Water lilies are part of a decorative and useful planting in the garden pond or in the natural bathing pond. However, there are also varieties of the water lily that grow smaller and are quite suitable for indoor culture, for example to provide decorative color in the aquarium.

Not all types of water lilies are suitable for the aquarium

Reasons for growing water lilies in the aquarium

In contrast to a garden pond, when cultivating in an aquarium, there is no question as to which species are hardy or not. After all, temperatures in the aquarium are around 20 to 24 degrees Celsius all year round, which is ideal for the growth of tropical water lily species. In addition, there is a constant input of nutrients into the aquarium water due to the fish that are usually also present in the aquarium. These in turn can serve well as a growth basis for the water lily plants used.

Suitable varieties of water lily for growing in an aquarium

If water lilies are to be cultivated indoors, then in contrast to the outdoor area, cultivation in a water-filled bucket is less promising. This is due to the fact that without complex lighting measures, there is usually far too little light to bring the water lilies into bloom in the room. In the aquarium, on the other hand, there are completely different conditions, since there is usually full light irradiation for up to 16 hours a day. Therefore, small water lily species from tropical regions can also be cultivated in the aquarium:

  • Nymphaea glandulifera (Green Dwarf Waterlily)
  • Nymphaea pigmaea alba (White Dwarf Waterlily)
  • Nymphaea pigmaea rubra (Red Dwarf Waterlily)
  • Nymphaea pimaea 'Helvola' (Yellow Dwarf Waterlily)
  • Nymphaea lotus (red flowering)

Proper care of the dwarf water lily in the aquarium

The bulbs of the dwarf water lilies that you buy should generally not be completely buried in the gravel bottom of the aquarium, but should still protrude clearly from the substrate. Stones or wooden roots can be used to fix it in one place. The rule of thumb is that the water lilies in the aquarium will automatically develop more underwater leaves and fewer floating leaves when there is relatively strong lighting. Conversely, poor lighting leads to increased formation of floating leaves. You should regularly remove floating leaves to prevent excessive shading for the aquarium. While water lilies should usually grow luxuriantly in the garden pond, a particularly compact growth may be desired in the aquarium. This can be encouraged by planting the water lily in the aquarium in a pot that is as narrow as possible.

tips

When buying a dwarf water lily, pay close attention to the care instructions. Some varieties do not tolerate temperatures above 21 or 22 degrees Celsius. Supposedly small temperature differences can make a huge difference when cultivating water lilies in the aquarium.

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Vegetable garden