[GSAS-Member] Aponogetons

[Kat Hentsch <swamp-rat@hotmail.com>]

Hey folks, I've been in IL for a week for my grandpa's funeral and catching up 
with emails now...thought I'd share some of my experience with Aponogetons, 
sparked by discussion of Colin's Mad. Lace search:
These are by far my favorite specimen plants in a tank.  No matter the species 
they draw attention to themselves.  To date I have kept ulvaceous, undulatus, 
crispus, madagascariensis, boivinianus, capuroni and natans; currently have 
boivinianus, natans, ulvaceous, and mad. lace.
1. Most of my plants were acquired as plants, not just bulbs.  I have a hard 
time getting the bulbs to leaf out without rotting.  I try to choose a plant 
with a hefty root structure.  Forget how the foliage looks: it'll die upon 
switching tanks anyway.
2. I have learned the hard way to soak the bulbs in a methylene blue solution 
(same concentration as for egg fungus) for 10 minutes before placing in my 
tank.  This has drastically cut down on the tuber rot.
3. Save yourself the cleanup and tear back the outer leaves like peeling a 
cabbage.  These are the oldest and will die quickly.  The only leaves I leave 
are those just recently opened or starting to sprout.  Those generally survive.
4. The bulb will rot quickly if the plant sucks too much energy from the bulb 
to produce foliage.  This is where the hefty root structure comes in handy.  
Slap a Flourish tab or Jobes stick under the bulb and the roots will draw 
nutrients from it rather than depleting the bulb.  I don't recommend keeping 
the bulb in soil unless you are using mesh or peat pots, as others do not allow 
adequate flow around the roots.  I've had the best results in plain pea gravel 
or a coco pot filled with coco fiber, fluorite, and montmorrilonite clay.  The 
coco fiber wreaks havok on filters though, so ye be warned.
5. Your plant will likely shoot up like a weed.  It'll probably flower.  Then 
you'll notice all these little aphids on the water surface.  i have no idea how 
they get there, but it always happens.  This phenomenal growth will likely last 
6-8 months, and suddenly, your plant starts to fade.  OH NO!
6.  Snatch that sucker out of your tank, peel every last leaf off, and let it 
dry out.  Once dry, stick it in a dark, cool place like a fridge.  I left one 
on my bathroom sink for weeks before I realized it was hiding behind the soap 
dispenser.  Pop it back into the tank 3-4 weeks later and VOILA!  New happy 
growth.  This rest period seems to be the key to success.  I've seen it 
suggested to keep them in damp sand, but I tried this several times and just 
had the bulb rot every time.
Hope this gives someone the insight they need to grow a beautiful specimen! 
Kat Hentsch 


                                          
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