Maintaining a pond can be quite time-consuming. If you still want to plant water lilies because you love them, you can also put them in your home aquarium - if you have them. How this works successfully and what needs to be taken into account – read it below!
How do you plant and care for water lilies in the aquarium?
Water lilies in the aquarium work best with smaller species such as the red or green tiger lotus and the green dwarf water lily. Make sure there is sufficient lighting, water temperature between 24-30°C, a pH value of 6-8, sand as a substrate and regular care such as fertilizing and dividing.
Use smaller species for aquariums
Aquariums don't offer as much space as large garden ponds - that's for sure. It is precisely for this reason that you should only use weak, small water lily species for your aquarium planting. When selecting the species, consider the depth of your aquarium! Many species need a water depth of more than 70 cm!
The red and green tiger lotus are well suited for culture in the aquarium. These two species grow between 20 and 80 cm high. The red-leaved species is particularly impressive in the aquarium. With its red leaves it forms a beautiful contrast to other green aquatic plants. Both species readily produce flowers if the care is right.
The green dwarf water lily is also recommended for aquariums. This type of water lily remains small in growth and only produces a few floating leaves. This has the advantage that it doesn't cast as much shadow.
Big, warm and bright enough
For aquarium culture to be successful, you should consider the following aspects:
- open aquarium
- Lighting
- Water temperature between 24 and 30 °C
- pH value between 6 and 8
- Size of at least 50 x 40 x 40 cm
- Sand as a substrate (to anchor the roots)
Fertilizing, cutting and dividing
Once planting has taken place, care plays a crucial role in the near future. Water lilies in the aquarium need plenty of nutrients. For example, you can use fertilizer balls (€9.00 on Amazon) to ensure their nutrient supply.
It is also important that the water lilies are shared regularly. This slows down their growth and reduces their size. This is significant if they have already taken up most of the aquarium. You can also remove floating leaves every now and then if there are too many.
Tip
Normal pond water lilies are completely unsuitable for the aquarium. Their leaves become huge and they like to proliferate. The aquarium would be overgrown in no time.
