Pruning Tiger Lotus?

[mindtonic]

I've viewed many pictures of AC member's tanks and have been wondering how so many of you get your Tiger Lotus to grow so full while submerged. I've read that you should snip off any runners that make a dash for the surface, but all of the stems on mine are shooting strait up. I've only had mine for a couple of weeks and I'm not really sure how to progress. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[reiverix]

I cut off the shoots at the base before they reach the surface. Sometimes a leave will get too wide and tall so I trim it down as well. Apart from that there's not much else I do to them. I've got both red and green tiger lotus. The red ones put out runners all the time but for some reason the green lotus has never done so.

 

[Robert H]

You need bright light and feed the plant at the roots. If it gets nitrogen at the roots and as the roots get bigger the leaves get bigger before reaching the water surface.

 

[djlen]

If you have good light and adequate nutrients in the water table, reiverix's method of constant pruning before the leaves reach the surface will eventually train the plant to stay low for you.
IME, there is no need to root feed a lotus. Just keep after it from a pruning stand-point.

Len