Red Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea zenkeri 'Red')

🌿 Nymphaea zenkeri 'Red'

Nymphaea zenkeri 'Red', commonly known as Red Tiger Lotus, is one of the most popular and eye-catching bulb plants in the aquarium hobby. Native to tropical Africa, it is famous for its broad, arrow-shaped submerged leaves featuring vivid wine-red coloration patterned with dark purple-brown stripes.

🌱 Growth & Appearance

This bulb species produces large, translucent foliage that sprouts from a central crown. The leaves range from intense red and deep burgundy to copper-pink, adorned with dramatic tiger-like mottling across the blade.

It grows at a fast rate once established. While it primarily forms a bushy rosette of underwater leaves, it will naturally send up long stems towards the surface to form floating lily pads and occasionally produce fragrant white or pale pink flowers.

💡 Lighting & CO₂

Red Tiger Lotus adapts well across low to high-tech environments. Moderate lighting is sufficient to maintain robust foliage, while higher light levels intensify the deep ruby pigments and encourage a shorter, more compact bush habit.

CO₂ injection is optional, making it a reliable red accent for low-tech tanks. However, as a heavy root feeder, it requires a nutrient-rich substrate and benefits significantly from root tabs rich in iron and key micro-nutrients.

🪴 Planting & Maintenance

Place the bulb on top of the substrate or press it halfway into the soil, ensuring the top half and growing crown remain uncovered to prevent rotting. Position it in a permanent spot, as its extensive root system dislikes frequent transplantation.

To keep the plant growing as a compact underwater bush, regularly trim away long petioles reaching for the surface before they reach the water line. Propagation occurs by carefully separating small daughter runner bulbs that form around the main bulb.

🌿 Best Use

Nymphaea zenkeri 'Red' is an extraordinary midground to background centerpiece plant for nature aquascapes, Dutch-style tanks, and community aquariums.

Its large, broad red leaves create dynamic structural depth and strong visual contrast against fine-leaved green plants, carpeting species, and natural hardscape.

✨ Plant Profile

Difficulty: Easy

Growth Rate: Fast

Lighting: Medium to High

CO₂: Optional (Root Heavy Feeder)

Temperature: 22–28°C

Placement: Midground to Background

Growth Type: Bulb Plant

Propagation: Bulb Offsets / Runners