Tropical water lillies?

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Shane87

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Jun 23, 2012
Messages
590
Location
England
I was wondering if there was any good water lillies that will be good for my 650 litre aquarium, I found a really nice blue flowering 1 that was said to be good for tropical climates but that was ages ago and I don't know anything about them! Hoping someone can help :)
 
If you talking about true water lilies, the kind we put in our ponds, then I would have to say none of them are suitable. They all grow too large and their leaf spread would cover the entire water. Not to mention they would need very high light for any chance to bloom.

Now you can buy and put Red or Green Tiger Lotus in home aquariums. You can let them grow surface leaves if thats what you want or you can keep the suface leaves cut off and encourage mostly underwater leaves (which are arrow shaped instead of round shaped as the floater leaves are). Your size tank is perfect for one. Green TL's have red mottled leaves, and Red TL's leaves can be all shades of pink, sometimes red, and sometimes in high light a light pink and light green blended color.
 
There are dwarf lilies. I just can't remember any names. I have one in my 150L goldfish tank. Leaves get about 10cm across. I do let it die off during winter (no heating) so I don't know if it would take over if it kept growing. I don't know where to get any in the UK though sorry.
 
Thanks for the replies I will look into all of them :) it's for a catfish tank do they also need to be quite robust, and I know a pond 1 would go crazy lol my parents have pond lillies in there pond.
 
I have looked them up and the red/green tiger lillies don't look like they are enough of a surface plant for what I want and I have found some dwarf lillies and they are cool but the leaf spread looks a bit to much to maintain in an aquarium :/ anyone got any suggestions for good surface plants? I prefer a single plant that grows bigger that like duck weed type stuff.
 
If your lights are high enough you could look into small water hyacinths (that is what I have in my 220g) or small water lettuce.
 
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