# Madagascar Lace Plant!!



## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

Woohoo! LPS find: sprouted madagascar lace bulb for $12! The bulb has a film of something on it, but since it is growing many little plantlets, I assume this is just the bulb breaking down. Last week I got a dwarf red lily bulb from them, too! They were very excited to have someone buy these two bulbs who knew what they were and did not pass them up for the bigger plants. In the picture it's a little hard to see, but there are multiple plantlets. *Are they split-able? And if so, when should I separate them (when the bulb is gone?)?*

I have a couple questions regarding the care of these bulb plants. I know they are high light and huge nutrient suckers, the madagascar needs rich soil. I plant all my plants in pots (bare-bottomed tank) with organic soil, sand cap, and small gravel on top to weigh it down. I use osmocote tabs and an extensive array of liquid ferts. *Is this okay for these two plants?* I have high lighting but a lot of floating plants. Since the lace needs high light I am probably going to seriously thin the salvinia. *How does one plant a bulb? Do you put it on top of the substrate and let it plant itself? let it grow good roots first? Bury the bulb?* I've seen pictures of the madagascar plant flowering. *Does anyone have experience with this plant or had it flower?* I have nerites and mystery snails. *Would they eat either of these plants?* My snails have never munched on any of my plants except the salvinia which I am okay with. I have wisteria, sprite, various swords, crypts, marimo balls, java ferns, banana lilies, anacharis, java moss, salvinia and duckweed, and an array of anubias plants.

Thank you for any help/advise!


----------



## Dalloway (Apr 13, 2014)

I had three once years ago when I quit fishkeeping and kept only plants but this is a cold water plant if you're putting it in a Betta home. Temperatures above mid 70s cause it to go into its dormant stage and lose leaves (which is what attracted it to me in the first place: I don't have to remove it to make it rest, just flip the heater switch up). Never saw it flower though. It'll love soil substrate, that's what I kept it in as well and it grew like crazy. Bury just the bottom half of the bulb and it'll grow into the substrate, if that's not enough to keep it floating I've had success both with weighing it down temporarily and burying it deeper, up to near the stem of the lowest growing leaf.
I kept mine in medium lighting, I don't think it needs high light.
I've neither tried to propagate them nor had snails in my tanks back then so I have no idea on that but hope I've been of some help. 
Yours was a really good find ^^! That looks like a beautifully healthy bulb and it's best to get them when they're young like this with as little growth as possible, in my experience/opinion it helps them adjust quicker.


----------



## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

Thank you! So then I'll just leave the salvinia, it's not a two-inch thick carpet anymore, there are some bare spots. But, dang, I have to thin it every week!


----------



## Dalloway (Apr 13, 2014)

You're welcome~
And I know the feeling lol, I have Salvinia in my 5.5 and 10 gallon and love it but I toss out buckets full monthly!


----------



## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

Gahhhh!!! Had this plant for a little over a month now, and while it has lots of leaves, none are longer than my finger (they're pretty stumpy, too). There is also this white spotted organism growing on it, same kind that grew on the rotting banana plant I had a few weeks ago. I have ferts, high lighting, the only things I can think of is slight shading from lilies and salvinia (but it's very slight), not enough ferts (I have A LOT of plants), or temp is too high.


----------



## Dalloway (Apr 13, 2014)

I've got no ideas on what the organism is.. Is it possible for you to show pictures of it? 
If you have it in high temperatures, it might very well be in dormancy. The way you're describing it it sounds like that. I found this article for you:
http://www.tfhmagazine.com/details/articles/the-secrets-of-the-madagascar-lace-plant.htm
Not sure if you've seen it yet but a lot of what he has written are things I've personally found effective with this plant.


----------



## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

I've read it through. I think it's the temp, its 80.


----------



## Dalloway (Apr 13, 2014)

It may be, you could try lowering the temperature if possible to mid 70s or placing it in an unheated container for a few days. See if that changes anything.


----------



## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

I rubbed all the rotten bulb off so it's just the plant, some tiny roots, and a miniscule amount of bulb left. I have my doubts, but it's been in a container since I saw it floating and hasn't died yet.


----------

