tricking a Red Tiger Lotus

[drjdp]

I have a beautiful red tiger lotus plant that was not doing much for the last year. It would send the occasional leaf to the top; but the algae eater would strip it and the leaf would die. It was down to four leaves and I thought it was not going to make it, so I moved it too a spot above an airstone. The leaves bounced around with the bubbles and the algae eater left it alone. The plant immediately started growing; but not in length, only in leaf width. The leaves turned a beautiful mottled red/green from dark brown and the leaves enlarged from 1 inch too 3-4 inches. There is now at least a dozen leaves with new ones budding all over the plant. The plant is growing horizontally rather than in length. I have read that these plants "learn" where the surface is and will rush to reach it once they find it. The bubbles may be tricking this plant into "thinking" it has found the surface.

[fishorama]

Beautiful plant! That's a cool discovery. What kind of algae eater did the snipping? I know some loaches eat lilies but my non-loach tank has SAEs. I might try one...

[drjdp]

A golden chinese algae eater was the culprit. However, I also have two very large Siamensis that like to ride the lotus leaves, by resting on the leaves as they bounce in the bubbles.

[geofied]

Good observation, and beautiful plant. I rather like that it is in the middle of the tank, and not at the surface where it isn't visible.