Introduction
One of the aquarium plants is the Tiger Lotus. The Tiger Lotus can be placed in any type of aquarium and will thrive under many different conditions. Tiger Lotus is a great way to add aesthetic appeal and function to aquariums. In addition, they are a very inexpensive way to make your fish tank look good.
The Tiger Lotus boasts beautiful leaves that give it a unique appearance. This article will cover all that you need to know about the Tiger Lotus, including its appearance, care, and maintenance.
You will also get an overview of the benefits and problems, so you can decide if this plant is for you. Not to forget, planting, propagating, and achieving redness.
Basic Facts
- Tiger lotus [Nymphaea Zenkeri] is an aquatic plant with thick leaves. It is a hardy & flowering species.
- It is native to Africa & South-East Asia, but has been introduced to Europe and North America for use as an aquarium plant.
- This plant has a variegated color pattern. It can be either green & chrome or red and purple/blue. Variegated means patches or streaks of a different color.
- Tiger lotus grows from bulbs, so you’ll want to make sure your tank has enough depth for their roots to reach the bottom.
- The Tiger lotus is a beautiful aquatic plant, but since it grows big it is better placed in the back or towards the back of the tank.
- The Tiger Lotus is actually a submerged species but it can grow fast and reach the top of the aquarium where the leaves begin to float.
- Tiger lotus leaves are a beautiful addition to your pond or aquarium, and they’re also great for cleaning the water. The plant itself is only about 3 inches tall, but its leaves can grow up to 2 feet wide.
Appearance
The Tiger Lotus is a beautiful aquatic plant that can come in a variety of colors, but is mst commonly seen in bright red and chrome combinations. There is also a rare variety that has purple variegation.
The tiger lotus leaf has an arrow-shaped tip, with a broad base and wavy sides. It’s a beautiful heart-like shape, and it’s one of the reasons that lotus plants are so popular in landscaping.
Tiger leaves have a unique structure that allows them to adapt to their environments. The two types of Tiger leaf structure are submerged leaves, which are thick and closer to the roots, and tall stems with thinner floating leaves.
Flowers of the Tiger Lotus can range from yellow to white, in rare cases they are pink or purple. The flower petals are usually long and curved inward.
Benefits
Tiger Lotus is an aquatic plant that can be used in very hard water tanks. It will absorb nitrates and phosphates, which means it can be used to improve the quality of your water.
It’s also very hardy, making it a great choice for beginners who are still getting used to keeping plants alive.
It will add color to your tank, but it’s not too flashy—so if you’re looking for a way to brighten up your tank without drawing attention to yourself, this plant is perfect.
Tiger Lotus provides a lot of oxygen, taking in the Co2.
It is a great hiding space for fish and provides a relaxing environment for them to live in.
The tiger lotus can be planted at the bottom of the tank or by fastening to rocks. Thus there is a way to avoid substrate. However, if you want a rich color, substrate is your only option.
Caring & Water Parameters:
Keep The Water Clean: As with all aquatic plants, Tiger Lotus prefers clean water free of debris and pollutants.
Keep It Warm: The ideal temperature range for growing a Tiger Lotus is between 72 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit (22.2 — 27.7 degrees Celsius).
Keep Trimming: Tiger lotus is a beautiful aquatic plant that’s easy to care for, grows very fast and requires constant trimming. Trimming rotting leaves is extremely important as it can disturb the ecological balance of your tank.
Keep It Large: Tiger lotus, requires a lot of light and prefers slow-moving waters. They can be kept in tanks of 10 gallons and above, but it’s best to keep them in something larger.
Keep It Bright : Tiger lotus needs a lot of light. If you don’t have bright light, the tiger lotus will not grow in your tank. The tiger lotus plant needs to have a minimum of six hours a day of light, and the brighter the better. This tends to attract algae. So having algae eaters is a good idea.
Keep pH and kH In Range : Tiger lotus needs a pH between 6-8 and a kH of 3-15 dKH.
Keep It Slow: Tiger lotuses thrive best in slow moving waters, but they can adapt to other water conditions as well.
How To Plant
The most important part of planting a tiger lotus is making sure the bulb is healthy.
To do this, remove the bulb from the pot and rock wool, then rinse off any debris. Gently push one-third of the bulb into the substrate such that the shoots or leaves are completely above ground.
