# Why wont my red tiger lotus grow?



## Jeremy S (Feb 4, 2004)

I asked a similar question over at aquabotanic.com but I wasn’t able to solve the problem so I thought I would ask it over here to see if anyone at these forums has any expertise with tiger lotuses.

I’ve always liked the look of a red tiger lotus when it’s used as a focal point so when I decided to re-aquascape my tank I used this opportunity to incorporate a Red Tiger Lotus as the main focal point. I placed an order with www.aquariumplants.com for one of their Red tiger lotuses and when I first received the lotus it was just a bulb but after a couple of days it sprouted and grew two underwater leaves that were about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Ever since then it has only put out floating leaves and now, after exactly three months, it still only has two underwater leaves(which are still only 2 inches long and 1 inch wide) and about once a week it will put out a floating leaf which I cut before it completely opens. Is there anything that I can do to help it create more leaves that are larger? Right now my tank looks quite awful since it has no focal point and I’m tired of seeing a huge blank spot where the lotus was supposed to fill in. :icon_frow Thanks for the help.

I have 4 watts per gallon of lighting and 30ppm CO2 with a flourite substrate. I do a 50% water change once a week and add these ferts to the tank:

*Nitrate* Potassium Nitrate 

7 grams to give me 15.11 ppm nitrate 


*Phosphate* Mono Potassium Phosphate

Add 6 ml of my solution to give me 1.5 ppm phosphate


*Potassium* Potassium Sulfate

10 grams to give me 15.81 ppm potassium.


*Iron* Seachem Iron

2.5 ml iron


*Flourish* Seachem Flourish

5 ml flourish added daily 


*Magnesium* Magnesium Sulfate

20 grams to give me 6.97 ppm magnesium.


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## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

Jeremey - I would keep pruning the floating leaf growth and also give the roots a trim. This can cause Nymphaea to start putting out more underwater leaves. I would imagine that after three months you've got some pretty healthy root growth so it shouldn't hurt the plant at all. I know Nymphaea can be pretty heavy root feeders so you might also consider the occasional root tab, although I doubt if that will have much bearing on the type of leaves that it puts out. 

Alternatively, you might look into a Nuphar species of lily. I've got a Nuphar japonica v Formosa lily in my tank right now and it has never put out any floating leaves *knocks on wood* and is starting to get very large with brilliant red-orange leaves. 

Hope this helps


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## Thanks (Oct 9, 2004)

try adding a root tab by seachem, lotuses are HEAVY root feeders... maybe, your lotus decided it didnt like swimming..... :icon_conf


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## Jeremy S (Feb 4, 2004)

Thanks for your quick replies. I just added a seachem root tab today and I’ll see what happens.

Surprisingly the root system isn’t all that large on the lotus. I could just barely feel the roots when I put in the root tab and usually when I go to put in root tabs under any other rooted plant I have trouble pushing them in just because of the tangle of roots. Where could I get a Nuphar species of lily? Do you know of any online places that sell them? BTW Travis, it’s nice to see that there are some other people that are into planted aquariums in the area.


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## travis (Nov 17, 2004)

You're from the Springs I see  You've got a really strong aquarium plant club down there I believe. I haven't found many other planted tank folks here in the Denver area, although I know there have to be a few around.

Check out www.aquariumlandscapes.net for Nuphar lilies. They've got at least two varieties that I know of. Dr. Prescott, the owner, has got one of the best selections of plants anywhere and the quality, shipping, and service is top notch, although the prices are a bit expensive. After receiving my first order I was hooked :wink:


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## Opiesilver (Nov 3, 2003)

The tiger lotus is one of those plants that you have to train. They naturally want to put up surface floaters but instead of letting them you have to pinch those runners off. The plant will be forced to grow more underwater leaves to get want it's wants from it's environment.


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## emoore3 (Oct 18, 2003)

I have 4 tiger lotuses in my tank and I had to train them to put out more underwater leaves. I would trim anything that looked like it might be headed for the surface. Now they put out leaves that are only a few inches fromt the ground.


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## Nerf (May 3, 2004)

Hello,

In my experience the tiger lotus needs lots of nutrients from the gravel otherwise you will get pale color leaves, and it wont grow. 

I use Tetra Pond Lily Gro, put one of those underneath the plant after every water change and you will see a big difference.


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## Nerf (May 3, 2004)

Question?

Your aquarium specs are like mine other then the dosing.....do you have any agae problems?


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## Jeremy S (Feb 4, 2004)

I wouldn’t say that I have an algae problem though I do have to clean the glass every two weeks or so.


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## Jeremy S (Feb 4, 2004)

I was working in the tank a few days ago and I hit the largest tiger lotus leaf which caused it to break off. So I took some pics just to show what it looks like.

Here is a good close up just show you how small the leaf was:









Here is a full pic of the leaf:









Another close up of the stem:









Isn’t this extremely small for a lotus leaf that is over 3 months old? Also it looks as though it has a more elongated shape then a normal tiger lotus. Could this be a different species of lotus? 

