# Are there any low light plants that grow from bulbs or seeds?



## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

I like the idea of plants but I don't trust that they won't bring infection to my aquariums even with treatments. I don't know of treatments that kill mycobacteria. With that being said I've seen bulbs in Petsmart but I think they are for pond plants. Are there any plants from bulbs or seeds that I can grow myself from scratch?


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## DefStatic (Mar 17, 2013)

jadaBlu said:


> I like the idea of plants but I don't trust that they won't bring infection to my aquariums even with treatments. I don't know of treatments that kill mycobacteria. With that being said I've seen bulbs in Petsmart but I think they are for pond plants. Are there any plants from bulbs or seeds that I can grow myself from scratch?


Chain stores sell "Betta Bulb Plants", but I have no idea what they really are.

The plants Petco sells are actually pretty good. I have gotten some great plants from them. Just be sure you are getting real aquatic plants and not something they are selling as an aquatic plant that is not.

I have never seen any "bulbs". Most aquatic plants spread by reaching out with runners. Also, especially with stem plants, most growers just cut the stem and re-plant when trimming.


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## OrangeAugust (Jul 23, 2012)

I have a dwarf red lily that grows from a bulb. It was already grown into a good sized plant when I bought it, but I think you can buy them just as bulbs, too and grow them yourself. They can live in low light but won't grow very quick. Ever since I increased the light in my tank, I can't control how many lily pads it shoots up. It seems like I get a new one on the surface every two days- and It's a 55 gallon tank, so I think it's 2 feet deep. Anyway, it's a cool plant. It will grow a lot of leaves that stay short, and if you get enough light it will shoot up tons of lily pads to the surface. It's also pink and green colored, so it's very cool looking. Not sure where you can buy just the bulbs, though.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

Yeah, the Dwarf lilly plant - but I won't stay dwarf. I have a 20G and it reached the surface in less then a month and then it starts to grow along the surface. Its pretty neat but not such a dwarf plant. Some type of onion also grows from a bulb. Those betta bulbs they sell never worked for me, i got my lilly off of plantedaquariumcentral.com










The dwarf lilly is the big thing on the left - two bulbs.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

you can grow hairgrass from seeds


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## shushcat (Feb 16, 2013)

I've had great luck with onion bulbs! Pretty indestructible and they've grown like a foot within a couple months. Actually, Googling them for this response is the first I've read about them, and they apparently grow crazy tall. They're already to the top of my tank, and I don't know what I'll do :lol:


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## jadaBlu (Feb 14, 2013)

It turns out I am doing several 5 gallons side by side. I was expecting a to do 40 gallon. I think these plants could be too tall. Maybe the onion can be trimmed? I did buy packaged dwarf grass today.


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