# Attack of the Amazonian Sword Plant!



## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

I got a small sword plant (Bleheri) to put in my 3G unfiltered tank on my desk. It's not a NPT, just gravel and some plants. I'm having a quandary. Apparently my desk is a wonderful environment to grow a sword plant in. Chicory LOVES it. He rests on the leaves all the time and every time I do a water change, I find a bubble nest in it somewhere (which inevitably gets damaged by the change). But...I think it's outgrowing/outgrown the tank!

I just got a 36G for Christmas that I've just started setting up...I'm guessing it be better suited for that sized tank in the long run? I suppose I could always find Chicory a new young one to replace it with...

Before:









Now:









(working on that algae by reducing Chicory's food a bit and put the tank light on a timer)


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I have a Chocolate too. The plant gets like a foot.


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## ChibreneyDragon (Feb 20, 2012)

OMG, Chicory looks like he is having a blast! I saw that top picture and all I could think was, "Well he looks pleased." Is that plant easily separated to put in multiple tanks?


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

In good conditions they grow a stalk and new ones form on it. Remeber they need plenty of Iron.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

If you want the next one to remain smaller, keep it potted so the roots can't develop as well.

Also, see if it has more than one crown. If it does, you can split it into multiple plants.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I dont think that works. But it might. Remeber the Iron.


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## Kytkattin (May 15, 2011)

Bound roots always make things smaller. That is how the Japanese create the bonsai, how trees naturally stay small on the rocky mountains (well, in their case, wind also factors in), and why growing plants sucks if you live where there is a bunch of clay or hardpan near the surface. Plucking the occasional leaf will also help keep the height in check in the future. 

Or, even better idea, just get an Amazon Compacta. It is just an amazon sword that is supposed to stay under 6 inches.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

But different species are different. I have read your supposed to remove big leaves to stunt.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

I wish my swords grew that well! Very nice. I believe it would do better in a larger tank. And as was suggested, try a mini sword instead?

A very nice looking plant.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Watermelon Sword.


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## Tikibirds (May 26, 2011)

you can always get a bigger tank


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

Mines almost out grown my 20 gallon.


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## Viva (Oct 18, 2012)

Yes swords get huge, I'd switch it to the bigger tank.


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I would add plenty of ferts.


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

Tikibirds said:


> you can always get a bigger tank


Hah, if you could see my desk at work, you'd know this is not a good option ;-) I was honestly kinda worried about its' ability to support the 3.

I have a baby sword in QT at home, so in a week or so I'll see about pulling the current one and taking it to my big tank at home, and giving Chicory the smaller one. Time to replace the boat with something else anyway.

The algae is retreating, which makes it look much less dire/more open in the tank 

(PS,I give the plants a shot of API leaf Zone with a water change every other week)

(PPS, I do water changes more frequently than every other week, it's just the Leaf Zone gets added once every other week)


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

Oh man, I hope my sword does that!!! It's medium sized and I have it in a corner of my 29g. It already has 2 new leaves in the two weeks it's been there, so that's exciting!


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I hear of them outgrowing 50Gs.


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

carbonxxkidd said:


> Oh man, I hope my sword does that!!!


ditto! Mine looks like the before photo right now but I just got some of that leaf zone stuff.


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## carbonxxkidd (Oct 30, 2012)

I've never heard of this Leaf Zone? I use Seachem Flourish complete, but have only used it once in the 2 weeks and I only added 1/3 the dose :X I do have Eco complete substrate though.

My otos really like hanging out on the big leaves


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

carbonxxkidd said:


> My otos really like hanging out on the big leaves


mine too 

http://www.apifishcare.com/products/Product.aspx?ProductID=55


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## ChoclateBetta (Jul 22, 2012)

I use a few brand ferts.


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

I finally got the time to come by after hours to do the swordectomy on Chicory's too big for his 3G tank swordplant. I brought him a brand new baby one to replace the monster. Once all was said and done, he swam over to look at the new one, turned around and looked at me as if to say "What the blazes is this tiny thing and where did you put my jungle?"

For scale...old one, new one. The old one has been put into my 36G sorority tank. The old one started off about the size of the new one...


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## aemaki09 (Oct 23, 2012)

Wow!! LOL I wish mine grew like that! I've had mine for like 3-4 months in my 26 and havent noticed them getting much taller. One has a lot more leaves now though!


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

Shadyr, do you know what the PH level is in your water? Do the plants get any direct sun?


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

RegisteredUser....for Chicory's tank, I don't know the stats. 

He's quartered on my desk in my office, so my supplies for him consist of food, StressCoat+ for the water, and Leaf Zone for the plants. Because of this, he's the one on the strictest water change schedule. The plants get 0 natural light since our office area is completely interior (which made it a very popular spot with the tornado warnings last week!). I have his tanklight on a timer to make sure he and the plants get 8 hours of light a day even when I'm not in the office on the weekends.

That was about 7 months of growth.

I could bring in a test strip if there was any particular reason for wanting to know?


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

aemaki09 said:


> Wow!! LOL I wish mine grew like that! I've had mine for like 3-4 months in my 26 and havent noticed them getting much taller. One has a lot more leaves now though!


I was surprised to read just within the last few days that plants actually don't do as well - or at least benefit from additional love/ferts - in filtered tanks because the filters suck out a lot of their nutrients.

I'm LeafZoning my big tank...I have seen impressive growth on my Water Wisteria (which IS one that supposedly likes moving water) and most of the other things haven't *died* so I'm just watching and hoping they do well.


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## registereduser (Jul 30, 2010)

Shadyr said:


> I could bring in a test strip if there was any particular reason for wanting to know?
> 
> View attachment 76148


I have a black thumb with all plants :-( The amazon sword I got from Petco in a tube was really fresh and healthy but it has slowly disentigrated despite the Leaf Zone I got for it. I just wonder if it's the off the carts high PH we have here.


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## funkman262 (Jan 12, 2013)

I've had swords grow out of the water in my 90g tank (20"+)


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

registereduser said:


> I have a black thumb with all plants :-( The amazon sword I got from Petco in a tube was really fresh and healthy but it has slowly disentigrated despite the Leaf Zone I got for it. I just wonder if it's the off the carts high PH we have here.


I get the ones in the little "pots" that are in the store tanks. My tube plants have typically not fared as well, the exception being the unknown type of fern that is in...drum roll here....Chicory's tank. I think Chicory just has the perfect plant tank. Or maybe high quality fish poo? I read a lot about fish and the plants here and elsewhere...one thing I read is that even many of the full aquatic plants *can* be grown out of water, and often are. They can be submersed again, but may have a period of die off as they adjust back to being underwater. 

I'll see if I can dig up my PH strips tonight. When I got the big 36G for Christmas, I bucked up and got the API master freshwater kit for the homefish, so they got squirreled away somewhere.


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## Shadyr (Mar 27, 2012)

funkman262 said:


> I've had swords grow out of the water in my 90g tank (20"+)


I'm hoping the big one adjusts to being moved! I'd love to see it get up toward the top of the tank it's in now. That kind gets up to 2 feet tall!


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