Red Tiger Lotus
Nymphaea zenkeri
Also sold as Nymphaea zenkeri "Red" · Tiger lotus bulb
Synonyms Nymphaea lotus · Tiger lotus
Red Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea zenkeri) is a bulb plant for the midground and the background, growing to about 40 cm (15.7 in) at a moderate pace. It wants 72–86°F (22–30°C), low light and no CO₂, and counts as an easy plant to keep alive.
At a glance
| Type | Bulb plant |
|---|---|
| Light | LowThe least light it survives in, not the light it looks best in. |
| CO₂ | Not neededWhether it survives without added CO₂ — not whether CO₂ would help it grow faster. |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Temperature | 72–86°F (22–30°C) |
| Max height | 40 cm (15.7 in)Grown submersed, left to mature, never trimmed. |
| Growth rate | Moderate |
| Placement | planted in the midground and the background |
| pH | 6–7.5 |
Before it goes in
- Red Tiger Lotus lives under a plain low-light LED — it does not need a planted-tank lamp to survive.
- It grows without CO₂.
- It feeds through its roots, so in plain sand or gravel it needs root tabs; in an aquasoil it does not.
- In too little light it stretches: long bare stems between leaves instead of a bushy plant.
- It only colours up under strong light with CO₂; in a low-tech tank it stays green.
- At about 40 cm (15.7 in) it belongs behind everything shorter — planted at the front it hides the rest of the scape and shades it.
- Its leaves are medium: Goldfish, Electric Yellow Lab and Colombian Ramshorn Snail will eat it.
Can it grow without CO₂?
Yes. Red Tiger Lotus does not need CO₂ at all.
How much light does it need?
Low light is enough — and that is the survival line, not the “it looks better” line. Below it, this one stretches instead of spreading. Colour is a separate question: it only turns red under strong light with CO₂.
How big does it get?
About 40 cm (15.7 in) tall when it is mature and untrimmed, growing at a moderate pace, after roughly 2 weeks to root in.
Will my fish eat it?
Its leaves are medium, so some will: Goldfish, Electric Yellow Lab and Colombian Ramshorn Snail.
What it goes with
- Plants that run on the same light and CO₂, so they can share a tank without one of them being the odd one out: Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis', Water Sprite, Anubias nana 'Petite' and Cryptocoryne wendtii.
- Animals that share its temperature range and will not eat or uproot it: Betta, Cherry Shrimp, Angelfish and Bristlenose Pleco.
Often compared with
| Red Tiger Lotus | Dwarf Aquarium Lily | Aponogeton boivinianus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | Low | Low | Medium |
| CO₂ | Not needed | Not needed | Not needed |
| Max height | 40 cm | 15.2 cm | 50 cm |
| Difficulty | Easy | Easy | Medium |
More plants
Sources (1)
- Light, Growth in low lightfishlaboratory.comSep 2026