# Lotus bulb - can it be saved?



## user_error (Aug 15, 2010)

Hey all

Bought a lotus off jobber604 while back (thanks by the way Ming, it's growing great). 

Anway the plant had a bulb on it, but the bulb broke during transport... Ming suggested I dry it for a while (simulate dry season), then put it back in water. I did that, left it out for 2-3 weeks, it shrivelled up a bit but not much. Then after that I put it in my tank hoping it would grow roots and start a new plantling off it. 

It's been in the tank for more than two weeks now (probably 3+), but sadly its doing nothing, it basically doesn't look like it absorbed much water from when i took it out. It doesn't look dead from what I can judge, the bottom is kind of a brown bark colour with some pointy parts I believe the roots would emerge from. The top is several black bud like shapes... kind of looks like a rhubarb plant in the winter. But if it's still alive at all its certainly dormant, and I don't know what to do to kick it back into growing again...

Can anyone provide some advice? I just took it out of the tank for now to see what happens, keeping it in the water doesn't seem to have worked so far...

Thanks for reading

Oh and I can provide a picture or two if necessary


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

I would leave it in the tank Tom, as opposed to taking it out again, worse case scenario is it dies. But I think taking it out of water and leaving it out too long would ultimately cause more damage or kill it faster. By far any kind of expert here ...just my 2 cents lol


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## user_error (Aug 15, 2010)

Ya thanks John, I reconsidered and decided to move it to my shrimp tank it has 5wpg i hope it will do soemthing in there but any advice from knowledgeable plant ppls would help


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

when you pulled it out, if it smells rank, then its dead


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

Hope it starts back up again for ya. I have a plant in each of my bigger tanks and amazingly both still alive and beautiful red lol Unfortunately neither plant came with a bulb , I will have to get one someday as I love these plants. Thanks to this thread I've decided to research these a little more than I previously did, very interesting plants they are. If I come across anything to help , will let you know. I did come across this "Lotus bulbs can go thru dormant periods for a few weeks or months. As long as the bulb itself isn't soft and rotted, it should wake up. I started with one, and now keep that and several daughter bulbs in the tank so that I always have at least one putting out leaves even if some are dormant."
Hope it helps


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## user_error (Aug 15, 2010)

Wow seems good news thanks John

Neven I can't tell it doesn't smell bad to me but I had a head cold now and my sense of smell is weak. Still like I said it doesn't look dead just dormant, guess i'll just give it some more time to come back


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