Thanks, Jeremy


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## Canoe2Can (Oct 31, 2004)

Looks just like my tiger lotuses, but a bit smaller. What kind of substrate are you using? I've got Eco-C and I put a few solid fertilizers in the gravel around the lotuses. But mine are about the same age as yours, and they certainly are not fast growing.

As for the shape of the leaf, most of the first leaves that mine have put out are the same shape as that one. But now the older of the two I have is putting out more rounded leaves.


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## Anthony (Jan 11, 2005)

I have 3 bulbs in Eco-Complete and Onyx with Flourish Tabs in it. I'm gettting both floating leaves and huge leaves minimum of 3'' long and 1.5'' wide. Your leaves are the same color as mine, I though I might have gotten wrong bulbs. Are RED Tiger Lotus' really red.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I have the same colored leaves also. I am curious if a true red color is possible with this species. I have been growing mine for almost two months, I use jobes sticks under mine and they seem to be growing great. I can't say for certain that the fertilizer sticks are helping or not.


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## Anthony (Jan 11, 2005)

The pics on aquariumplants.com show a red to purple color. Definitely not what mine look like.


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## bastalker (Dec 8, 2004)

My lotus has put out 3 stems reachin for the surface. I cut one, but for the most part, it is sending all sorts of runners along the substrate. Marcel sent it to me about a month an a half ago. It just keeps growin out, not up.


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## m.lemay (Jul 28, 2002)

bastalker said:


> My lotus has put out 3 stems reachin for the surface. I cut one, but for the most part, it is sending all sorts of runners along the substrate. Marcel sent it to me about a month an a half ago. It just keeps growin out, not up.


Mark, I've seen a lot of red lotus plants out there, but never any as nice as the one I got. I don't know if its the species we got or what. You're gonna love that plant. I got mine from Buck, I'm don't know where he got it from, but its a special breed. Its hearty, grows like crazy and its always red, even when the ferts are less than perfect, this breed just shines. If you see a shoot starting to reach for the surface just clip it, most of the shoots stay low as long as you keep it trimmed.

Marcel


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## bastalker (Dec 8, 2004)

m.lemay said:


> Mark, I've seen a lot of red lotus plants out there, but never any as nice as the one I got. I don't know if its the species we got or what. You're gonna love that plant. I got mine from Buck, I'm don't know where he got it from, but its a special breed. Its hearty, grows like crazy and its always red, even when the ferts are less than perfect, this breed just shines. If you see a shoot starting to reach for the surface just clip it, most of the shoots stay low as long as you keep it trimmed.
> 
> Marcel


Ya sent me a gem Marcel! It has grown great in the tank...It is hearty, an just spreads nicely. Yes it is always red...Like I said, no shoots, just spreading along the substrate.

Jeremy....I am workin on the water params right now, but I think in a month I can send ya some clippings. The tank is leveling out at the moment. GW is goin away, an everything is growing great. Let me see what I can do. I would love for you to get a piece of this plant. It is outrageous. roud:


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## Jeremy S (Feb 4, 2004)

Bastalker, I’d absolutely love it if I could get one of those lotuses. They sound amazing. When you’re ready I’d be willing to do a trade since I have quite a few other plants that are growing like crazy. Just let me know and we can start a PM.

Thanks, Jeremy.


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## Overfloater (Jan 12, 2004)

You guys seem to be forgetting that Seachem root tabs are for micros only. micros are obviously not needed in nearly the quantity that macros are needed. Put 1/4 a Jobes stick under your lotus and I can almost guarantee it will grow much better.


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## Kris (Feb 27, 2004)

mark--
my lotus looks like yours. it is growing out as well. i love it!
you indeed got lucky with that gem from marcel, mine came from a fellow-enthusiast here and i couldn't have purposefully gotten a better plant!
kris


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## PeteyPob (Apr 26, 2004)

I order plants from aquariumplants.com a long time ago and with my order I also ordered one of their red tiger lotuses. It was also in a bulb I got it to sprout two leaves but didnt have much success either. I bought another from a member here and it grows a new leaf every week! I probably didnt grow it right but the one I have now is a MONSTER. 
Pete


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Those are beauties Marcel. I also had some greens that were sweet lookin. Believe it or not I had gotten those for free from an LFS near me. The woman was pulling them out of a tank and ready to throw them out because they had been in the tank for 3 weeks and thought they were dead. I told her that I would take them if you are going to throw them out... LOL
They were just bulbs with no shoots.

Somewhere in this house I have a bag with 6 more bulbs of that strain but I'll be danged if I can find them. :icon_redf 

This photo shows the tank when I had the greens also ... roud:


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## bastalker (Dec 8, 2004)

> Just let me know and we can start a PM.


Will do! roud: 

Buck, Hope mine winds up lookin like that!! :wink:


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