# red tiger lily



## crystalview (Mar 9, 2008)

My tiger lily just slowly turned from bright pink to this color. Is this just seasonal or missing some nutrient? It's 10months old. The rock behind it is about the length of your hand. I have trimmed the roots once and pinch any tall reaching leaves. I use Excel daily and flourish once a week with a 55w 6700k on a 29g. Water O, O, .5

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/crystalview_photo/redbulb.jpg.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

All plants need nitrates, phosphates, potassium and trace elements, as well as a source of carbon. You are starving your lily by not feeding it those nutrients. You need start dosing either something like Flourish nitrogen, Flourish potassium and Flourish phosphorous, or get dry fertilizers - KNO3 and KH2PO4. Flourish is good for trace elements, but with that much light it needs to be dosed more often.


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## legomaniac89 (Mar 19, 2008)

Definitely, you need to get some ferts for the lily. Honestly, I'm surprised it looks that good with the small amount of ferts it is getting. My Tiger lotus doesn't have nearly that coloration.

I'd invest in some good liquid or dry ferts: Seachem's Flourish line is excellent. 

You may also want to change out the substrate with a nutrient-rich substrate such as Eco-Complete or Flourite. I'm assuming since the gravel is green and blue it's not a plant substrate  
But with the color it has now, this is really just optional. Your growth would only improve by increasing ferts and better substrate.


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## crystalview (Mar 9, 2008)

I am still a little confused about ferts (like everyone else it seems). I know that in this small tank every thing has worked really well with the excel and flourish. I am moving up to the 45g and plan on adding some more plants. I am going to attend the next Sacramento PT meeting and since Tom Barr is a member he might have info I could read up on about Ferts. Or some one there should. Never been a meeting joiner so it should be different.
The new gravel is a non coated agate gravel that is about 3m to 4m. I am a pleb and like gravel. I really think I need to find out about other forms of ferts. Seachem has been great very easy to use. If I follow their dosing guide the price will go up! I have also read so many stories about other peoples algae problems with improper dosing that worries me.
The new tank is 24" high and I choose the 96w 6700k AH kit. I like a lightly planted tank. Since I have a very bright great room I run a 18w UV 24/7. It was the only thing that worked on the algae which was mostly green water and slight amounts of other forms. My 29g has been up for several years and it's like putting down a friend. Can't afford two tanks but bigger is better.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Personally it looks pretty normal to me. It actually looks like you have a green & red tiger lotus. The only time I've seen mine turn pink is when the leaves are about to die. Here is a good site for a introduction to ferts... http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_fertilizer_intro.htm


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I agree with Trenac. I believe you have the Jade Tiger Lotus - Nympaea Lotus Zenkeri. It's supposed to be green and red. You would not have all that growth if it was starving. It looks very healthy to me.


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## crystalview (Mar 9, 2008)

Well that's another one from Aquamagic. With the leaves mottled like they are they do look trippy. I will have to look for something pink or red to grow. 
Thanks for the link on nutrients.


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

For what it's worth... I think it looks really pretty in there in front of your red rock.


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## crystalview (Mar 9, 2008)

I like it too.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Tiger lotus can vary from different shades of green to red. The mottled green with red spots is the most common and pretty normal. I don't know if changing the fertilizer regime would change the coloring that much or not. Even the most red of red tiger lotus is mottled to some extent with different shades of red to orange, even some yellow. Nymphaea species are heavy root feeders and respond well to fertilizer tablets in the substrate. A good NPK tablet, (nitrogen-phosphate-potassium) will give the plant a good boost. Flourish provides mostly trace minerals with only tiny amounts of NPK, unless you get straight Flourish N Flourish P or Flourish K.


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