# Madagascar lace plant



## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

I remember my LFS store had it on sale in their flyer and I looked it up on the main page here and it was like high light, cold water or something and rated difficult to keep, so I passed on it. Looked so nice but not with what others were saying in the comments.


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## ucantimagine (Jan 8, 2012)

My bulbs always do better when I just press the bottom 1/2 into the substrate and leave the top exposed. And yes, they like cooler water, low 70s. Also, too much light will cause them to go dormant and be overcome with algae. If your bulb is rotten, I don't think it will recover.


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## NeocaridinaCollector (Mar 12, 2011)

I've kept this plant in 3 different tanks. First tank was mid-high light with flourite for substrate with EI dosing and CO2, the plant did well and grew fast, it was placed right near the canister output. Second tank was in low light and flourite no CO2 minimal dosing, also placed near canister output, growth was slow but the plant stayed healthy. Third tank is low light with flourite no CO2 and minimal dosing, but it isn't placed near the output and old growth is starting to brown and new growth looks poor. 
I would say flow is the key, but my LFS also grows it in a tank with low light, flourite, no CO2, no dosing and barely any flow in the tank and it flowers regularly in there. I didn't bury the bulbs, but my LFS did and theirs does fine.


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## ucantimagine (Jan 8, 2012)

Here's a good article. 
http://www.tfhmagazine.com/details/articles/the-secrets-of-the-madagascar-lace-plant.htm


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## touch of sky (Nov 1, 2011)

That is a good article. It might tempt me to try one.


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## Aquaticfan (Oct 30, 2011)

I have had a Aponogeton madagascariensis AKA Madagascar Lace plant growing in my 46 gallon bow front for a few months now. When I first got it, it had medium leaves on it and they shed after about 2 months. Several New leaves sprouted about a week after it shed the last leaves and by the end of another month it was all back to full and beautiful with full sized leaves again. This plant actually is easier to grow then most think. Alot of the documentation says high light, Soft water, Difficult to grow, Lowe temp, etc etc... But I disagree. Here is what mine is in growing since I got it. 

46 gallon Bowfront.
Canister filtration with addition powerheads for current. 
Our Water is Quite hard. PH right out of the tap and in my tanks is around 7.8 to 8.0. 
Im using a VERY fine gravel substrate. Not quite sand and smaller then pea gravel. I run the temps on the tanks at 78 to 80 degrees F, so on the warmer side. I do EI dry ferts dosing with Iron added as well. I also use Root tabs for all my root feeders and bulb plants like this and Red Lilly. (the substrate has been mixed with some osmocote plus, same as the root tabs) I also plant the bulb half way into the substrate with roots buried. but top half of the bulb is exposed. Currently I do not have Co2 on this tank( after next week that changes) The lights in this tank would be considered Mid to lower highlight ranges. As I use T5NO lights. 2 sets of 2 (total of 4 bulbs 21w each 6500K bulbs total 84W ) bulbs. PAR data suggest its a mid to lower level high light tank. 

Ive had nothing but great luck with this plant. I do agree that current plays a big part and you have to understand this plant goes through cycles. It is a Root feeder so make sure your substrate has good feeding and use root tabs. Just my experience with mine. 

But not as difficult a plant as made out to be.


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## touch of sky (Nov 1, 2011)

Thanks for the info. I do occasionally see nice specimens of this plant in my lfs, so I think the next time I see one, I will give it a try.


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## jjp2 (May 24, 2008)

I've had one and it was incredible. I altered my tank, moved it and it died. I tried another and it didn't take. Based on this, I say that once they are established they are very easy but they do not take well to change in water conditions or being moved. 

If the bulb has the foul smell, it is dead and rotting. You need to try to remove and all the dead roots as they will rot as well.


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## ucantimagine (Jan 8, 2012)

I can just see my apple snail munching away at that soft lace. lol He doesn't bother healthy plants but as soon as it shows some weakness, it's history! My 2 new Japonica started melting and now they are just stems sticking out the gravel. lol The stems are green and firm so hopefully it will regenerate.


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## mray (Apr 7, 2018)

Maybe this is "beginner's luck" or maybe the plant has a reputation because of past aquarium husbandry but I just put a Madagascar lace through the cycling process of a newly planted 20 gal low tech tank and it survived beautifully. It is growing and getting bigger. Having said this, this is the first time I've gone full out with a heavily planted aquarium and used a substrate instead of standard fine aquarium gravel. 

There were a number of plants that "melted" during the cycling but I used Amazonia substrate with an outside hanging filter and LED lights. After reading a lot about carbon, I removed the carbon insert in the filter and replaced it with additional ceramic pellets to increase the bio filter. I also am using a sponge on the uptake tube which may increase some of the biofiltration. 

The water is soft, in the 5-6 range, and the TDS is 128 ppm. The aquarium stays at 72 degrees. 

I have had live plants all my life but this is the first time I've gone full out on a heavily planted aquarium and I haven't ever attempted to keep a Lace, in part, because I had heard that they were "fussy" and difficult. So far, the plant is putting out new leaves and the ones it had have become larger. There is algae, which I'm trying to get under control with a cadre of nerite snails. I'll also be adding some Siamese algae eaters soon. I have used a soft toothbrush to keep the algae down but I know that the algae in the tank needs more control.

For the record, I bought most of my plants from aquariumplants.com who packed the plants well. Most of the plants I bought from this online supplier have made it through the abuse of cycling the tank. I was impress with how well they packed the plants and how quickly they arrived.

Don't give up on the Madagascar Lace. It's a beautiful specimen plant. You may just need to work on the aquarium set up.


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