Nymphaea lotus

Nymphaea lotus has a wide natural distribution across Africa and parts of Asia, growing in slow-moving or still waters under open sunlight. In the aquarium it produces large, broadly ovate submerged leaves in green mottled with reddish-brown, and it will eventually attempt to grow floating leaves and flowers at the surface under sufficiently high light. Pruning floating leaves encourages continued submerged rosette growth. It is one of the easier lotus species to keep, tolerating a wider range of temperatures and water chemistries than many specialty plants. It grows from a bulb and benefits from root nutrition.

Light: Medium to high (40–70 PAR); higher light intensifies leaf colouration. CO2: Not required; grows well without injection. Fertiliser: Root tab under the bulb every 3 months; weekly liquid fertiliser with iron and potassium. Planting: Plant bulb shallowly in the midground; allow ample space for wide leaf spread. Growth: Fast; prune floating leaves to maintain submerged rosette form; reaches 20–40 cm submerged.