Do not bury the entire bulb or it will rot.
If the bulb is floating at first, wait for it to become waterlogged enough to sink. Â
As the roots grow into the substrate, they will firmly anchor the bulb in place.
Pruning
Tiger Lotus is a beautiful aquatic plant that can be grown in your home aquarium or pond. It has large, heart-shaped leaves.
Growing tiger lotuses is easy! Simply clip the leaf at the base of its stem, closest to the bulb.
You can also keep the plant from growing too tall by continuously pruning a few of the floating leaves, which allows the plant to grow out bushier rather than taller.
Propagation
Tiger Lotus can self propagate. However, the easiest way to propagate a tiger lotus is by division. Division may sound complicated, but it’s actually very simple and can be done at any time of the year. You don’t need math but just a knife.
Another interesting aspect of the tiger lotus is that it can grow flowers at the surface. When the flower grows fully, it produces multiple seeds for you to collect.
The other method of propagation is via the bulb. If the tiger lotus is doing well, the parent bulb may form little bulbs that can be detached and replanted elsewhere.
Sometimes bulbs have a dormant period, where all the leaves will die and leave behind just the bulb. One option is to keep the bulb in the tank. After several months, it will start sprouting new leaves.
You can also take the bulb out, keep it in a damp container for several months, and then put it back into the tank. After that, new leaves will sprout and begin actively growing again.
Keeping The Tiger Lotus Red
Keeping the Tiger Lotus red is not easy, but it’s possible to get it to stay that way for a long time.
Some tiger lotuses grow primarily green leaves with red variegation, whereas others have red leaves with a darker, reddish-purple streak.
The three key things to keeping the Tiger Lotus red are:
Submerge: The tiger lotus can be found in almost every color, from white to deep reds and purples.
However, there is one thing that must be done to keep the plant red: it must be kept submerged in water. This means that you may not have flowers or seeds if you let your plant grow above the water line.
Thus, you will be dependent on bulbs for propagation. However, that’s actually easier.
Iron Fertilizers: If you want your plant to stay red you will need to add iron rich fertilizer once every two weeks. Luckily, these fertilizers are not difficult to find, and they can be used with any variety of aquatic plants.
Carbon Di-oxide: The tiger lotus is a beautiful aquatic plant that can add a splash of color to your aquarium. To keep the tiger lotus red, you will need to add Co2.
The chemical process used in photosynthesis by plants requires carbon dioxide as one of its key ingredients. If you don’t have enough Co2 in your tank, the leaves will not turn red.
Buying The Bulb
Where To Buy The Bulb:
Tiger lotus bulbs are available for purchase online and in many aquarium stores.
It is preferable to purchase the tiger lotus bulbs from the aquarium store.
While many retailers carry tiger lotuses in their stores and online, they may not be as fresh as those purchased directly from an aquarium store. Aquarium stores are dedicated entirely to selling aquatic plants and fish; they are staffed by experts who know how to help you.
How To Choose The Right Bulb :
You want a bulb that is firm and fleshy, with no brown spots or soft spots.
Ask for a bowl of water and put the bulb in. If the bulb sinks, you are good to go.
Bulbs that have already got some leaves are the best choice. However, it’s okay if there are no leaves.
Problems
The Tiger Lotus is a beautiful aquatic plant that offers a lot of benefits. On the other hand, it can also be a bit of a nightmare if you don’t know how to deal with it.
Here are some quick tips
1. The tiger lotus can take over your tank if you don’t prune it regularly! If you want to keep it under control, prune it regularly.
2. The roots are enormous and need a container that’s wide (this will prevent the roots from taking over your tank).
3. If you let your tiger lotus flower, it will produce seeds. This will induce overcrowding in your tank because those seeds will grow into new plants. So do not let them grow to the surface.
4. Finally, because the tiger lotus takes up most of the nutrients in your tank, other plants may not be able to grow around it. So plant them in a place where they can live and let live.
Wrapping Up:
In summary, Tiger lotus is a fairly reasonable choice to have if you’re comfortable with regular pruning. It adds some color to your tank, and can certainly be a centerpiece to many tanks. Ultimately, I would argue that it’s worth trying it out if you’ve not already.
