# onion bulb in tank?



## timmo2009

Hey guys,
So I bought one of those packages of aquaruim plant bulbs from Petsmart. I have had them in the past and had them trive and be quite beautiful. They contain a lily bulb, apologens (or something like that) and different this time was one onion bulb. I had never seen an onion bulb in these packages before, but it was actually my first one to sprout. Originally it was floating at the top, and sprouted almost immediately. I eventually buried it in the substrate better so it wouldn't float anymore, and now it kinda quit growing. Originally i never thought of onions as aquatic plants. Has anyone else had the onion ones? and if so, is it best to leave them floating around? Or keep it buried? 
Thanks.


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## bmlbytes

I havent had them. I was always told that you dont want onion in your tanks. I never really asked why.


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## timmo2009

I wondered that as well at first, but i didn't think top fin would put anything that could harm the fish. But i figured its possible to make the water acidic


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## Plecostomus

Are you sure it is an onion?


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## timmo2009

ha yes i'm sure, the box itself says its an onion bulb, and the bulb is definetely a tiny onion, which now has a few roots growing out of the bottom, and some green stalks coming out of the top, i know there are different varieties of onions, apparently some more aquatic, just was mostly wondering if anyone had grown them before.


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## Gourami Freak

I have one of the same packeges, i have never heard anything bad about aquatic onions, mine comes with one too. If i am rite, i believ the pack comes with 3 apongitons 1 water lilly and 1 onion.


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## jrdeitner

my onion bulb currently has about a 5 in. sprout, and is growing about a half inch per day. i have always kept it in the substrate. supposedly it will grow better if it is only half in the substrate and half is sticking out. i would let it float until you get a few inches of sprout, then bury it.


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## bmlbytes

I believe the reason they tell you to put it halfway in the substrate is so it can sprout without having to push through the substrate. After that you can bury it.


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## timmo2009

see its weird, mine was growing great when it was floating around, maybe quarter inch a day? then i buried it after about a week, and one of the sprouting leaf things died and broke off, as soon as i noticed it turning brown i let it float again, maybe its more of a high light plant or something, and my light just wasn't strong enough to penetrate the water enough?


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## jrdeitner

maybe other plants or objects were shading it and it couldnt get enough light. what size tank is this and what light are you using?


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## timmo2009

its a twenty gallon tank, and its not in my dorm so i can't tell you what light it is, its simply the light that came with the tank, so its nothing special, the other plants are growing well though, so maybe the onion is just a little higher light need than the others.


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