Every fan of aquarium fish wants to have an amazing plant in their aquarium that looks like a lotus flower. Many people want to know how the cultivation of nymphaea, planting and care is carried out. There is a specificity of these processes for an aquarium, since this plant mainly grows in ponds and ponds. In another way, it is also called water lilies.
This plant surprises with its unusual beauty and size. Therefore, its owners need to make a lot of efforts to maintain its existence for a long time. Such troubles do not scare anyone, because the result is worth it. Therefore, aquarists are not afraid to breed such plants in aquariums. After all, it looks so gorgeous from the side! Varieties of flower nymphaeum, planting and care, photos will be discussed in this article.
What aquarium is needed
Since nymphaea are very large plants, for their breeding it will be necessary to purchase an aquarium of large volume. When the water lily grows, its leaves occupy almost all the free space in the container, their shape is very similar to the Latin letter V.
To date, there are three types of nymphs, planting and care of which is adapted to aquariums. They are most common throughout the planet and are actively grown by aquarists.
Sizes of the nympha
Depending on the location of large leaves will grow to a certain length and petioles. They seem to be trying to find at least a little free space for themselves. The highest stalk height that exists in the world is one and a half meters. But this is not direct evidence that if a plant reaches this size, then it does not need careful care.
In order for the water lily to be able to fit in the aquarium, experts learned to hold back its growth a little. In such cases, nymphs can grow up to only fifty centimeters.
Red water lily
Most of all, tiger or red nymphaea is suitable for home growing conditions. Landing and care of this species is not specific, except for the availability of sufficient area. The tiger nymphaia is very different in appearance from its relatives. After all, it has an unusually interesting color. Its leaves can be either bright green or pale olive in color. Also on its wide leaves there are beautiful patterns of brown-burgundy hue.
The red water lily is a plant that was once grown artificially. Its leaves are colored maroon and red. A young plant absolutely does not look like a more mature one, because they have very different shapes and sizes of leaves. The leaves of the young water lily are slightly oval and do not yet have a characteristic cut in the middle.
Such plants are slightly rough to the touch, while older plants have smooth leaves with a slot.
The red nymphaeum, care and planting in the aquarium of which require a large amount of free space, grows to the edges of the aquarium and occupies about half a meter of area. The leaves of adult plants can float to the expanse of water, and can remain submerged. As a result, half of the aquarium turns out to be dark, and in addition it becomes possible to grow additionally only species that do not require lighting.
This species blooms, its reproduction is mainly carried out by root shoots.
Maroon water lily
This type of plant has bright burgundy leaves, which attracts aquarium lovers, and grows almost forty centimeters in height.
This type of plant is a very beautiful nymphaeum. Planting and caring for it is quite simple, so many aquarists purchase it. Unfortunately, due to its rather impressive size, no more than two such plants can fit in the aquarium. To enable the nymphaea to grow and multiply normally, it is better to provide her with as much area as possible for growth.
If there is a desire and the opportunity to engage in the cultivation of such a plant, then do not give up on this. After all, this will provide an opportunity to observe the most unusual processes that occur in the water world, and in this case, directly at the owner in the house. Nymphs can bring lightness and beauty to the house, create the impression of a fairy-tale country, which many saw only in cartoons!
Tiger (green) nymphaeum
The simplest plants that do not require constant attention are green nymphaea. Planting and caring for them is well done at home. Such a water lily can grow up to sixty centimeters. It grows quickly and multiplies, so it is necessary to get rid of new processes in time.
The leaves of the plant are small and do not grow very quickly, spreading over the entire area of ββthe aquarium. The leaves of the tiger nymphaea grow on tall petioles, which come from the very powerful root system of the plant. Their appearance is quite standard for the genus of nymphs, they have small slots in the center.
Leaves can reach huge sizes only if there is not enough water in the aquarium. Such plants very much resemble the most ordinary water lilies that are found on ponds and ponds.
A plant of this type can begin flowering directly in the aquarium. It produces unusual beauty, revealed mainly at night, a large white flower of a nympha. Planting and care, from seeds growing this crop is not difficult, since the seeds that have fallen into the ground and matured after flowering quickly begin to germinate and develop.
Tiger nymphaea can also reproduce vegetatively. For the normal development of this plant, it must be fed with special feeds, which should contain a large number of useful trace elements.
Soil for growing
For the normal growth of nymphaea, the planting and care of which takes place in the aquarium, the container must necessarily contain high-quality soil, which will include a lot of organic substances. Also, adding charcoal, clay, peat there will not be superfluous. It is best for the stones to be of medium size. After all, large pebbles will only harm the leaves of the water lily.
Also for planting nymphs for greater convenience, you can use an ordinary flower pot, but you must not forget to consider the size of the plant. At the bottom of the pot you will need to compactly compact the ground with pebbles, and then place it in the aquarium. It is not only convenient, but also beautiful. After all, if fish live in the aquarium, then this will give them the opportunity to move between the leaves of plants and get additional useful trace elements.
Light sensitivity
It is very important to be informed about the fact that the tiger nymphaeum is aquarium, the landing and care of which, in general, are not complicated, is rather sensitive to light. When the plant does not have enough light, the stems of its leaves will gradually rise up and weaken. After a couple of days, the leaves will change their bright green color to a dimmer, which as a result can lead to the death of the water lily.
In order to prevent such an outcome of events, it is worth prolonging the exposure of sunlight to the nympha from ten to twelve hours a day. During this time, she will be able to get enough vitamin D and develop in the right direction. When it is not possible to enjoy real daylight, fluorescent lamps come to the rescue, in which case phytolamps will have the best effect. Using them allows you to increase the growth rate of plants, if, of course, it is necessary for the owner of the flower.
Water for keeping water lilies
What else is important to consider is what quality water will be used to fill the aquarium.
The maximum hardness of water should not exceed six degrees, and the acidity of the liquid must be maintained no higher than seven. Otherwise, the same situation may be repeated as in the example with a lack of sunlight.
The most optimal water temperature in the aquarium are considered indicators from twenty-four to twenty-eight degrees. If for some reason the water temperature drops to twenty-two degrees, then the plant instantly notices this: it begins to slowly wilt and stops growing.
Also good news is that changing the water in the aquarium where the plant grows does not need to be done very often. On the contrary, if the water is a little stagnant, then humic acids will begin to accumulate in it, which take an active part in the process of growth and development of water lilies. The most suitable level of filling an aquarium with a nymphaeum is no less than forty-five centimeters.
Methods of reproduction nymphaea
The plant is characterized by two methods of reproduction. The first occurs with the help of seeds, and the second is a vegetative method. In this case, new small shoots will appear on the root of the plants. If their growth begins to exceed fifteen centimeters, then it is recommended that they be transplanted into a separate aquarium or pot filled with soil.
Not everyone knows that newly-formed shoots very slowly adapt to new living conditions. Therefore, if in the future there are no plans to plant this plant, then it is best to get rid of shoots that appear on the roots in a timely manner.
If the nymphaeum lives in a flower pot, then it is necessary to change its location after a certain time period. Spring is best for this. It is during this period that the water lily is in a state of calm growth. Therefore, a change of her place of residence will not harm her in any way.
Being an ordinary plant, nymphs, planting and care of which take place in a home aquarium, however, necessarily require fertilizing with useful fertilizers. Itβs best to use supplements that contain high amounts of iron. This element has a beneficial effect on the development of water lilies.