Red plants in wasted aquarium

[dan4x4]

As the title suggests I want to add some red into my aquarium. Its a newly set up walstad and everything is going great.

I really like the tiger lotus however I worry that it might shade some of the other plants and kill them off - could anyone confirm this?

Its going to replace the echinodorus aquatica which is doing very poor indeed. in the rear left.

 

[EnderUK]

Tiger lotus grow big and will dominate the tank if you don't stay on top of pruning. I have no issue with it choking my other plants which are all doing very well for the last year, pruned it right back once when it had 4 or five big leaves at the surface (see the post in my multiple tank thread).

 

[Mick.Dk]

If stem-plants are acceptable, kandidates could be: Ludwigia palustris, Ludwigia 'rubin' and Rotala rotundifolia.
I have been surprised how well Echinodorus 'red diamond' and Echinodorus 'reni' cope with "Very Low Tech" conditions, once acclimatized. Actually colouring up acceptable. Both will stay quite small in these environments.

 

[dan4x4]

If stem-plants are acceptable, kandidates could be: Ludwigia palustris, Ludwigia 'rubin' and Rotala rotundifolia.
I have been surprised how well Echinodorus 'red diamond' and Echinodorus 'reni' cope with "Very Low Tech" conditions, once acclimatized. Actually colouring up acceptable. Both will stay quite small in these environments.

I would love another echinodorus but I worry that it won't take. My Echinodorus aquartica is surviving but thats it. Its the only plant not to show heavy growth. I do have echinodorus tenellus however and thats doing great.

Maybe I will go for a stem plant. I think I have enough stem plants however. Im going to make some changes I think. Need to think this over more.

 

[Gill]

If you are worried about to much shading, why not think of a nano LED light tube. you can get them in all sorts of sizes now. So you can spot light a certain area of the tank.

 

[dan4x4]

If you are worried about to much shading, why not think of a nano LED light tube. you can get them in all sorts of sizes now. So you can spot light a certain area of the tank.

This is a possibility and a great suggestion but once that I don't think I will pursue. I want to keep it natural as possible. Im going to give tiger lotus a go, I did originally have one when I got the tank, however it died, it was in a bad state when it was delivered and I think i killed it off when trying to plant.

I do like the idea of the tiger lotus a lot, if it ever flowered I have a glass top aquarium so it would look special I think!

 

[Mick.Dk]

The Ech. aquartica need better conditions, than most Echinodorus - so the fact, that this plant is on the edge should not keep you away from trying easier types of Echinodorus. The two I mentioned are much less craving types. Echinodorus benefit from root-tabs.

Tigerlotus will enevitably outgrow your aquarium, and go to surface, once/if it is thriving. Some individuals faster than others, admittedly. One of the tricks to get it growing is feeding heavily with root-tabs (it's an old gardener-saying, that water-lilies should be planted in a dead cat and a bit of clay!)
Getting flowers from it, will take about a square metre of surface leaves, outshading every other plant beneath......and you should be aware, that it is a "night flowerer", opening late evening and closing very early morning. Flower is bright white and scented.
- is it really worth it.......???