Amazon Sword Won't Grow Up

Hey all.

I bought an Amazon Sword from my lfs about two years ago. At first it grew really fast and really nicely, and then it split into two plants which made me really happy!

Since then it's lost all it's large leaves and only has the new baby leaves that survive about a month before getting full of holes and I have trim them. It doesn't make sense, because just recently one of them split again! So now I have three minI Amazon Sword plants. I haven't separated the two newest ones yet.




I've made my tank smaller too, it was a 20 gallon and now it's a 5g, but it works cause my Amazons won't grow!

I did do liquid fertilizer for a couple of weeks, but it made no difference. If I do buy root tablets, will that help in their growth?

Currently, I am treating my fish with Epsom salt baths and Methylene Blue because he has Dropsy, but none of these treatments are done in this tank. So it's all normal for the plants.

My levels are
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrites 0ppm
Nitrates 15ppm or lower, I haven't checked since two days ago. I've been doing 50% WCs every day.

So basically my question is if I buy root tablets, will that help a lot in my Swords growth? Cause I know they'll be too big for my 5g, but I'm willing to give them away if they grow to big, I just don't want them to stay so tiny and unhealthy. I'm afraid they'll just die. But I don't get why they keep splitting.

Thanks all.

Oh, and my heater is at about 83* F right now, but normally a little lower. Nothing has changed for the plants at all since I started treatment, they are exactly the same since they were about 6 months ago.

 

They probably stopped growing because of the change in lighting. What kind of lights do you have on the 5 gallon and how long are you leaving them on for?

 

It's a 15 watt compact florescent lamp in the 5 gallon hood. I never changed it. The Amazons changed like this and stayed smaller BEFORE I switched the tanks and lighting.

 

No idea why that's happend then. They are root feeders so tabs could possibly solve your problem but if liquid ferts didn't do much for them I doubt you'd see substantial growth with tabs.

 

Purely anecdotal but my sword stayed alive and even split once in the first three months I had it but also never really grew with only liquid ferts. I added root tabs and it started shooting upward.

 

I have heard that some plants multiply in bad conditions to increase survival chance? In that way it would make sense ...

 

I think root tabs would help. I use root tabs on the plants in the sand and I use liquid fertilizer every other week and excel every week. My (2) amazon swords are big. No baby swords though. If you think the tabs are too big you can break them up with a hammer.

 

Root tabs. I use SeaChem.

 

Seachem root tabs really help. My lepens are growing like crazy because of it

 

Thank you guys! I've actually considered Seachem tabs. Hopefully I'll get those soon and fix these little babies up. I love my Amazons. XD

 

Ok so I purchased a really nice Amazon sword somewhere around 6 to eight months ago. While it was in there it grew 3 baby plantlets, which I transplanted. They all took. I've used root tabs from seachem, and dose flourish every water change done weekly, and dose every 4 days. The mother plant originally had nice long narrow leaves, which many have been removed due to damage or discoloration. The leaves on the swords are long and narrow, just not very large. Is it possible they're not getting enough light or something? I want these to grow in taller then what they are for sure. I'd say they're around 6 to 8 inches now, but the original leaves were more like 12 to 16. Ideas?

 

Ok from what I see you have bba grow on it. That will stall growth. May want to get a pair of sae to eat the bba.

 

There are two sae in there and 8 nerite snails.... maybe they're not too hungry to do their job?

 

That happens. Stop feeding as much. Just feed once a day. Once they get hungry they will start eating it again. How old are they?

 

I can't see the bba growth - however I do see brown algae - an indication that there is not enough light getting to the plant for photosynthesis.

 

That happens. Stop feeding as much. Just feed once a day. Once they get hungry they will start eating it again. How old are they?

These guys are probably a good 4 to 5 months old and close to 4 inches long. I feed the community once a day, with flake however there is a piece of romaine lettuce usually in there throughout the day as well. Bloodworm in the evening . Something is telling me to feed every other day perhaps...

 

These guys are probably a good 4 to 5 months old and close to 4 inches long. I feed the community once a day, with flake however there is a piece of romaine lettuce usually in there throughout the day as well. Bloodworm in the evening . Something is telling me to feed every other day perhaps...

That is a lot of food. Does it all disappear in 30-60 seconds? If not, then yes..... some will be rotting

 

I can't see the bba growth - however I do see brown algae - an indication that there is not enough light getting to the plant for photosynthesis.

I have the finnex 24/7 planted plus led lights set to the 24/7 cycle. Should I possibly turn it on to max for the day so it gets more light for longer periods? On 24/7 I'd say it gets about 2.5 hours of high light through the day

 

My sword always surge and then slow. They are moody. I have also noticed that when I pick off not so healthy leaves the plant reacts by growing fatter leaves instead of long narrow ones. I just had to remove most of the leaves due to treating the tank, so I anticipate a bush soon lol. My sword 4 inches from that one is a super slow grower, but always with thin beautiful leaves. I swear sometimes they have their own personality.

