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Amazon Sword Runners?

9K views 33 replies 5 participants last post by  maxw47 
#1 ·
So I keep seeing amazon sword with a whole string of runners and cannot get mine to send any off! It is currently in a ten gallon. Here are the specs-
Substrate- half and half mix between standard gravel and floramax gravel
Lighting-Marineland LEDs. Really, they are crap. There is only light in the middle of the tank and that isn't even much. Soon (once I get the glass hood), I am putting a 15 watt T8 light fixture on.
Ferts/CO2- I was dosing ferts and had DIY CO2 going, but it was too much in comparison with my crappy lighting and I kept having algae issues, so I stopped for now.
Are there any 'tricks' to get them to send out runners? My little narrow leaf chain swords are doing great and I have about 25 from the four I started with. I just can't figure it out. Hopefully you guys can point out something that I am missing or might help. Thanks!
 
#4 ·
What kind of sword?

I have Pygmy Chain Sword which sends out runners like crazy (if the light isn't too low).

I also have Echinodorus amazonicus which is more of a regular sword (tube plant from petsmart). They can send up a flower stock (only one of mine has ever done it) but I don't know if they send out runners. A 10 gallon would be too small for these guys though.

I would assume light is your issue though. LEDs can be bright enough, but typical not the kind sold in most pet stores (I built my own that works). The Marineland Double Bright is one I think that does work for smaller tanks (just don't use the night light feature). A regular T8 tube is cheaper though.
 
#5 ·
Ok, the plant is an amazon sword, but I do have pygmy chain sword in the same tank. I am going to make a trip to the LFS soon here to get my glass canopy (so that I can start using my T8 tube),some root tabs, and some of that liquid carbon CO2 stuff (I am done with my DIY setup). I have heard about DIY root tabs, but I think that can wait until a later time. As for the liquid CO2 carbon stuff. I know it is less effective, but my DIY setup is just too much for me to keep up with right now and I really don't need all that much CO2 anyways. Does all of this sound good? Thanks!
 
#14 ·
If by "amazon sword" you are referring to the largish swords such as Echinodorus bleherae, you are never going to see runners--assuming you mean "runners" as those on the pygmy chain sword. Echinodorus species do not produce runners.

You can find more info in the profile, click the shaded names.

Byron.
 
#8 ·
I have a couple of things that I have to wait and see to find out what's going on. I have a Melon Sword that now has two thin leaves going up, at the edge of the middle part where the leaves originate. I have to take a picture of them. As I see it, they could either be a new baby plant or some kind of hitchhiker plant (I've had this plant about a week and a half). I have had other leaves come up from the Melon Sword that looked to be typically shaped as the other leaves, but these are lanceolate? (long and thin). They look so different that I think it must be another type of plant and not a rootlet-based plant. Anyways, sorry to bother you with something I realize has absolutely nothing to do with Amazons sending out runners.

The other thing is some small crypts (probably, unidentified) which looked completely dead over two days - leaves completely lifeless - are starting I think to sprout again. I was hoping they would, but it still surprised me. May your Amazons multiply.
 
#15 ·
I have a couple of things that I have to wait and see to find out what's going on. I have a Melon Sword that now has two thin leaves going up, at the edge of the middle part where the leaves originate. I have to take a picture of them. As I see it, they could either be a new baby plant or some kind of hitchhiker plant (I've had this plant about a week and a half). I have had other leaves come up from the Melon Sword that looked to be typically shaped as the other leaves, but these are lanceolate? (long and thin). They look so different that I think it must be another type of plant and not a rootlet-based plant.
I'm wondering if what you see is an inflorescence? New leaves will always emerge from the centre of the crown on all Echinodorus plants, and some of the older outer leaves may yellow and die periodically. The inflorescence is like a stem, with nodes from which adventitious plants will appear, or flowers wold if grown emersed.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Most aquatic plant growers grow their swords more terrestrial. Swords can grow like this and actually grow faster, letting growers make more money. But when they are grown like this, their leaves are a different shape (roundish with a single stalk connecting it). When the sword is put in the fully aquatic setting, these leaves 'melt' and newer thin leaves come in. This sort of sounds like is happening in your scenario. I honestly didn't know what type of sword I had until these new leaves came in on mine. So just trim off the old "terrestrial" leaves and let the new aquatic leaves come in. About your crypts, it sounds like they just melted (shed all their leaves) and are sending out new leaves that are better suited for their new environment.
 
