off-ice

Hey Jon,

The problem with common names is they can vary depending on location. What I may know by one name, butterfly may know as another. It's always best to try and get the plants Sci name. Then there will be no doubt as to what you have and it's care.

When we were doing the non aquatic list in the plantguide, we concentrated on the most commonly sold. I am sure there are others out there, and we are happy to add them as needed or requested.

If there is any chance you can get a picture or the Sci name, I may be able to help you out.

Jon

im sorry i see what you mean, ive tried but i cannot find out this plant's scientific name

Butterfly

Well look who fell in!! Welcome off-ice!!!
I think the scientific name may be Echinodorus argentinensis
Does this look like your plant?
http://66.218.71.231/language/transl...s&fr=slv1-msgr
Also found it in my Kasselmann aquarium plant book included with Echinodorus grandiflorus so it may be a variation of that plant.
Carol

Isabella

Off-Ice, nice to see you on Fish Lore !!!

Jon

i thought that was its name

im still not sure because the pic on the right has longer leaves than mine but the one on the left looks like mine... only a lot healthier lol

off-ice

Thanks for the welcome Butterfly, Isabella. Fancy meeting you here.


Echinodorus argentinensis is no longer a valid scientific name to the best of my knowledge. What used to be called that is now Echinodorus grandiflorus, which is why you saw it in the Kasselman book under that butterfly. It's a synonym.

Regardless what it's true name may be, if it is fact a true aquatic plant, and a sword, most of them will be fine with moderate light (in the area of 2 WPG) and will need either a nutrient rich substrate (Flourite, eco-complete, laterite ect) or some sort of root tab fertilization.

BTW, even aquarium plants need oxygen. When the lights are off and they are not photosynthesizing, they will use oxygen and put off carbon dioxide.

Jon

thanks

my light is only 15 watts... my tank is 10 Gallons... i have the light on 10 hours a day... im assuming this is nowhere near enough right?

off-ice

Correct. In a 10g tank you would have to about double it. The WPG rule breaks down on smaller tanks. Basically you need more light on smaller tanks to meet the plants minimum light requirement.

The second issue is size of the plants. There are only a hand full of swords that would be able to stay in a 10g tank for any length of time if they are growing correctly. This is not one of them. Most sword plants are "tank busters". Here is an Amazon I had a while back.



If memory serves me, that was a little over 2 ft tall.

Jon

yeah my plant is almost dead... im just going to throw it out because it is growing brown spots everywhere... i have nobody to give it to

PS: how do watts per gallon work? if it says it needs 50 watts per 25 gallons does that mean a 50 watt light running 24/7 in 25 gallons?

off-ice

WPG is figured like this:

Total wattage over the tank divided by the gallons of same tank.

To use yours as an example:

15w divided by 10g=1.5wpg

Lights should never be left on for more than 12 hours. Plants won't use it after that, but algae will. Leaving them on longer will not make up for not having enough.

Isabella

What a beautiful lush Amazon Sword! In what substrate were you growing it? Under what wattage? What wpg? Any fertilizers? CO2? A really dense plant!

off-ice

It was in a texblast substrate. (Kind of gravel, about the size of flourite) CO2, about 2.9 wpg, plenty of ferts. (Homemade) These swords can quickly take over a tank. They look great when they get this size, it's just a matter of having space.

Jon

actually this was the plant that i had but i threw it away today because i couldnt meet its requirements nor could anyone i know... Echinodorus rigidifolius

its a shame i had to throw it away but there was no way i could accomadate its needs