 

I have the finnex 24/7 planted plus led lights set to the 24/7 cycle. Should I possibly turn it on to max for the day so it gets more light for longer periods? On 24/7 I'd say it gets about 2.5 hours of high light through the day

The thing is to do only one thing at a time so that you see a specific reaction to whatever changes you make.

My feeling is that you should either increase the light intensity/duration OR move the plant to a different location where it gets more light.

If you increase the duration of lighting, whatch out for green algae...... an indication of too much light!

 

That is a lot of food. Does it all disappear in 30-60 seconds? If not, then yes..... some will be rotting

With the food I stay around until it's all consumed, and I only put more in if the rest is gone. Once I see I slow down in eating I stop. The lettuce rine is removed once the leaf is consumed as well.

 

HI all
My amazon sword plants were very good before
I put them in the tank a year ago and they lost all old wide leaves and got healthy leaves and got 3 times taller and tons of leaves
Now they grow new leaves here and there but so many glassy yellow levees as well
I’m using prime fertilizer
What could be the problem or is it natural
Thanks

 

I have literally no experience with plants.... I just wanted to say: That's one nice looking tank!

 

You need iron and most likely potassium.

Are you using root tabs? Amazons are heavy root feeders.

 

What is prime fertilizer? Do you have a link?

 

What is prime fertilizer? Do you have a link?

Sorry I mean seachem flourish the regular fertilizer from seachem

You need iron and most likely potassium.

Are you using root tabs? Amazons are heavy root feeders.

Honestly I don’t
I have sand substrate and only used seachem fertilizer
I have 4 swords and the one that grow more and first is doing not so wel as photo shows but others growing more new leaves and loosing too
They all have longggg roots

I have literally no experience with plants.... I just wanted to say: That's one nice looking tank!

Thanks

 

Root tabs will absolutely help your swords out. They will take in some of the flourish through their leaves but they are heavy root feeders like others have mentioned. You can trim or pinch off the dead leaves as close to the base as possible to encourage new growth so the plant doesn’t continue trying to repair the damaged leaves.

 

Totally agree. I was growing many Amazon swords with only root tabs (no water ferts). I add some gravel tab pieces under each sword every 8 months or so or if they look like they need a boost. I started up using water ferts again in one tank, idk how much it helps the swords, but it helps the stem plants I know that. The swords absolutely need root nutrients tho.

 

Root tabs will absolutely help your swords out. They will take in some of the flourish through their leaves but they are heavy root feeders like others have mentioned. You can trim or pinch off the dead leaves as close to the base as possible to encourage new growth so the plant doesn’t continue trying to repair the damaged leaves.

Thanks
Please let me know how to use it
Is there any caution using root tabs for fish
Will they nip on and get hurt?

 

Thanks
Please let me know how to use it
Is there any caution using root tabs for fish
Will they nip on and get hurt?

Cut them in half and bury them under your substrate under the swords place a half on each side of each sword

 

Thanks
Please let me know how to use it
Is there any caution using root tabs for fish
Will they nip on and get hurt?

kallililly1973 has it taken care of, but as far as cautions, not really a caution, but a suggestion to try and bury the tab as low as possible. That's to avoid it dissolving in the water column or being disrupted with erosion or at water change time. I use a DIY tab and sometimes the granules float up, my fish may mouth them because they look like pellet food, but leave them alone after they know what it is. They won't eat it even if they are exposed, no worries with that.

 

So I added seachem tabs for 2 weeks now
Plants are doing fine a few more dead leaves and a few new ones
They’re not getting as tall as the second grow
( first they were wide and short
Putting them in water made new leaves tall and thin
Second grow are not that tall)

 

So I added seachem tabs for 2 weeks now
Plants are doing fine a few more dead leaves and a few new ones
They’re not getting as tall as the second grow
( first they were wide and short
Putting them in water made new leaves tall and thin
Second grow are not that tall)

By not that tall, what do you mean? Amazon swords are usually 12-20 inches tall.

 

By not that tall, what do you mean? Amazon swords are usually 12-20 inches tall.

When I bought them they were 6” tall and 1”wide
Then the new leaves were 12” tall and 0.5” wide
Now all leaves grow about 8” and 1/2” wide

 

Hmmmm maybe I'll have to measure my Amazon swords. When I first started using Osmocote tabs, the leaves doubled in size. Then after 8 months are so, they were back to their regular size. So I've decided to do half doses and more often, like every 4-6 months.

There are 2 popular types of Amazon swords as far as I know. Echinodorus BleherI and Echinodorus Amazonicus. The latter has more narrow leaves. Underwater growth or growth in your tank will differ from the source growout.

Honestly if growth looks healthy, I just roll with that.

 

The plant is growing like a weed. I get a new leaf every 4-6 days. It is really dense but it won't grow any taller. Tank gets 8 hours of light each day. Tank size: 36 bow


Any help would be really appreciated
Thx

 

Do you use root tabs/fertiliser? Substrate?

 

Yes, seacham (sp?) root tabs.
Sand for substate

 

What species of sword is it? Some just don't grow tall.

 

amazon. Echinodorus bleherI I'll double check next time I go there (~1 month)

It has some tall leaves on it from when I got it at my LFS