My Green Wet Thumb: The Miracle of Miracle Bulbs Derek P.S. Tustin Aponogeton. The first question (at least to me) is – How Aponogeton plants will vary in the appearance of their do you pronounce it? I don't know how many experienced foliage, but all will have some basic characteristics in aquatic horticulturists and local fish room staff must have common. The leaves will vary from being slender and laughed at me behind my back as I wandered around floating completely on the surface (such as with a. thinking I knew what I was saying, let alone what I was distachyus), to narrow, fluted and submerged (a. doing. Time after time I would say A-poh-no-Get-on. longiplumulosus and a. crispus), and to some more Wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong! It wasn't until I stumbled unique specimens such as a. madagascariensis which across this fabulous website – has leaves formed similar to fine netting. All will have www.aquariumarticles.com – that I learned I was saying it some stem prior to the leaf, but this can vary from a few incorrectly. It's actually ah-poh-no-Jee-ton. Doesn't seem millimetres up to in excess of a metre. Finally, all grow like much, but accuracy is in the details. from a tuber or bulb - hence the name "Miracle Bulbs". The tuber is a starchy bulb that stores energy for the My first experience with this species of plant came when I plant's growth, both during this growing season and for was in a local fish store in Mississauga. Again, I was in the next. For the plant to be successful during the next the early stages of aquatic horticulture (although a bit growing season, it must be able to absorb the nutrients further along than where I mentioned last month), and I from your substrate. If it is unable to do so, it will either saw a big beautiful plant in the back in one of their tanks. cease to grow during this season, or fail to grow from the I asked about it, and the staff weren't really able to tell me tuber during the next. Therefore, if you want these anything about it. Still in that "Gee, that would look cool in beautiful plants to survive for more than one season, you my tank" stage, I bought it. I took it home and placed it in must be aware of the nutrients available for your plants in a 25 gallon tall aquarium, planting it in the back corner. your tank. (It should be noted that originally a. crispus I've always been a researcher by nature, and soon found were called "Miracle Bulbs" or "Wonder Bulbs" but out that what I had acquired was an Aponogeton currently in the Greater Toronto Area, most Aponogeton ulvaceus. One website describes it as "a stout plant species – with the notable exception of the Madagascar which demands large tanks with a good amount of water lace plant – will be commonly referred to by one of those surface." Oops. A 25 gallon tall aquarium has a surface two names.) area the same as a short 15 gallon or a tall 20 gallon. That is 12" X 24", or about 288 square inches, or two Aponogetons will frequently flower, and it is by this flower square feet, which wasn't enough space for that plant. that their area of origin can be identified. Those that Still in the arrogant stage I was in, I decided that it originate in Asia will have flowers forming on a single wouldn't make much of a difference. I could make it grow, stalk, while those from Africa (including Madagascar) will and with pruning, it would fit. have flowers formed on multiple stalks. The flowers range in color from white to lavender to yellow, and many are So much for that theory. It grew. And grew. And grew. sweetly scented. Soon enough it had pretty much dominated the tank, and I found that I really didn't care for it. Now I wish I had it Most Aponogetons that are commercially available are back, but at that point in time, I took it back to the store considered hybrids, and obtaining pure strains, especially and traded it in. at the low prices currently placed on "Miracle Bulbs", is quite difficult. Again, the Madagascar lace plant is an More recently, I saw some at a local fish store in exception to this rule. Most "Miracle Bulbs" sell for as low Pickering. There were some very nice Madagascar lace as $1.99 up to around $5.00. The Madagascar lace plant plants (Aponogeton madagascariensis), and about four usually starts at around $8.00. varieties that were simply identified as "Miracle Bulbs". (continued on page 13) Again, staff in the store were able to tell me nothing other than that they were some species of Aponogeton. The lace plant was priced at $12.88 (although I swung a deal and got it for $8.00), but the "Miracle Bulbs" were listed as being on sale for $1.99 each, regularly $2.99 each. Being quite affordable, I picked up one of the lace plants, and six of the "Miracle Bulbs", two each of three different species, since identified as Aponogeton crispus, Aponogeton distachyus (or water hawthorne), and Aponogeton longiplumulosus. As I write this, they have been in my tanks for about eight weeks. The A. madagascariensis is growing moderately, but the A. crispus, A. distachyus, and the A. longiplumulosus are all doing splendidly, with the a. crispus currently flowering.

Aponogeton sp. – photo by Annette Omura

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My Green Wet Thumb: The Miracle of Miracle Bulbs (continued from page 12) Kevin’s Cheap Tricks Some of the more common Aponogetons are excellent beginner plants as they are very forgiving. All they really Need a lid for a tank? Some surplus shops sell scrap need to thrive are clean water, moderate lighting, and sheets of lexan or plexiglass. Just cut to size. One hint sufficient nutrients. However, the Madagascar lace plant though, plexiglass tends to warp over time while lexan won’t. Even paper thin pieces of lexan seem to hold is (again) an exception to the rule, as it requires excellent water quality to grow and thrive. Almost every their shape better than thick pieces of plexiglass. Use commercially available Aponogeton spp. will thrive in stick-on cup hooks for handles, like the 3M removable water with pH levels between 6.0 and 7.5, and in hooks that are clear, small and easy to remove. temperatures ranging from 20° to 26°C (69° to 80°F). Many will exceed those parameters in one direction or the other, so research your plant carefully.

Another interesting facet of these plants is that most require a period of dormancy. After a growing season, the plant will begin to die back. However, in most cases this is not a death of the plant, but the plant entering the dormant phase. Some recommend that once the plant begins to enter the dormant phase (lost most if not all of the leaves) the bulb be removed from the tank and placed in a container of damp sand which is then stored in a cool location (temperature around 15° to 18° Celsius or 60° to 65° Fahrenheit) for a period of six to eight weeks. At the end of that period, the tuber is then replanted in the tank, making sure that it is right side up. If the plant was able to absorb and store enough nutrients during its prior period in the tank, it should begin to sprout within a couple of weeks. An alternative is to place the removed tuber in a zip-lock bag with a teaspoon of water and then placing it in the vegetable crisper of your fridge for the same period of time as above. It has further been suggested by sources on the internet that occasionally changing the water in the bag is advantageous.

I've just given a brief overview of these wonderful plants. There is a species available for all horticultural aquarists, from the novice to the expert. Should you be starting out with growing aquatic plants, consider one of these "Miracle Bulbs" and watch your plant (and confidence) grow.

Species Profile

Latin Name: Aponogeton crispus Height: 20 – 50cm (8” - 20”) Width: 30+cm (12”+) Light: medium – very high Temperature: 15 – 32ºC (59 – 91ºF): pH: 5.5 – 8.0 Hardness: very soft – hard Growth: fast Difficulty: medium Origins: Africa and Asia

Source: www.tropica.com

Tank Talk – October 2006 13 Volume 34, Number 2