Why are my plant bulbs molding?

Hey, on the 18th of this month, I purchased two little packages of aquatic plants bulbs. One is Nymphaea, lilly bulbs, and the others are Hybrid Aponogeton bulbs. Only three of the latter have started growing, and all of the others have mold or something growing on them. It's fluffy and clearish in color. On the package it sais that they are garanteed to grow with in 20 days of dropping in the tank, or I can send any bulbs that don't grow back and they will send some new bulbs. They are from Sea-Life Inc. What is the deal? I want to have some nice plants started before I put my Axolotls back in the tank. My Duck weed is growing beautifully I might add, it is taking over the top, heh heh Should I take the yucky looking bulbs out, or should I just leave them in there and wait a bit longer to see if they start to grow? I think my little Otto's will start getting sick if I leave them in there too much longer with the yucky bulbs, so I have no idea. I just did a 20% water change three days ago right before I put the bulbs in. Came out with duck weed all over my arm heh heh. It was great! Little gimpy <font color="ff0000">&#149;</font><font color="ff0000">&#149;</font><font color="ff0000">&#149;</font><font color="ff0000">&#149;</font> is also living in the tank. He doesn't have any front pinchers. I'm going to get a little tank devider so he can have a bit of space in the tank until we we move and I set up something else for him. he's very small and so cute! His name is Gimps the crab. Likes green beans he does

Rheann - Those bulbs are usually some sort of Aponogeton. Not all of them are the same type of plant though.

The ones that I tried grew super fast but were short lived. They were a variety that needed a dormant period and I didn't know that at the time so to me it just looked like they died.

If I had removed the bulbs once the top died off and dried them for a while apparently they would grow again if placed back in the tank.

Be careful not to let those bulbs lay and rot in the tank, they can spoil the water.

With the ones that are growing if the top dies off take the bulb out of the water and let it dry for a few weeks then try putting it back in the tank.

If you want plants that are long lived and hearty I would recommend some Java Fern or anubis nana. They grow slow but they are very nice plants and do well in low light.

In the past I have had some of them in tanks for years. The apogentons will selfcycle if you let them die back and will usually start growing again after a few months rest.

Ed

Mine started to rot so I took them out and tossed them. Then a guy I work with told me that if I had taken them out when the top died and let them dry out a few weeks and then put them back in the tank they would have grown again.

They were nice plants they even bloomed, but shortly after that they just died. Two of them were pinkish colored and I have no idea what they were and the two others appeared to be aponogeton crispus.

Ed did you use any plant food or anything with them?

Thanks Cynthia, thanks Edward I took the bulbs out last night and put them in water. I will take them out of the water and let them dry out and try again. I will also try the plants you suggested Cynthia when I get a chance to find them. My tank sseems better now that I took them out. I cleaned it a bit when I took the bulbs out. Also, I meant to say Gimpy Crab, not the other word lol.

Hi Cynthia,

No but then when I have had plant tanks, I tend to not clean the gravel as the mulm will then help feed the plants. (the only time I fed plants were some iron supplements for cryptocrynes) I have also had the dwarf lilies bloom when kept in a tank that got direct sun for a couple of hours a day.

Ed

Ed - I probably tend to over clean the substrate in my planted tanks, but I do add a bit of liquid plant food once a week. The only plant I have that blooms is anubis nana.

Rheann - If you can't find any java fern at the pet stores, have some baby java fern starts you can have for the price of shipping if you want them when the weather cools down some. It was 107 here yesterday

Cynthia, what do the blooms on anubis nana look like? I looked up pictures of the plant and it has beautiful broad leaves. Just curious!

Rheann--here's a site that sells plants. http://www.ah-supply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=512 It looks like they have quite a bit of them.

Monica - They are not a spectacular flower.. but a flower none the less. They are small and white.

Here is a link to a picture of one with a flower.
http://aquarko.webpark.cz/rostliny/soubory/abn.htm

There are several varities of anubias they have a different sized leaf some are a bit darker colorled than others.

Nana has a smallish leaf and is a very compact nice plant. I also have an anubias barteri coffeefolia it has fairly large leaf, and I have some of the nana petite which have dime to nickel sized leaf.

This site http://www.tropica.com/default.asp
is very good for looking up plants and their requirements.

(Message edited by cynorita on July 23, 2005)

They kind of look like a peace lily flower, if I'm not mistaken. I book marked that site you gave me for aquatic plants for future use.

I noticed on your picture that your albino axolotl has really red gill feathers and on mine it is very light. Do they just vary in colour or is it a sign of stress (that mine are so light)?

Monica - I think they tend to vary in color some what. Blingbling (the gold one in my picture) has always had really red gills.

My wild color axolotls have burgundy colored filaments, my young white one has pinkish to red filaments, my black ones gills are nearly "red" free.

If the gills went really pale all the time on an axolotl that had bright gills before then I would start to worry. I read that really pale gills can be a sign of anemia.

Your young axolotls looked like they had fine gills for their age in the gallery pictures.

Alright well it's good to know. I'm just all paranoid about them being alright. I think it's the nesting instinct kicking in and I'm taking it out on the axolotls. They are getting pampered!

I was told today I could have this baby this weekend!!! I'm so nervous!!!

I like how bling blings gills are so red. They look like she/he has a red feather boa...very elegant!

Hey, I found out something really nasty. As I mentioned, I took the bulbs out, and let them dry out. After a while I went in and checked on them, and there was a tiny orange segmented worm crawling out of one of them! It was so gross, I think this is why they didn't grow. they had parasites in them. The ones that are growing I just left in the tank, I think they are fine. Also, good news! My husband said that we could go ahead and get the Canister filter next month! I am so happy I can't wait to get it, I should also expecting my aquarium vacuum in the mail hopefully this up coming week, or the next.