Zone 8, You are so lucky-it must be warm there. You can pot up your plants and get started. Search for what and how to pot up your lotus and lilies in this pond/water garden site. They have different needs and I remember reading some good instructions in days gone by. I ordered mine yesterday and can't wait for them to get here. Which lotus did you get?

The whether is 40atmy nite and 60 in days. So is that OK temps to plant em

I have been doing a lot of reading about planting lotus and boy is it scary. I hope they wait to send mine until closer to warm weather. I like this web site the most-- http://water-garden-blog.com/planting-your-lotus-tubers/

I hope this will help. I wish someone with experience would write in. I also found good info by searching this web area.

I went ahead and planted mine yesterday so I hope its OK I put them in the pond about 6inthis deep so I guess time will tell it got 35my last nite. Thank u for the website it was informing. Will let u know if they make a it

I would probably put them at the bottom of the pond. As it warms up, bring them up. With a new lotus, the one thing you don't want to happen is for them to sprout leaves, and then it turns cold again. That can kill a new one.
So I would just keep it protected as deep as possible, then bring them up when its consistently warm.