# Bulbs for newbie



## notsogreenthumb (Nov 14, 2010)

So several months back I purchased some Top Fin "assorted live plant bulbs" from petsmart. Only 1 out of 6 actually sprouted despite their "guarantee" to sprout in 30 days. I decided to try my luck with the bulbs again as I find that the one that DID sprout is doing very well far better than any of the the pre-grown plants sold dry with gel on their roots to start everytime I add one of these to my tank they dont really "take" and simply wilt and die after a few weeks yet the one that came from a bulb continues to go strong. Is there anything special I should know about getting bulbs to sprout or is it just luck? Its a small 5 gallon tank with only 1 betta it's lit with the basic overhead light that came with the tank. The onyl nutrients I have bene adding are in the form of API "root tabs" which have iron / phosphates / potassium in them. The bulbs are water lilly onion and aponogeton.


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## BradH (May 15, 2008)

I can't help you on the bulbs but those "pre-grown" plants your speaking of in the gel are probably not true aquatic plants in the first place. Petsmart and Petco label them as such but they are bog plants mostly.


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## timwag2001 (Jul 3, 2009)

those bulbs are hit or miss. i wouldnt waste your money. most of the plants that come in the gel do better in a pot next to your window. their leaves should not be submergred. they do sometimes sell anubias and i think some swords but just skip them all together. i would recommend getting plants from the swap and shop section in this forum. you're pretty much gauranteed to be happy. here is a list of non aquatic plants for you to learn to avoid. http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_list.php?category=11 and here is a great list of aquatic plants http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/all.php


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## notsogreenthumb (Nov 14, 2010)

Thanks Timwag I have bought several Dracaena sanderiana and now I know why they die every time! I'll look into getting plants from a different source.

Edit: In general, is it better to bury the bulbs in the gravel or leave them on the surface so i can better observe if they do indeed sprout or not? I have heard if you leave dead bulbs in the tank you can get fungus infections which may kill my betta.


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## Porsche (Nov 10, 2010)

Bury the bulbs. I would use aquasoil not just any old gravel they are just rocks.


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## lilaliend (Dec 9, 2010)

Newbie... just wanted to mention I've had pretty good luck w/ those bulbs actually. I recently picked two packs up at a local Petco. Didn't even know they existed. They were about $2.50 each, so I got 2 packs.

I have two tanks, a 75 gal & a 10 gal. Both have sand as the substrate and I have CO2 setup for both.

In just over a week (planted them last wed.) I now have 2 red lillies sprouting up, several stems from each that are about 1 in. long. There's 3 onion plants that have rooted well and are just barely sprouting leaves. Lastly, 2 mystery plants that have sprouted LONG thin stems/leaves that have seem to shot up overnight suddenly. About 6 inches.

So for $5, compared to just the price of 3 onion plants ($10-$12 each) and 2 lillies ($6-$8 each), already grown from my local tropics store, the bulbs are a HELL of alot cheaper. I don't even know what the 'mystery plants' are yet either. When they grow more I'm sure I'll be able to figure them out.


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## Mojo028 (Jan 25, 2013)

The long stems are from the Aponogeton, they grow Crispus flowers.

Sorry I just saw this pop up, didn't even see the date.




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