Thread: Trop water lily in basement

My tropical water lily is in a half 55 gal drum. I just purchased a Sun System High wattage fluorescent grow light. The water temp is at 60 degrees. I need something to aerate the water. It smells a little bad right now. I suppose this sounds a little extreme but by the time I buy a new tropical water lily every year, this setup should pay for itself in 4 or 5 years. This is the 4th year I have tried to carry over my tropical water lily. Marie

Did you check for signs of rot when you brought it in? If the water smells you might need to check it again. In any case keep us informed. Sandy

Rot is a common problem when bringing lilies inside. You might try a small over-the-side power filter from an aquarium store to keep the water moving gently. That and an occasional partial water change should keep the water from souring.

Several years ago I purchased two tropical water lilies late in the season when they were on sale. I decided to try to carry them through the winter. Both lilies were in pots and I just used 5 gallon plastic buckets. I put a flood light over each bucket and kept the water level up. The plants did beautifully and one of them bloomed several times through the winter. There was not enough room for the leaves to unfurl and they just sort of stuck...

I have successfully overwintered mine in a 150 gallon stock tank with an air stone to circulate the water. I also add an aquarium heater that keeps the water at 70 degrees. They have survived over the past 3 winters.

You need an aquarium heater to raise the water temperature. I lost tropical waterlilies twice in my heated greenhouse before I bought a heater which is set to 75*. I do not have any circulation in the water and have papyrus and cyperus in the pond too.