# Red Tiger Lotus



## Wiccandove (May 19, 2012)

I recently added a red tiger lotus to my (low tech) tank without doing research first (I know I know). Well, now I'm reading that this plant is a huge nutrient hog and will choke out my swords and other rooted plants - is this true?


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## qualityshrimpz (Dec 15, 2009)

Probably yes.


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## Wiccandove (May 19, 2012)

Should I remove it entirely or put it in a pot or something instead of right into the gravel? Its such a pretty plant I'd hate to have to get rid of it, but I will if it means its going to kill everything else


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## Wiccandove (May 19, 2012)

well this thread is moot now as I just walked by the tank and saw my pleco had torn the plant to shreds, pulled the bulb out of the substrate and tore all the stems off. He was snacking on the bulb, or the bits of stem on the bulb, so I just trashed the whole thing 
Maybe he was just trying to help.....


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## w4x (Dec 13, 2014)

Just curious where you were able to buy the red tiger lotus in Toronto.


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## default (May 28, 2011)

Shame, however, the bulb should store enough energy for it to re-sprout, I've seen bulbs go through worst!

For your question however, it would've been fine in a tank with your existing plants, lotus and most bulb plants do extract a fair bit of nutrients, but it shouldn't affect any other plants - nothing is quite a nutrient hog than echinodorus species! What kind of substrate are you using anyways?
A very simple fix would be to use root tabs/pills around all your plants - this would mostly be for trace and iron.

Only drawback from most rosette and bulb plants are shading, tiger Lillie's especially "will block out the sun.." - 300 anyone? .


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## Wiccandove (May 19, 2012)

w4x said:


> Just curious where you were able to buy the red tiger lotus in Toronto.


Menagerie


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## Wiccandove (May 19, 2012)

default said:


> ! What kind of substrate are you using anyways?
> A very simple fix would be to use root tabs/pills around all your plants - this would mostly be for trace and iron.


My substrate is mostly (about 100 pounds) #20 blasting sand and about 20 pounds of flourite black sand. Because the blasting sand is inert I already did homemade root tabs around all my stem plants. I would consider getting another lotus but I'm afraid the pleco would ruin it again. Ah well, maybe for another tank down the road


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## mhn (Apr 21, 2016)

I've had a lot of success with mixtures of tiger lotus bulbs and amazon swords. That said, my aquaria have relatively low light (2 wpg, but spiral CFL) and very rich soil. I got mine at Big Al's North York. They often have them in stock.


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## Mossman (Mar 7, 2016)

I have a couple Tiger lotus in a 40B. (C02, EI Ferts, Med/High light, Ada soil) They don't seem to hog all the nutrients. I do trim the bigger leafs off though.


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