Lace plant won't grow tall.

[Sarpijk]

Hi guys, I could use some help here. I got an Aponogeton Madagascariensis on an impulse and put it in my river tank.

It is been about two months in and althought it has produced many leaves , they do not seem to grow tall. As you can see in the pictures it is surrounded by Crypts but as far as I know this is a good thing.

I have put some Osmocote balls since I am afraid of using a full gel cap of Osmocote. I also dose once a week Micros and macros. No co2 , low light ( Twinstar SA on the third setting).

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I'd probably just wait, it looks really healthy.

@Mick.Dk is your best hope for a definitive answer, but my guess would be that it will grow bigger leaves over time.

It may also be a variety thing, it looks to have broad leaves and that may mean it is a naturally shorter plant.

cheers Darrel

 

[Hanuman]

I am no expert in lace plants but probably has to do with the variety you have. There seems to be all kind of lace plants from tall to short. The one I have is similar to yours perhaps a tiny bit taller but still shorter than those that I see in many tanks. My lace plant is in a Co2 tank though and that probably contributes to it being bigger. Personally I don't mind if it stay short as some of them can get pretty big.

Some pics:

A few months back when I just got the plant:


Here I moved it to my main tank over a month a go. Now it started flowering.


Its flower:

 

[Sarpijk]

I remember thatin an old low teck scape I used to have Valisneria nana that it would grow runners but they would stay short , like Sagittaria sp. When I started dosing extra macros not only they grew tall but also smothered the tank.

This picture was taken January 8. A while after I added the Cryptocoryne Affinis. I can't help but think that I might have stalled it's development by adding the other plants.

Another concern of mine is that I might have buried it too deep, although on one side the bulb is visible and I cannot move it now because it is anchored to the substrate.

 

[Hanuman]

The bulb should not be totally burried that’s for sure or it migh rot. You could brush some of the substrate off to slightly expose the bulb but I would not pull it. But your plant has grown quite a bit and seems healthy so ultimatly I guess you are good. Do note that lace plants are heavy root feeders and you have a gravel substrate so that might be also the reason why it has grown at a slower pace.

I don’t think that adding the crypt upset the lace plant. The lace is quite hardy in my opinion. When I moved mine to the main tank I trimmed some of the roots as they were long and intertwined. It did not stop it from growing leaves non stop and becoming even bigger. It might have triggered the flowering though although could also be the temperature. I am in a hot country and my tank temperature is always between 28/29°C. That plant prefers way lower temps (22/25°C) according to what I have read but so far it hasn’t died off. It will probably go into dormancy after the flowering is over.

 

[Sarpijk]

Thanks Hanuman, I should note that this is a dirted tank so under the gravel I have used soil so that shouldn't be a problem. The temperature right now in the tank is 24° celcius.

I will try to expose the bulb.