown.
• Growth habit — Amphibious rosette; also grows emersed
• Propagation — Runners

Grower's Notes

• Give it depth and room. A 16-inch leaf needs a deep, well-fed root run — two inches of nutrient substrate minimum, or root tabs pushed under the crown. Cramped in shallow gravel it stays small and never shows what it can do.
• It is a background plant, so plan for the wait. Usteriana is slow even by crypt standards. Buy it because you want a permanent structural plant that never needs trimming, not because you want the back of the tank filled this season.
• Hard water is an advantage here. Usteriana does especially well in hard, alkaline water — conditions in which most background stem plants struggle.
• Crypt melt is expected and is not failure. Tissue culture plantlets shed their emersed leaves as they convert. Leave the roots undisturbed — new leaves come from the crown within three to six weeks.
• Plant the crown at substrate level and then leave it. Bury the roots only; a buried crown rots from the centre. Every replant restarts the melt cycle.

Want to go deeper? Read our complete Cryptocoryne Care Guide.

Notes

Images shown are sample representations. Some initial melting may occur during transition from tissue culture to submerged conditions, but healthy roots will regenerate with time.

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:

• Weather conditions

• Livestock health

• 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:

• Alaska

• Hawaii

• Puerto Rico

• Guam

• 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:

• Weather conditions

• Carrier delays

• High shipping volumes

• 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:

• Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost

• 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:

• Credit / Debit Card

• PayPal

• Apple Pay

• Google Pay

• Amazon Pay

• Shopify Pay

• AliPay

Orders returned due to:

• Incorrect address

• Refused delivery

• 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:

• Live plants

• Live animals

For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.

Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com

WHAT WE GUARANTEE

24 Hours Live Arrival Guarantee* - In a rare case of live stocks dead on arrival, we must be notified within 24 hours by the same day of delivery. Please take clear photos of the damaged product and send it to us within 24 hours. Live Arrival Guarantee will be void after 24 hours of delivery. All replacements are considered final and we will not replace the replacement.

1. Picture requirements: Take at least 2 clear photos of damaged product in their original, unopened & sealed transparent packing and send photos and orders information to our email within 24 hours: aquariumplantsfactory@gmail.com
2. Please do not take picture of damaged plants, or animals in your aquarium. Once they have been introduced to your aquarium's ecosystem. It is no longer covered by our guarantee.

Please be aware that our Live Arrival Guarantee is subject to certain conditions. Specifically, the guarantee will not be applicable in cases where the package is marked as 'invalid address', 'undeliverable' or is 'returned to sender.' This includes situations such as a vacant delivery address, a missing apartment number, or any other issues that prevent the postal service from delivering your package.

It is crucial to provide accurate and complete shipping information to ensure the successful delivery of your order and the applicability of the Live Arrival Guarantee.

Please keep in mind that Live Arrival Guarantee only guarantees that live stocks will be alive upon arrival. We cannot guarantee that you will continue to have success with them. Many factors, including the aquarium environment, water quality, nutrient, temperature, lighting, filter, and CO2 system, can contribute to the failure to grow live plants and live animals.

WHAT WE CAN'T GUARANTEE

Even though our plants are very clean, but we can't guarantee they will be 100% pest-free because we cannot be responsible for your aquarium. Please use it at your own risk. We recommended all customers rinse the plants with clean water and quarantine them before use.

However, plants in tissue culture will be 100% free from pests, algae and never have been contacting with any aquarium.

1. Due to the nature of the product. We don't guarantee our plants will be pests free. ( snails, algae, hitchhikers )
2. We don't guarantee our plants will be free of pesticides. We use homemade, organic pesticides in our greenhouse to control pests. We do not use pesticides that contain copper. Copper is toxic to invertebrates such as aquatic snails, crabs, shrimps, etc
3. We don't guarantee your aquarium success or are responsible for your aquarium inhabitant including but not limited to fish, shrimp, snail, turtle, etc. So please quarantine all plants when use!
4. Unless specific, we don't guarantee aquatic plants will be grow emerged or submerge.

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.