Calling all Red Tiger Lotus growers...
 

I just purchased one of these bulbs. It arrived a tad different than I expected. A basic bulb with very tiny sprouted leaves. I've got Peter Hiscock's excellent "Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants" (great recommended reading by Byron) and wanted everyone else's input as far as placement. I'm hoping to have as gorgeous a plant as Angel079 has but after watching my rumbunctious loaches running roughshod over this little bulb I'm doubtful. Any hints, anyone? Thanks!

(In my garden I place strawberry baskets over plants until they are big enough to withstand on their own the birds and critters but somehow this would look simply silly in my tank, LOL)

:-D I think you're referring to this one from my 55g attached ?
This was within the tank that housed the Boeseman Rainbow's and Cory Cats.

So are you worried about your fish abusing this plant or its general growth?

I had best success with them in the tanks that appeared high on nutrition, other tanks that grew well but not as extreme as this 55g they did grow but extremlyyyy slow and not as vivid in the red coloration. Also what I had found that enhances their good growth is plant them in a larger 'free' spot w/out bunch other plants close by. They're also VERY light hungry being so low to the ground when they first try growing so see if you can place them up front somewhere with enough room. The tank I had it in used 2x4ft fluorescent bulbs one was a daylight and the other one a life glo.

So depending on how your other plants are doing so far, you may want to consider fertilizer, but as you know I'm not a big help there, but currently learning what to use thanks to Byron here http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/a...ow-when-33261/

Yep, that picture of the lotus in your tank is exactly what spurned my purchase! The bulb was only a few bucks so if it doesn't fare well not a huge loss. I've got it planted out front and center, with ample open space on either side, with the best lighting my tank offers. Of course this area is also my loaches *freeway*.
Just had a thought...I could *start* the bulb in my betta's tank (which has the same light spectrum & fert regime) and then move it to the display tank once it's large enough. That might work...if the bulb can handle being transplanted. I know that once growing the bulbs in my garden don't like being messed with. I wonder if lotus bulbs share that trait?

Well you JUST added it didn't you? Since it hasn't rooted down into the gravel yet, you can move it. If its not permanently disturbed while growing out like you're worried it would be in its current tank, it'll def help with grow better and once its leaf's are about 1" and it has some good roots you can then transfer it to the other tank again.

Just be careful when you do this, they have some VERY fragile leaves and roots to say the least. :lol:

I should take a photo and document its growth, just for fun. Thanks for your info and help. :-)

That would be neat idea! They do grow fairly quick, I mean not as quick as stem plants, but like the new one I got, I had to totally trim back all leaves, they were simply destryed by shipment, but it has 3 larger leaves already and 2 smaller ones coming out from the gravel and that's over a time frame of some 2 weeks now.

i grow these as well, i love them, some grow fast some grow slow, i have them in alot of my tanks and it certainly seems to just depend on the individual bulb. i have different lighting, diff. size tanks, near plants, others not near plants, all use ferts. so in my tanks at least, it seems just individual bulb related.

Here are two photos, the first pic was of the bulb two weeks after I planted it, the next pic is one month after planting. I wish I had remembered to take a picture of the bulb the day I received it. I was convinced it wasn't going to amount to anything as it looked like a dried out black bulb. It grew so fast that a little more than a month later I had to remove it from my 6gl and I put it into my display tank.

I'm still not sure how it's going to do in the display, fish-wise. In the 6gl the worst treatment this plant received was my betta gently perching himself on the broad leaves. In the display tank the loaches take great delight running roughshod right through it. (bad loaches, bad) It may be time to order a few more bulbs.

:welldone: NICE...I'm sure glad you got one. Coming along real nice too...image that in like a year from now - priceless

not to hi-jack the thread, but do the bulbs just.... kinda do their thing? do i need to do anything special? I got a tiger lotus bulb in my last order and the bulb hasnt dont anything in almost 2 weeks :( no sprouts.