Aponogeton madagascariensis

[All butter shortbread]

hello,
first time posting on the forum & pretty new to planted tanks in general.

Just got one of these plants, and looking online I've read loads of contradicting information ranging from its super easy to grow to it's super difficult to grow..

Just wondering what people's experiences are with this plant?

Thanks

 

[Tim Harrison]

I've grown them the low-energy way, that would perhaps indicate that they like relatively low light and a nutrient rich substrate, like many other Aponogetons. There are, however, several different varieties of madagascariensis with different requirements; perhaps accounting for conflicting info.

 

[All butter shortbread]

I hope i have an easy variety then!

Thanks for the info

 

[sparkyweasel]

Troi is right, they vary a lot.
They usually start growing well, using the energy stored in the 'bulb'. But if that's all they have it gets depleted and then they waste away. You need to feed them well, so that the leaves that sprout from the bulb can replenish the stored energy as well as sustain the growth of the plant.
Many, but not all, varieties will drop their leaves and go into a resting phase*. If they have been well fed the bulb will have enough energy to get them started again after the rest. It's best to take a resting bulb out of the tank and store it in moist sand or compost for a few weeks, then put it back in a tank to grow again. If you buy another plant when yours goes into its rest, you can plant that in it's place and then alternate them.

* If it has leaves when you buy it, and drops those soon after planting it in your tank, that's just to cope with the change of conditions, leave it alone and it will soon put out more leaves.

 

[All butter shortbread]

wow, crazy plant - thanks for the advice
It had no intact leaves when I got it anyway so atm its just a bulb sitting on the substrate