Anyone have any success with Lucky Bamboo?

So I'm setting up a brand new 55 gallon tank (still new to the hobby) and just can't get over how freaking cool a Lucky Bamboo forest theme looks like in fish tanks.

Now I've done a bit of research and it sounds like you need to make sure the entire plant isn't submerged or else the bamboo will die.

Has anyone here ever successfully planted Lucky Bamboo in their tank, or know someone who has?

 

Ihave a small forest in my 36 gallon fully submerged. Growing algae and diatoms on it but still growing. And that pic in the betta tank has a bunch of stalks swinged in a ring to hide my ugly heater. Biggest issue I have with it is it does not want to sink. Have to find a way to securely attach a heavier rock than I expected.

Itdoes seem to do better with tops out of water. However be cautious if you have a dof or cat it's toxic and they may try to eat the leaves

 

Ihave a small forest in my 36 gallon fully submerged. Growing algae and diatoms on it but still growing. And that pic in the betta tank has a bunch of stalks swinged in a ring to hide my ugly heater. Biggest issue I have with it is it does not want to sink. Have to find a way to securely attach a heavier rock than I expected.

Itdoes seem to do better with tops out of water. However be cautious if you have a dof or cat it's toxic and they may try to eat the leaves

Those are some amazing pictures bro! Looks fantastic. How long have you had them submerged for?

There's a kid on youtube who calls himself a Lucky Bamboo expert (he has tons of Lucky Bamboo videos out there) and he says that the Lucky Bamboo you see in the fish stores are already dying because most of them are fully submerged. He suggests that the pet stores will just throw out what doesn't sell, and buy a new batch to sell to people.

He also said that anytime water gets into the top, that it's damaging the plant.

You seem to know if this guy is blowing hot air though. Have they been in your tank long? How quick do they grow?

 

While it may not die right away, over time it will die and rot if the top isn't left out of the water.

I know a lot of people put it in their filter too.

 

I have two stalks in my hob, too short to put in a tank

 

I have two stalks in my hob, too short to put in a tank

Are you putting it into your filter for some reason? I don't understand this practice (I'm a noob).

 

Are you putting it into your filter for some reason? I don't understand this practice (I'm a noob).

Just for additional filtration. I have some pothos hanging out of it too

 

I've been doing a ton of reading up on this stuff. It kind of sounds like rotting occurs if too much of the stem is submerged in the tank. Some places have been saying that it's a slow process but only a few inches of the stem should be underwater.

What sayeth Fishlore?!

 

Mine that's fully submerged may be rotting slowly, I only put it in in May, forget exact dates. It's not a very fast grower at all for me height wise but all of my plants are putting out new leaves slowly, my 36 is pretty deep (21 inches), if you had like a 20 long (12 inches high) I think it could positioned so some of it is out of the water and might be more successful, it looks just as healthy in my 5.5 gallon as the extras do that got just shoved in a vase with some water around the same time...and still haven't gotten any new water now that I think of it, they are just chilling on my kitchen counter...

 

Lucky bamboo is commonly grown in jars of water. Make sure the shoots are above the water and the plant will be okay

 

I'm wondering why these aren't more common in fish tanks though. The look is absolutely breathtaking.

 

I'm wondering why these aren't more common in fish tanks though. The look is absolutely breathtaking.

Because they rot submersed

 

When the bamboo stalks are young, and too short to be planted in the aquarium with the tops out of water, people often put them in floating containers, HOB filters etc... till it grows taller.

Just for clarification; a bamboo plant's top few leaves NEED to be kept out of water in order for it to live.