I have no personal experience with bolbitis, but did some research on them recently because I really like how it looks. From what I read, Bolbitis is very similar to Java Fern. Given that, I would take whatever rhizomes survived being buried, and attach them to a piece of wood or rock. I don't think current will be too big a factor, assuming your tank has some sort of filter that provides even a little movement.
bolbitis "baby leaf" question
I got this plant from my LFS (didn't know what it was) and the LFS said "it is a carpeting plant for the foreground". Being the naive fool that I am, I believed the seller and when I got home cust the lovely strong rhizomes into smaller (1.5-2 cm) cutlets and planted the rhizomes into the substrate.
The tank is a dirt tank, no filtration or circulation.
After about a week, I noticed that many of the leaves had yellowed out and most had fallen. I thought it was a natural process of the "acclimation" to the new environment (such is the case with cryptos).
However I was curious if this was so, so I set out to do a more refined search (I had attempted to do a search on the species initially but wihout a name to go with, carpet plant with rhizomes didn't turn anything useful and I had given up) using the phrases "rhizome, parsley like leaves" and I came to the conclusion that what I had was a bolbitis plant, specifically one called "baby leaf".
I immediately went to the tank to raise the rhizomes from the substrate but alas, almost all had rotted away. I have some of the leaves still green but as with most rhizome plants, I doubt the leaves will grow new rhizomes.
I do however have 2 rhizomes, one partially rotted and one still good. My questions are:
1. What would be the best way to save them? Should I cut off the rotted part of the semi rotted rhizome or let it be?
2. I also read that they like to be in a current: would being in a dirt tank with no movement save that caused by the swimmerets of my shrimp be a contributing factor to their demise, i.e. should I removed them and move them to a more current containing tank?
3. I read that these grow very slowly when submerged: should I grow them emersed? What would be a proper set up for a faster growing bolbitis taking into account their requirements (current, light, etc).
4. Would they grow terestially (roots in dirt, rhizome above dirt, plant grown like other terestial plants)?
Since I do not have any more rhizomes left and my LFS has no intention of buying more of these plants (they did not sell well apparently), I have no way of getting additional stock of these plants and hence my usual "trial and error" method of testing my theories is not a viable solution... Therefore, I would appreciate the experience of other forum users with this plant and suggestions on how to propagate this plant in a suitable manner.
The tank is a dirt tank, no filtration or circulation.
After about a week, I noticed that many of the leaves had yellowed out and most had fallen. I thought it was a natural process of the "acclimation" to the new environment (such is the case with cryptos).
However I was curious if this was so, so I set out to do a more refined search (I had attempted to do a search on the species initially but wihout a name to go with, carpet plant with rhizomes didn't turn anything useful and I had given up) using the phrases "rhizome, parsley like leaves" and I came to the conclusion that what I had was a bolbitis plant, specifically one called "baby leaf".
I immediately went to the tank to raise the rhizomes from the substrate but alas, almost all had rotted away. I have some of the leaves still green but as with most rhizome plants, I doubt the leaves will grow new rhizomes.
I do however have 2 rhizomes, one partially rotted and one still good. My questions are:
1. What would be the best way to save them? Should I cut off the rotted part of the semi rotted rhizome or let it be?
2. I also read that they like to be in a current: would being in a dirt tank with no movement save that caused by the swimmerets of my shrimp be a contributing factor to their demise, i.e. should I removed them and move them to a more current containing tank?
3. I read that these grow very slowly when submerged: should I grow them emersed? What would be a proper set up for a faster growing bolbitis taking into account their requirements (current, light, etc).
4. Would they grow terestially (roots in dirt, rhizome above dirt, plant grown like other terestial plants)?
Since I do not have any more rhizomes left and my LFS has no intention of buying more of these plants (they did not sell well apparently), I have no way of getting additional stock of these plants and hence my usual "trial and error" method of testing my theories is not a viable solution... Therefore, I would appreciate the experience of other forum users with this plant and suggestions on how to propagate this plant in a suitable manner.
