Plant bulbs that will grow in an established tank?

[myriam]

Saw these today at the LFS. It was a plastic bag with about 5 brown, 1" diameter, woody looking little bulbs. It said it must be dropped into an established FW tank, and once the plant growth begins, you just stick the bulbs deeper into the substrate and it will root.

Has anyone used these before? Do they work, and do they grow nice plants? Do they affect the water params?

Thanks,

 

[Fruitbat]

myriam...

While I haven't used the bulbs that are in the plastic bags...I do know people that have and they've had mixed results. A number of the bulbs are types of Aponogeton, usually A. ulvaceus (from Madagascar) or A. crispus (from Sri Lanka). These grow into beautiful, if large, plants. Most, if not all, of the bulb-type Aponogeton go through a dormant phase where they lose their leaves completely and then after a month or more start to put up new leaves.

I've got a beautiful A. ulvaceus as the centerpiece of my 26 gallon that has flowered about 10 times and has grown from a little plant with a few 5 inch leaves to a real monster with 20-30 leaves that reach the top of my tank. It is just beginning to go into its dormant period right now and is in the process of losing leaves.

Anyway....those plastic bags of bulbs are certainly worth a try. You never know quite what you're going to get but, unless they're expensive, you don't have much to lose and it will be a lot of fun trying to figure out what they are when they do start to grow again.

 

[Guest]

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/worldpets/livaqplanbul.html

these things? seen them, never tried them.

Quote from the site regarding plant types..

"Packages contain assorted plants such as Crispus,Undalatus, Ulvaceus, Echinatus, Nymphaea Rubra, Nymphaea Stellata, Rigidifolius, Boivinianus & Natans"

The Nymphae are lotus bulbs(water lilly-looking plants) , the rest are Aponogetens, to confirm what Fruitbat said.

Oh yeah, in matters of plant ID, listen to Fruitbat, not me! I'm terrible at it.

Do they affect the water params?

No, unless they die and rot.

 

[krap101]

i bought a pack of those and only one of them sprouted
i think its because i need a new kind of light because i have a incandesent and i need a cf (compact floresent) but its by a window and i think thats why only one survived

 

[myriam]

Well it sounds encouraging! So if I do get these, and they do sprout and grow nice plants, will I have to change my lighting or anything else in my tank? I just have your basic hood with a fluorescent light.

P.S. I think they were $6.99, and the package looks similar to what corvuscorax posted.

 

[Guest]

Prolly 18 watts, under 1 wpg. my book says all of these need 2.5 - 3.0 wpg. Up to you, of course, but for 7 bucks? if you have the money, give them a try!

 

[Fruitbat]

I agree that the books say that most of those plants are moderate-light plants. However...my Aponogeton ulvaceus grows like a monster in my 26 gallon and I've only got a single 18watt bulb on it....so I'm significantly less than 1 watt per gallon.

Like corvuscorax says....give them a try!! The worst that can happen is that they won't do anything and you'll be out $7.00 or so.

 

[myriam]

Ok, dumb question of the year: How do I find out the present wattage of my light now?

 

[Christmasfish]

Mine only grow in the 18 gallon....so far. The aptogen and the lillies are what I bought

 

[Guest]

Ok, dumb question of the year: How do I find out the present wattage of my light now?

Ahh, don't worry about asking things! look at the light bulb, you may have to remove it from the hood. the wattage and other info should be printed on it near one of the ends, on the tube.

 

[Fruitbat]

myriam....

If you've got an 18 inch bulb then it is 15 watts...that's standard. By the way....I typed the wattage of my bulb incorrectly. I have a 15 watt (18") bulb on my 26 gallon...NOT an 18 watt bulb.