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A few months ago(4-5) i decided to put some aquarium bulbs in my tank to see if they would grow. none of them grew at all and after a month i took them out.They were just some cheap one's from wal-mart. Well there was one that i didn't get out accidentaly. And just about 5 min ago i noticed that that one bulb i forgot to remove is now sprouting. I am shocked, its been like five months since i put that thing in there. I dont see how this can happen. Can anyone exlain to me how this is possible?? Should i keep it and let it grow?

I'll try to get a pick up if possible

"The Earth is God's Fish Tank"

Yeah, definately let them grow, especially if you have no plants. The bulbs do take a long while to sprout, and the ones you took out, test them. You can test them by squeezing them, and if they are black and squishy, mail them in and youll get them back, as new replacements. I think it takes them awihle to sprout because they are "dormant", and have to be acclimated, i think. To make them sprout easier, equip them with proper lighting(10-12 hours) and bury them either fully or halfway.

I find the Dwarf Lily bulbs easier to grow.

So put the good bulbs in, bury them half way, and let the light go on for a while. Then, you could mail in the bad bulbs to the warrantee. These are the easiest and most neatest plants to grow. Try it!

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I have found that with decent light most wal-mart bulbs start to grow within one or two weeks. I recently bought a used tank that was not in a very bright room. It had a partially planted bulb in it, no leaves yet. I set the tank by a window & bought a new light bulb for the hood, as the old bulb was dim.

About a week later the bulb started growing leaves. Then another week later I noticed a single leaf coming up through the gravel in different places in the tank? As I pulled each one up to see the root system, it looked like the leaf was attached to something like a popcorn seed. I replanted them all together in one place to keep track of them. Then I called the guy to ask them what they were. He said they were all pieces of a wal-mart bulb. Now I didn't know the bulbs could do THAT??

seems like they have a mind of their own, thanks for all the help. the bulb is growing and seems to be doing good

"The Earth is God's Fish Tank"

Two of those common "bulb" plants are nymphaea (water lilies) and aponogetons. Aponogetons have an extensive "rest" period during the year much like tulips, croci or narcissi do in a garden. It is not unusual for the bulb to be dormant for a number of months then suddenly sprout.



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Thanks bob, i also just planted some live plants in the tank, anyone ever heard on Argentine Sword?

"The Earth is God's Fish Tank"

Hey bob!

I checked on tropica, and it said that the hybrid Apon dosent have a dormant period. The ones sold at walmart i think are hybrid apons.

Just my little contribution.

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Thanks, Goby. I knew that a. crispus did not need a dormant period in an aquarium although a. boivinianus, longiplumulosus and ulvaceus do require dormant periods ranging in time from weeks to months.

Unfortunately, I don't know what kind of bulb that Silver Dollar planted in his aquarium. My guess is that it is not nymphaea as those bulbs should sprout with weeks. The only other common bulb is aponogeton and I wouldn't hazard a guess as to the variety whether named above or a hybrid without a picture or description.

I provided a general answer for a general question.

Argentine Sword Plant
Freshwater Aquarium Plant Care
Scientific Name... Echinodorus argentinensis
Size...............Up to 18 inches
pH.................6.8 - 7.5
Temperature........60°F - 77°F
Aquarium Light needed is 50 watts for every 25 gallons or 2 watts per gallon (wpg)
Water Hardness.....soft-hard
Origin.............South America
Care...............Grows better in softer water than hard water. Optimal growth may not occur if the water is too hard. Plant in a loose substrate and supplement with an iron fertilizer. - FishLore.com

__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright