Banana Plant/Red Tiger Lotus question

[HybridHerp]

So, for whatever reason I am only able to grow these plants to a hight of about a few inches off of the gravel. I know these plants are really supposed to be lilies and start putting out pads and heading to the surface, but it has been about 4 or 5 months and they just are not growing vertically. I had them in low light, but now I have them in high light, with a substrate of eco-complete. I will be dosing once I figure all that fun out, but I do want to run CO2 as well in the future. I just want to know if I should expect the plants to continue staying low or if they will eventually start gaining height? I don't really care either way, but I want to know so that if they both grow tall I can have a lower growing plant in-between them, or if they both stay short I can have a thin and tall plant separating them instead, basically for my aquascaping purposes lol

[Trickerie]

Well, heres the thing. You have eco complete now, high light, and want to dose ferts, but have no co2 whatsoever. However, plants can only use light and ferts in relation to how much co2 they are getting. So, dosing ferts and throwing high light at a plant wont make it grow unless it has the co2 to allow it to draw in those nutrients. What will likely happen is an algae farm. I would suggest either investing into co2 before dosing dry ferts, or go with dry ferts and some well built DIY co2. DIY co2 is very simple to set up, and gives your plants at least something to work with.

[s thomas]

seachem flourish excel?

[acitydweller]

Hi,
I had a red tiger lotus in one tank which kept it's leaves fairly low, maybe three to four inches off the substrate. Cince entering the spring months and warmer temps, it has since shot out new growth with leaves hitting the surface. Mind you, the tank is heavily planted, with nearly 90% of the surface covered with salvinia with no co2 or fertilizer dosing. The growth in the past three months has been fairly significant. I've only added two wild neocaidina Shrimp, have 3 red ramshorn snails, and a dozen yellow shrimp for livestock.

No need for ferts or co2 unless you have ore more demanding plants in the tank. This lily certainly doesn't need it and it baffles me that this smallish cute plant has suddenly become the certer piece of the tank with broad red leaves. Simply beautiful.

[HybridHerp]

I do have more demanding plants in the tank so that's wanted to be doing Meferts as far as the CO2 goes interestingly so far I'm not having algae farm maybe they'll change once I start dosing you know if it does quite honestly I personally don't care too much about the algae as long as it doesn't start like growing on the plants themselves even if that does happen I do have a team of things to eat the only reason why I'm not doing do-it-yourself CO2 is because my tanks and 75 gallon tank and from everything I've heard DIY CO2 does not work for larger tanks

If Im wrong please tell me

[Hmoobthor]

put in some co2 and it will take off like no other putting out lily on top of water ..woot!!! mine leaves are huge!

[AirstoND]

If you choose to not add CO2, your plants are going to grow slower and use that stored energy to sprout floaters.

If you do add CO2 and high lights DIRECTLY at bulb sprouts (I use an adjustable CFL spot light), leaves will stay in submerged form and remain small and plant will be less "stemy".

Of course this will also depend on your tank size, alkanity, and nutrient circulation.