Aponogeton Master Post
Aponogetons are lovely, if somewhat under-appreciated plants in freshwater and brackish aquariums. Part of the difficulty with these plants is that it is difficult to determine what sort of plant you will get (leaf length, presence of waves, color) until it sprouts. Some aquarists also have troubles getting them to sprout, as they often rot when tossed straight into an aquarium. This post should tell you a bit about Aponogetons and how to get them started.
(This post is adapted from an article I wrote for a Local Aquarium Club forum several years back. Believe it or not, all of the pictures within have been taken by me)
Family: Aponogetonaceae
Range: Originally from Africa, Asia, and Australia. Have been introduced in South America and Western Europe
Lighting: Not demanding, will rise towards light
Growing habit: From bulb, planted in substrate
Height: Variable, often tank height or more
Substrate: Not picky, easier to plant in gravel at first
Brackish Tolerance: 1.000-1.003
Fertilization: Not picky
The Aponogeton genus of aquarium plants is a very enigmatic group of aquarium plants. With the exception of the Madagascar Lace Plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis), most Aponogetons in the trade are hybrids of certain species, with A. crispus, A. ulvaceus, and A. distachyos being common.
As hybrids, their exact nature in the aquarium can be difficult to predict until sufficient leaf growth exists for determining which species it most closely resembles. A. crispus and A. ulvaceus sprout longer, wavy leaves which take longer (months, more) to reach the surface and A. distachyos sprout several smaller leaves which shoot straight to the surface and spread out. A. crispus and A. ulvaceus leaves also appear to grow longer in deeper tanks, and may remain small in 20 gallon or smaller tanks. All hybrids are similar in terms of water chemistry and lighting requirements.
With the exception of A. madagascariensis, Aponogetons are fast-growing plants. However, unlike many other fast growing plants, they use nutrients from their bulbs in addition to those found in the water, and as such may not inhibit algae as effectively as other fast-growing plants like Elodea and Hygrophila. Truthfully, they appear to be something of algae magnets. A. madagascariensis takes much longer to grow than the other Aponogeton species.
Propagation: Aponogetons reproduce in several ways, depending on the hybrid. Most commonly, Aponogetons produce white flowers at the surface of the water. After a few weeks, the flower turns green and Aponogeton sprouts develop. The young plants derive their nutrients from the parent plant, and letting the flower get to this stage will often send the parent plant into remission. The flowers can be cut off while still white without harm to the plant.
The plant may instead develop runners (like Amazon sword plants) in place of flowers. The young plants can be removed from the parent once the bulb develops. Sometimes, adult plants will sprout new bulbs from the parent bulb. These will grow under the substrate and will develop leaves of their own. The plants that develop these new bulbs may or may not sprout flowers.
Getting Started: Though commonly sold as developed plants, you are more likely to find dried
bulbs sold as Betta Bulbs or “Wonder bulbs” (as in, you wonder if
they’ll grow). Placing new dried bulbs into tanks, as per directions on
the packaging, almost assuredly results in rotted bulbs. A more reliable
approach is to place bulbs in damp paper towels and store in a
partially open plastic bag. Place the bag somewhere consistently warm (a
cable box is a good place, but place something under the bag to prevent
water from dripping out) and wait a few days. Within a week, some or
most of the bulbs will have sprouted. The bulbs can then be placed in a
tank (plant about 50% of the bulb in the substrate) and will grow
normally. Gravel is easier to get started than sand, as the bulbs tend
to float. Note the company which sells the bulbs; several offer
replacement plants for any that do not sprout within a period of time. Multiple crowns (where the stems emerge) are uncommon but do sometimes occur.
Care: Not overly demanding for extra fertilization supplementation, nonetheless Aponogetons seem to appreciate liquid fertilizer and root tabs once established. Plants that either complete the flowering process or do not receive enough nutrients may go into remission, losing all of their leaves in the process. These bulbs can be removed from the tank, stored somewhere not overly warm for several weeks or months, and restarted. Some plants may hibernate for no apparent reason after several months of otherwise stellar growth.
