Blyxa and Lotus - The Variants

[spilopterus]

I know this question has been asked before. I read up and found no solution to it.

Now, we know that blyxa can grow until very big or just remain small. Yet both look healthy. Anyway knows of this funny growth and how to have it grow really large?

My blyxa from Vinz is finally growing well. His plants are good, I almost had no melting in the blyxa.

Now on to the next plant, I know how to keep lotus growing underwater. But here is another variant. Some tanks I see are able to keep the lotus small and make a small bush effect kind of thing, In other variants, the leaves are very very large, but the lotus spreads it out like a flower, very nice. And for some, the lotus simply grows out long stems and large leaves too. But not as nice.

Once again, anyone got solution?

[loupgarou]

this is a hypothetical guide.

all lotuses with small leaves are those tanks WITHOUT base fert.
(at least from what I see at gen x)

they have high lighting.

so they just prune and prune all the surface leaves and large leaves.

thus forcing the plants to put out new leaves.

[bclee]

The largest leave of my red lotus is about 4 inches. no base fert. Managed to prevent floating leaves by chopping off any that try to reach the surface.

Hope this help...

BC

[spilopterus]

Well, see, to keep lotus growing submerged leaves is easy to train. But those low bush effects with small leaves is something I find tough to do. Then also got those whereby the lotus fans out like a flower, the leaves are kept low to the ground but the leaves are also very large. That is something I am wondering how.

I personally am trying to achieve that small bush effect. Want to the get the 4 colour lotus from Teo soon. But I need transport. *sigh*

[vinz]

Glad to know the blyxa are doing well. To propogate, wait patiently for the main stem to branch. Pluck of the branch and replant. Best to wait till the branch to grow roots before plucking, else let it float in the tank for a few days.

I have Blyxa and Lotus in 2 tanks:
Planted: JBL base fert, CO2, ~3W/G, root monster. Regular dosing of Flourish, K and Fe.

Its been about 7 months since Blyxa were planted and they have just kept growing taller but slowly. At this point, most stems are not in the substrate anymore... mostly held down by a forest of roots. Each plant is fairly large and has the reddish striations on the leaves.

2 Red lotuses grows fast with many large leaves, occassionally sending one or two expeditionary leaves for the surface, which are removed once they get taller then the tallest submerged leaf. Recently growth slowed down, but a young green lotus planted 1 or 2 months ago inches from the reds grew really big. 2 red babies (shoots of the reds) and a green baby (planted same time as, and near the big green) grew slowly. These were under shade of the 3 big ones. These 3 were transplated to the 6 foot tank, planted unshaded. Will observe and post later.

Newt Tank: JBL base fert, no CO2, ~3W/G but the lights are at least 6 inches above the water surface, no other fert in any form. The newts get a cube of frozen bloodworms everyday, so the tanks gets a dosing of NO3 and PO4 daily, though NO3 measures at zero.

The blyxa is growing very slow... almost in stasis. The plants are small (half size of the other tank's) but lush green.

One red lotus planted on a terrace, far above the base fert. Leaves are many and extremely dark red. Entire plant is only 3 or 4 inches tall and while its submerged leaves are practically touching the water surface, it has not grown any floating leaves.

My blyxa are from the original AQ tank at Gan's. While mine have grown large, the ones at Gan's were in a very shaded area and very small (smaller then the ones in my newt tank).

For Gen-X's lotus patch, I'm guessing they prune the plants regularly to keep the dome shape. The pruning probably forces the plant to put out more leaves too.

[DEA]

very tall blyxa is aubertii
short blyxa to mid length is japonica

[bclee]

Recently, my red lotus was melting due to some neglect . I cut off all the leaves left a budding leaves. Now the new leaves are hugging the gravel. I am waiting to see if they are going to stay this way.

BTW, I have 2 red lotus. Both side by side. One is much redder than the other. I have swapped place and they did not change color. I concluded that it is probably due to the genes rather than nutrients.

BC

BC

[vinz]

BC, are both the lotuses the same size?

[spilopterus]

How do we know the difference between aubertti and japonica?

Since we are on lotus, just do a quick run down.
We have
Lotus Green
Lotus Red
Lotus Zenkeri Green
Lotus Zenkeri Red

I do not know Teo's 4 colour falls into what, dunno someone got mention 7 colour is it? and is that all the lotus we have, no right?

[keith]

the aubertti can grow much bigger and taller than the japonica

[bclee]

Vinz, both are of the same size.

BC

[spilopterus]

But when buying aubertti and japonica, how to tell the difference? Thats the thing see. By the time they grow, kind of a little too late right?

[keith]

ask the seller. if they dunno, tell they u wan the japonica that will grow big.

[squall99e]

I have read the above thread and replant my lotus in a plastic container, the type you takeaway food for hawker centre. Then cover it with sand together with my tank, in this way the lotus will not have access to base fert while others plant can

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