One of my biggest problems with putting plants in my tanks is that they are usually full of snails or dragon fly larvae. So I see these bulbs in a package that you grow in your tank. No special instructions, just plant in the gravel and watch them grow. So far I've planted 3 and had luck with one it sprouted and is growing just fine. But the other two(in a different tank) have only grown roots and seem to have stopped all progress. This odd looking fuz had covered the tips of them the other day and I was wondering what this is? Has anyone else had luck with these bulbs you grow in your tank? I got some more today that are garunteed to grow in 30 days and planted three in the tank with the successful bulb sprout and one in the breeder tank with the not so successful ones.
Luck With Bulbs
- Thread starter Adrahel
- Start date
apongeton (sp?) or dwarf lillies? from walmart? If this is wat you got, just sit the bulbs on the surface, they dont like to be buried. If not, give me some more info on where you got them, i'm always interested in "booster pack" plants (for you collectible card game people out there $3 gives you 15 random cards, the parralell will become apparent as you read on)
I got them very variable quality. Guaranteed to sprout, but you have to send the rotting husks to the company and wait 6-10 weeks to get replacement.
Most of the apongeton have a lifecycle of about 3-5 weeks. You can put them in the fridge theoretically and reuse them in a few months (simulates winter).
The thing is those in the packages are random hybrids. Apparently the nurseries that grow them just have about 1000 varieties of apongeton bulbs growing in a marsh and they randomly cross pollinate. some are duds (about 50% from what ive seen), some spit out a few leaves and a bloom ( a whitish fuzzy thing that will stick out of water if possibe) and die within a week or so, and some will grow huge in clustered bulbettes/tubers that appear to be splittable. I happened to have the luck to get one of those last ones. It has been growing for about a year and has spread to a cluster of about 5 inches across. I think there are about 8-10 crowns of leaves. my kuhli loaches live in it and my swords always hide behind it. one of my tiny ones made some baby plants on a big stem that almost left the water. the babies float around for about a month then sink... and sit there. don't appear to be growing at all.
the lillies can bloom. but mine hasnt for a year. had 3 ..2 died after about 2-3 months)
my official opinion. good for some quick plants in a new tank. find things to replace them unless you are lucky and get a good one.
the big apongeton's bulb i got looked more like a burr one would get from walking in the weeds (brown hairy like a coconut and shaped like a almond for the city people
) vs the crumbled dried dog dropping (sorry best description) appearance of most of them in the packages. don't know if that will help you get a "good one" but might. Oh yeah if you are reallllly lucky you will get one with bright crimson leaves. Not got this ultra rare yet though but have seen pictures.
I got them very variable quality. Guaranteed to sprout, but you have to send the rotting husks to the company and wait 6-10 weeks to get replacement.
Most of the apongeton have a lifecycle of about 3-5 weeks. You can put them in the fridge theoretically and reuse them in a few months (simulates winter).
The thing is those in the packages are random hybrids. Apparently the nurseries that grow them just have about 1000 varieties of apongeton bulbs growing in a marsh and they randomly cross pollinate. some are duds (about 50% from what ive seen), some spit out a few leaves and a bloom ( a whitish fuzzy thing that will stick out of water if possibe) and die within a week or so, and some will grow huge in clustered bulbettes/tubers that appear to be splittable. I happened to have the luck to get one of those last ones. It has been growing for about a year and has spread to a cluster of about 5 inches across. I think there are about 8-10 crowns of leaves. my kuhli loaches live in it and my swords always hide behind it. one of my tiny ones made some baby plants on a big stem that almost left the water. the babies float around for about a month then sink... and sit there. don't appear to be growing at all.
the lillies can bloom. but mine hasnt for a year. had 3 ..2 died after about 2-3 months)
my official opinion. good for some quick plants in a new tank. find things to replace them unless you are lucky and get a good one.
the big apongeton's bulb i got looked more like a burr one would get from walking in the weeds (brown hairy like a coconut and shaped like a almond for the city people
) vs the crumbled dried dog dropping (sorry best description) appearance of most of them in the packages. don't know if that will help you get a "good one" but might. Oh yeah if you are reallllly lucky you will get one with bright crimson leaves. Not got this ultra rare yet though but have seen pictures.
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Well the one that has sprouted has long green leaves(came from a nice coconut husk looking thing like you described), and the new bulbs from the set I got today have four bulbs. One of each pictured on the paper I guess. One is a waterlilly, another is an onion, another is a Barclaya, and another an Aponogeton. We'll see how this batch turns out. I've left the other bulbs in the breeder tank to see if anything happens in the next bit or so. Also the one from the new pack that is the only one I can truly classify is the onion, it has the typical white bulb but it floats in the water, so I based it in the gravel. Is that good or should I let it float?
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