You may find it helps to add a few drops of mild fungicide to the water (ie some sort of mouth rinse), and to change the water daily.

I have lots of C. brachyscyphus growing in my garden, where it self-seeds freely. I could send you some seeds for postage - I just scatter them, barely covered, in 4" pots of fast-draining soil. They also germinate readily when barely scratched into the ground. Maybe the seeds germinate best when really fresh? If you prefer, I could also send you a few bulbs. The flowers are gorgeous and bloom for about 6 months here. Perhaps you want to work out a trade?

Cheers~
Susi

Hi,

Susi in CA, contact me if you have seeds to trade. I'd enjoy it. Clicking on my pseudonym above (Conroe_Joe) should lead you to my email.

Cordially,

Joe in Conroe TX