atmmachine816

I think I accidentally picked up the Amazon Sword that grows massive, can I keep it and just keep trimming it or should i just throw it away?

Tumbleweed

Keep it and just trim it down when needed. I have a few anubius plants that are that way and I just trim them down when needed

Isabella

Yup, don't throw it away. Besides, lush plants look beautiful in any tank.

atmmachine816

Ok it should grow huge then, if it does well should I buy some more to fill up my tank with tall live plants because I haven't been able to find any.

Isabella

If your Amazon Sword grows "huge" then you do not need to buy a new one. You can cut the main root of the plant in half (and - as a result - divide the plant into two parts). Then you just plant the two parts separately as two new plants. Or, if the main plant has a new plant growing attached to it, wait until the baby plant gets to a few inches (say, 5-6"), and then cut it away at the root and plant it by itself.

atmmachine816

Ok I might buy one more since there selling them as anubias instead of amazon swords and they are cheap since this lfs doesn't know much about plants, I might go and tell them what plants they have. lol

atmmachine816

http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_viewer.php?id=84

that's the one I think I have

Isabella

I have this one too Below is an older photo of my Amazon Swords. Unfortunately, these Amazon Swords are now gone thanks for my "baby" angels ... lol. I am now growing new Amazon Swords from the roots - they're still small.

Attached Images

AmazonSwords.jpg (225.6 KB, 44 views)

atmmachine816

Cool what type of lighting did you have? Standard maybe .75wpg

Isabella

I have a standard single fluorescent 20W tube - Life-Glo by Hagen. I also have Sun-Glo by Hagen (also 20W) but I use the Life-Glo more often as it has the nicest natural look to me. The Sun-Glo appears too yellow, though it doesn't look bad either. On the above picture I have the Life-Glow bulb in my fixture. It gives my 30 gallon tank approximately 0.67 watts per gallon, which is WAY TOO LOW for Amazon Swords. In fact, I am baffled as to how they survive at all under this low lighting. But that is all they do: merely survive. Healthy plants should thrive, not just survive.

atmmachine816

Ok I plan on getting 2.24wpg in the next few months hopefully it will survive till then then it can thrive.

Phonemonkey

Aka "Mother Amazon Sword"

I saw one of these at my LFS yesterday for around 50 bucks.

Isabella

I've been told on Plant Geek that plants under lighting higher than 2.0 wpg will require CO2 injections. For low-light tanks without CO2 it's best to have anywhere between 1.0 - 1.9 wpg. If you use a nutrient rich substrate it's best to have 1.5 - 1.9 wpg, and if you use inert substrate (regular gravel), 1.0 - 1.5 wpg should suffice. Only remember that not all plants will thrive under 1.0 - 1.5 wpg. It's best to have low-light plants for lighting between 1.0 - 1.5 (like Anubias, Java fern, Java Moss, Water Sprite, for example). Medium-light plants, like Amazon Swords and Cryptocorynes for example, will do well between 1.5 - 1.9 but they'll also need a nutrient rich substrate.

atmmachine816

Thanks, yes I understand that all, My grandpa just had an amazon sword in his tank and it was huge and so I thought why not try it so we'l see how it goes. Yes I understand I'll probably need co2 thats ok, i'v been talking to some people about it and I'm saving up for co2 and higher lighting now. I started a thread for it in the journal sections. I'm thinking about make a pressurized diy co2 system with paintball co2 tank but haven't figured it out yet, if not I think I'm going to use nutrafin kit and the great part my mom has said it's ok already though the price might be negogiable. O the plant I bought was disease so the large leaves are all dead but I have three leaves that came from the base so it's good right now fingers crossed.