American Lotus (Nucifera lutea) in a container

[Elizabeth Naime <elspeth at kc_rr.com>]

Hi, I'm new here! I've only recently started aquaria and an outdoor water
garden and I have A TON of questions! I'll just ask a few at a time so
that I have time to digest the answers (and so that I won't be too
annoying!).

My neighbors down the road have a HUGE ornamental duckpond with what I
think is American Lotus (the yellow-flowered one). I've always wanted to
try growing this but from what I've read I don't want to introduce it to a
small stock pond because it turns ponds into bogs. I have the same
problem with cattail, actually -- I like the plant but I've seen what it
does to a watering hole.

I also have a 100-gallon plastic stock watering tank which is due to be
replaced. No leaks and I think it will continue to hold water just fine,
but it's gotten a bulge which I don't want to subject to equine impatience
(they do "knock" on tanks from time to time). It's a bit more than 4'
long, 2.5' wide, and 2' deep.

I'm wondering... do I have the makings of a container bog garden here? I'm
thinking of just piling in some good dense dirt and filling it in with
water, throwing in some sanpapered lotus seeds, and mabye planting a
roadside type cattail in there. I've heard that the american lotus doesn't
like being potted. Would a stock tank give it enough room so that it won't
realize it's in a container? Has anyone done something like this, or are
there any obvious problems with the idea? I'm not sure if I'd be able to
start this year as I didn't get up my nerve to ask the neighbor for seed
heads -- but it is growing like a weed over there so maybe they would even
let me dig out a plant for a start this year.