# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Spatterdock



## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Nuphar sp. is a water lilly native to the USA and Japan and has been used in the aquarium for a long time. It can grow a massive tuber, but in the aquarium it is usually rather small. The tuber reminds me of a chunk of raw pineapple.

On the southeast coast of the USA there are two Nuphar species, one reffered to as Spatterdock, and the other as Cape Fear Spatterdock. It grows in ponds along the coast, so it does well in cold water aquariums as well as tropical.

I get this plant in for sale every once in a while, and I recently breought some in. Anybody here ever grow this plant?


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## MOR B. (Oct 9, 2003)

yes i think i have the same plant - i call it nophar japonica


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Thats it Mor, except it is spelled Nuphar. Nuphar japonica comes from Japan. How does it grow for you?

Here is a current picture I took over the weekend:










I think it is a plant that would do well in either a high or low tech tank


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## MOR B. (Oct 9, 2003)

i took it out from my main tank a few months ago because it became a "tree" - not a plant... 
i realy like this plant so i keep it in another tank. its tuber is as u said - giant! u can cut it and split the plant to two different plant


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## CherylH (Jul 22, 2004)

Is there a secret to keeping the tuber from rotting? I tried one a while back and the tuber had mushy spot when it arrived. I cut off the soft part (perhaps not deeply enough), but it got mushy again and I threw it out as I was afraid it would foul my tank.

It's a gorgeous plant and I wouldn't mind trying it again someday.


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## sherry (Sep 30, 2005)

I've had this one for a couple of months. It seems to grow pretty easily under 96 watts in a 35 gallon tank with only excel. It is fun because the leaves rise up at night and open downward in the light

it wants to send up bigger leaves sometimes. but I have cut those off and it has sent shorter ones since.. kind of like training a tiger lotus. 

It hasn't become a tree yet.. and I'm hoping it won't. It is very pretty, but some of my leaves have been rasped thru, I assume by my bristlenoses.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Well the trick is not to bury the rhizome, but you have to in order to keep the plant weighted down until it takes root well in the substrate.


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## sherry (Sep 30, 2005)

my rizome is buried. should I pull it out some?


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## Ben C (Apr 16, 2006)

I love this plant. I had it as the main centre piece in my last 13gal.. i had to trim it often to keep small enough, but it really is beautiful. Actually, i might just put it in my new tank i'll be setting up at the end of the month! good timing Robert. 

Sherry.. yes, it is easily damaged. I wouldn't keep any plecs with a nuphar. They can be damaged by strong water movement.


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

I would try to Sherry, if the roots from the tuber have grown long enough


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## Tankman (Feb 19, 2006)

I have one of this. Bought it with beautiful long leaves. Now, with trimming, the leaves have become considerably shorter.

My question is, "how do I make the plant grow it's taller leaves again?"

I love this plant and hope it can still be in the background.


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