# Anyone else have difficulties growing red tiger lotus?



## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

Every plant in my tank is thriving except a red tiger lotus I have had for about 6 months. It isn't dying but it isn't getting taller or growing new leaves. This is a non Co2 injected and zero liquid carbon low tech 45 long. Substrate is MGOPM, clay root tabs with pool filter sand cap. Light is 1 6500k T-12s on the 7 hours. Tank gets fluorish once a week.

It's frustrating because I really want this plant to do well. An API root tab is now directly under the plant. Any help is greatly appreciated.


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## BigJay180 (Jul 20, 2014)

Mine had an issue for a few weeks, until one of the lily pads finally hit the surface. Then the plant had access to atmospheric CO2, and went insane, shading every other plant and sucking down every nutrient in the water. It grows new lily pads almost as fast as I clip them off, and it's growth is almost invasive.

Flourish isn't a very good fertilizer, have you looked into other methods like dry ferts? (EI, etc). 
Have you considered temporarily using an additive like Excel for additional CO2?


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

This has been a non co2 tank from the start and will remain that way so that's not an option. I bought the tiger lotus because everyone on youtube says its easy to grow big and fast with minimal effort. It's just weird that my entire tank is thriving except for this one plant.


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## Monster Fish (Mar 15, 2011)

Try some Osmocote+ root tabs.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

I just put root tabs under it.


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## randym (Sep 20, 2015)

They are really heavy root feeders. And they can grow so fast they suck up all the nutrients in the tank, leaving the other plants deficient. 

I ended up giving mine away. Just too hard to keep the tank in balance with it in there. Yours not growing might be a blessing in disguise.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

There is 2.5 inches of dirt under the sand in the 48" long tank. It's designed for heavy root growth.


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## The Coffee (Oct 12, 2013)

I've had this plant for over 2 years. It's quite a bit different from your more common aquarium plants. The main difference is the way it grows. You will get weeks (or maybe a month or two if conditions are very good) of really fast explosive growth. Usually first lower leaves and then these are followed by floating leaves. It then tends to slow down and stop putting out a lot of new leaves. Sometimes the plant will even appear to die. But it always grows back as long as a bulb is present that can restart growth. Besides that what also makes it different is pretty much what Randym said. It needs a lot of root tabs. Way worse than something like an Amazon Sword.

Really this is only a good plant for a larger tank or even a pond IMO. There just isn't room in a smaller tank for its insanely large leaves (like large saucer sized), not to mention the floating lily pads that will block out the light from your other plants. That's why a lot of people give up on it. It's not one for someone who likes the normal trimmable and easily controllable stem plants.


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## BulletToothBoris (Jan 17, 2013)

All that is fine. I want huge growth and leaves. Six months with zero growth is strange to me though when everything else is out of control.


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## mredman (Sep 4, 2015)

*Red Tiger Lotus*

I have high lighting, pressurized CO2, fertilize and use Osmocote root tabs. My red tiger lotus are growing very well. 

Mike


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## al4n (Nov 18, 2008)

Sounds to me the light isnt making it all the way down, 

Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk


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## randym (Sep 20, 2015)

I had mine in a 75 gallon tank. It grew like crazy, and the leaves were huge. More like dinner plate sized than saucer. It also spawned many daughter plants by runner, which I gave away to a friend with a pond. (I eventually gave her the mother plant as well.) 

I removed all the leaves that looked like they were heading for the surface. Supposedly, this "trains" the plant to stop sending them up. (I didn't want the tank shaded.)

It was a high tech tank. The substrate was Onyx sand and root tabs. Lots and lots and lots of root tabs.


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