I recently purchased a Red tiger lotus of medium size (about 4-5"tall, 8 or
so leaves) from my LFS. They suggested that I dont let the leaves reach the
top of the water and to trim them at the base before they reach the top. I
am curious as to how this plant propagates? And any Suggestions for growing
it? I have a 29g, 3.5 wpg, co2 tank. It have put out three new leaves since
I purchased it little over a week ago.
Thanks.

They suggested that I dont let the leaves reach the
top of the water and to trim them at the base before they reach the top.

Excellent advice. Once the plant "knows" it can reach the surface, it will
keep trying. So it's best to keep the plant from realizing it can reach the
surface buy cutting off any surface leaves before they get there. That way it
will produce mostly underwater leaves.

You don't want surface leaves in an aquarium. They are huge, and quickly shade
out your entire tank.

I
am curious as to how this plant propagates?

It produces runners, with little plants at the end. Often, the baby plants are
so close to the mother that you can't even tell they are separate plants. But
when you dig the plant up, you realize that the huge plant you have is actually
eight or ten smaller ones, all growing very close together.

And any Suggestions for growing
it? I have a 29g, 3.5 wpg, co2 tank.

Trim it regularly, as your shop told you. A tiger lotus can quickly become too
large for a 29 gallon tank unless carefully trimmed.

These plants are very heavy root-feeders. Give them root tabs, such Flourish
Tabs, and Jobe's spikes.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

Normally this is a bulb plant but it can bshoot out new sprouts from
the main base of the plant even if it not attached to the bulb

Marcus

Http://AQUATIC_-STORE.COM

On Sat, 14 Dec 2002 19:47:37 GMT, "M Walczak"
wrote:

I recently purchased a Red tiger lotus of medium size (about 4-5"tall, 8 or
so leaves) from my LFS. They suggested that I dont let the leaves reach the
top of the water and to trim them at the base before they reach the top. I
am curious as to how this plant propagates? And any Suggestions for growing
it? I have a 29g, 3.5 wpg, co2 tank. It have put out three new leaves since
I purchased it little over a week ago.
Thanks.

What Leigh forgot to mention is that, if you take good care of it as he suggests,
this plant will fill your 29 G wall to wall in both directions. Mine had eight,
six-inch diameter leaves and two daughter plants when I sold it recently, after
only 4 months in the tank.