Silly questions about a Tiger Lotus

[imissmytruck]

I know the Tiger Lotus is a high light plant. I just today bought one and it has no bulb. It is an off shoot.
So my questions are...
First...will it live and thrive?
Second...I put it in my 2 gallon with a 7500k led. (2.6 fluval spec standard led) hoping it would "start" before I move it into my 55g with high lighting. Is that ok?

The reason it is not currently in the 55 is I am afraid it will get moved around by the fish and wont root properly (if at all) plus I need to reduce the amount of space my cyperus halferi takes up. It's huge!

 

[Rivercats]

A Tiger Lotus is not a high light plant. I does well in all but the lowest lighting. If you put it in the smaller tank be sure to put it directly under the light. You can put it in the larger tank and place 3 rocks around it to gently hold it in place until it roots.

 

[imissmytruck]

Cool thank you! Now that someone has said it is not a high light plant I may just leave it in the betta tank where I wanted it anyway. I am using white sand as a substrate over some Fluval stratum. Should look nice when its all done.

 

[MMantelli]

Cool can we see some pics when its ready? I think it will look cool in a Betta tank.

 

[jetajockey]

What kind of root system is on it? The ones I have all have long roots so I'm surprised that it would be difficult to keep in place. Moving it from tank to tank might kill off some of the pads, but they grow back quickly.

 

[imissmytruck]

MMantelli Here are some pics. I just got the tank and plants so it is just the beginning.

jetajockey This particular plant is a shoot off a mother plant. So It has nearly nothing on it yet as a baby and all. Plus the large fish in my 55 have no problem moving around my red melon sword which has been there over a year....so I was a bit nervous.

You can see in this pic that I have 2 very small leaves. The one large one remaining is a bit torn up. I got this out a "discount" bin at my LFS. For anyone else they would've charged 10.99 for this. For me it was 2.99! woo hoo!

This shot show everything else. The Betta had lived a short time in a 5 g Fluval spec but the outflow was too strong for him. So here I made a spray bar which he loves! But it also shows the larger remaining leaf of the Lotus. I really hope it survives. I find them very attractive. I am just so good at killing plants even though I try to do everything by the book.

Also I would like some thoughts on the minimalist approach I've taken here. I wanted to keep this one simple. Once I decided on white sand, my son insisted I use those black marble. Turned out nice I think.

 

[jetajockey]

I could be wrong but that looks more like a dwarf lily to me.

 

[imissmytruck]

Sorry. Yes. In the back there are 2 dwarf lotus'. The tiny tiny green leaves up close in the pic are the Tiger Lotus.

 

[MMantelli]

Don't look too bad I like the minimalist look but I would add something it seems to be missing something. Mabey a couple more small plants

 

[Rivercats]

It looks like a Nymphaea pubescens. I have one and they can get quite large. They also do better and color up more with root tabs. I regularly give mine plain iron root tabs which really helps bring out the color. These guys have thinner, more delicate tissue than most other in the Tiger Lotus family so it doesn't take much to mar the leaves.

 

[imissmytruck]

Thank you rivercats. I will keep that in mind. I can currently only find the flourish tabs...not the straight iron.

Mmantelli...I feel as though its missing something too. but as the lotus' can all get quite large and take up surface room I don't want to spend all my time trimming everything underneath...so I was thinking I may use a large quartz crystal in there....we have MANY around the house.

 

[MMantelli]

That might be cool it does need something for hardscape mabey some driftwood with some moss at the tip.

 

[Rivercats]

Thank you rivercats. I will keep that in mind. I can currently only find the flourish tabs...not the straight iron.
Mmantelli...I feel as though its missing something too. but as the lotus' can all get quite large and take up surface room I don't want to spend all my time trimming everything underneath...so I was thinking I may use a large quartz crystal in there....we have MANY around the house.

Here's where I get my iron root tabs. 75 for $11 isn't bad IMO....
AquaFertz.com: SUBSTRATE VITALIZATION SYSTEM.

To keep growth low and submerged you want to cut off any leaves the shoot up towards the surface. The bulb will produce two types of leaves. The submerged ones that you want look arrow shaped like the ones that are on the plant right now. Then the surface leaves will be more rounded and will appear overnight on long runner stems headed to the surface. If you keep those cut off it will force the bulb to produce more submerged leaf growth. It will send up surface leaves off and on but just keep them cut off.

 

[dragonfisher33]

they also do well with root tabs


late edit: ooops, looks like others have already recommended root tabs

 

[imissmytruck]

Here's where I get my iron root tabs. 75 for $11 isn't bad IMO....
AquaFertz.com: SUBSTRATE VITALIZATION SYSTEM.

To keep growth low and submerged you want to cut off any leaves the shoot up towards the surface. The bulb will produce two types of leaves. The submerged ones that you want look arrow shaped like the ones that are on the plant right now. Then the surface leaves will be more rounded and will appear overnight on long runner stems headed to the surface. If you keep those cut off it will force the bulb to produce more submerged leaf growth. It will send up surface leaves off and on but just keep them cut off.

Excellent! I will definitely do all these things!