Deep red leaves with a quilted, puckered surface. Cryptocoryne affinis 'Red' is one of the more strongly colored crypts, and unlike most red aquarium plants it produces that color in low light with no CO₂ — which is what makes it worth having.
What You'll Receive
- Sold as Bare-root Plants, or Potted Plants
- Young plants grow in a controlled laboratory environment
- Bare-root Plants | loose, small bare-root portion
- Potted Plants | potted with rockwood and net pot
Plant Profile
- Common name — Affinis Red Crypt
- Scientific name — Cryptocoryne affinis 'Red'
- Also known as — Crypt Affinis Red
- Origin — Peninsular Malaysia
- Placement — Foreground to midground
- Shipped size — Small plant, smaller than mature size
- Mature height — 4-6 inches
- Suits — 10 gallons and up
- Growth rate — Slow
Care
- Difficulty — Beginner
- Light — Low to medium. More light deepens the red; it is not needed for the plant to thrive.
- CO₂ — Not required
- Water — 72-82°F, pH 6.5-7.5. Hard water suits it, as it does most Crypts.
- Substrate — Required. Root feeder — nutrient substrate or root tabs under the crown.
- Growth habit — Amphibious rosette; also grows emersed
- Propagation — Runners
Grower's Notes
- Red without a high-tech tank. Most red plants need strong light and CO₂ to color up, and lose it without them. Affinis 'Red' holds warm red tones in a shaded low-tech tank — that is the reason to choose it over a red stem plant.
- It is a sulker. Affinis is more sensitive to change than wendtii or beckettii. Expect a heavier melt after planting and give it longer — several weeks — before deciding anything is wrong.
- Plant the crown at substrate level. Bury the roots and leave the growing point exposed. A buried crown rots from the center.
- Feed the roots. Crypts take almost everything from the substrate. Root tabs or aquasoil produce the quilted, well-colored leaves; inert sand with liquid dosing gives short pale ones.
- Once it settles, it multiplies. After the melt it sends up baby plants from the roots. Separate and replant them only after they have several leaves of their own.
Also available as sterile Affinis Red Vitro Culture if you want several plantlets in one bag.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Cryptocoryne Care Guide.
Notes
Disclaimer: Pictures are not the actual plants you will receive, but a sample representation. Unless specific, we don't guarantee aquatic plants will be free of pests, pesticides, grow emerged, or submerge.
Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
At a glance
- Free shipping on orders of $150 or more (after discounts) within the contiguous United States, by USPS.
- Free thermal protection is included with every shipment, all year round.
- Processing: most orders leave us within 1 to 2 business days. Tracking is emailed when your order ships.
- USPS (2 to 5 business days) ships Monday through Saturday.
- UPS 2nd Day Air® ships Monday through Wednesday. Order by Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
- UPS Next Day Air® ships Monday through Thursday. Order by Wednesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
- Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and military addresses ship by USPS at a flat rate shown at checkout.
- Weather holds: during extreme heat or cold we may hold live orders until it's safe to ship.
- We ship within the United States only.
Please bring live plants indoors and unpack them the day they arrive. Every live order is covered by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee.
The complete rules, including lost packages and address issues, are in our Shipping Policy. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.
Every live order is backed by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee. If a plant arrives dead, we'll make it right.
How it works
- Tell us within 24 hours of the delivery time on your tracking.
- Send photos of the affected items in their original, unopened packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label, to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com with your order number.
- We'll make it right with a replacement, store credit or refund for the affected item.
Good to know
- Some melting or yellowing as plants adjust from greenhouse to aquarium life is normal. They regrow from healthy roots and rhizomes.
- Please bring your package indoors and unpack it the day it arrives.
- Free promotional items and shipping charges are not covered.
The complete rules, including what's covered and what voids the guarantee, are in our Returns, Refunds & Live Arrival Guarantee. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.
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 the "beautiful lush plant" with "healthy" specimens and "excellent packaging." Plants arrive in good condition with strong roots and acclimate well. However, bare root plants are very small, delicate, and difficult to plant. Some recommend paying extra for potted plants instead. One plant arrived with damaged leaves.
- Beautiful lush plant
- Plants arrived healthy and in excellent condition with roots
- Lovely, generous portions. Multiple plants once roots were gently separated
A
Plants arrived healthy and in excellent condition with roots. The plants were packaged extremely well. I was very impressed with how the plants were packaged and with how quickly my order was processed and delivered to me. I ordered 2 of these plants, and actually received 8. The plants are very small, and I am excited to watch them grow. Very impressed with the condition of the plants when I received them. They also acclimated to my aquarium very quickly and have not melted yet (it has been 1/2 of a week).
M
Very healthy. Big plants. Growing well. Mxp orders no melt.
N
I elder plants from Aquarium Plants Factory several times a year. One thing I’ve learned is that “Bare Root” generally means “sprouts.” While the plants always arrive in good shape, I recommend you pay a little more and get potted specimens. The bare root Cryptocoryne affinis I received were tiny. The plants were so delicate that they were hard to plant in the substrate. But if you do get bare root plants, I strongly suggest you plant them in a sand substrate. Give them a chance to put out proper roots and grow before putting them in a tank with bottom, feeding fish and Siamese algae eaters. Those species of fish tend to uproot delicate plants with their foraging. In summary, pay a little more to get potted plants from this excellent grower.
R
The plant came with multiple holes in the leaves as if an insect had eaten it. I planted it anyway as the roots seemed OK. The plant has continued to deteriorate. I think I should pull it out. What do you think? The cryptocoryne Affinis Red is doing well!
J
Beautiful lush plant 🪴
R
Arrived during an extreme heatwave. Packaging was very professional.
j
Plant arrived nice and alive - but so much smaller than expected that I had to put it in an older tank because this couldn't fight algae in michael jackson's hyperbaric chamber.
K
Lovely, generous portions. Multiple plants once roots were gently separated.
Recommended for You
Frequently Asked Questions
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
!