#12 ·
I've got two very small leaves on the end of stalks on the big one and one on the little one. I'm going to continue to watch the progress but as far as things are going, I'm very happy.
 
#17 ·
That's an inflorescence. Different plants will produce these according to their environment. Availability of nutrients clearly has something to do with it, and some say light intensity and duration. I have had the same plant produce 2 and even 3 at one time, and then more a few months later; but then no more for months after that. Other plants may be more regular.
 
#20 ·
Agreed.
 
#24 ·
That's pretty high, I'm not sure exactly what the spectrum on that looks like, but it's probably really high on the blue/purple side.

Plants need both a red and a blue wavelength, don't recall off the top of my head exactly what it is, but ideal range is 5000K to 7000K with the 'daylight' bulbs from hardware stores coming in at 6500K which work quite well and are cheap.
 
#25 ·
I would replace the tube. I have an Aqua-Glo, it is sitting in the corner of the fish room, having been used for about 5 minutes:|. Not only does it create a purplish hue which distorts fish and plant colours, but it is about half the intensity of a full spectrum/cool daylight tube of the same length.

If you want a good tube in the same series (Hagen "Glo") the Life-Glo is the best. But it is expensive. Less expensive is the ZooMed Ultra Sun at 6700K. But even less expense is a cool daylight tube with a 6500K (GE, Phillips, Sylvania all make them) that you can get in a hardware-type store for a couple dollars. Any of these will do fine, just make sure the Kelvin is around 6500K [6700K for the expensive ones].

Byron.
 
#26 ·
Thanks for all of that info! Next time I'm around a hardware store or LFS, I'll pick up a new bulb. Thanks for all of the help, thank goodness you guys told me instead of my plants! The bulb makes the tank look a little weird anyways. Thanks!
 
#27 ·
Take the existing tube with you when you go to ensure you get the correct length, or measure the tube end to end (not inclusing the prongs). And make sure it is T8 (assuming you have T8).
 
#29 ·
Ok, here is a brief update on how the tank is doing right now with the new bulb (the 18,000K aqua-glo that should be replaced soon). A few interesting things going on here. The Amazon sword has started growing like a weed! It's leaves are touching the front and back panes, and are an inch or two away from the top. It used to be a lot smaller. It also has shot out four new leaves in only three days!!! Hopefully this means that some baby swords are in the near future! As for the Dwarf Sag., it's doing good, but not as good. They aren't too exponential, but I can tell that they like this light better than the LED's. But the two aponogetons are a different story. Most of their leaves have turned a lighter green or even yellow. My theory is that they aren't really diggin that high kelvin number. They really shouldn't be in a ten gallon anyways. They don't really look pretty when all of their leaves are bunched up at the top of the tank. The amazon sword should go in a bigger tank too, as I hear they can get up to almost two feet tall...(I guess I should have done some more plant research beforehand). The aponogeton and eventually the sword should be going to the LFS. This 'update' might have been useless, or helpful.
 
#30 ·
Congatulations on your sucesses with your plants. Exciting! I think if you move the ones that are turning yellow into the shade they will be alright. I have a 10g too, with a Melon Sword that's taking up a good deal of floor space. It sprouted a baby plant too, on the edge of the top.

I'm getting a GH raiser today. I asked the store owner about it and he ordered some. I already stuck a fertilizer plug under the sword. I hope you're thinking about some fertilizer with that unreal growth of your sword. With all of that growth I think you're going to need some! I also finally mastered the timer my light is on and set it back to 10 hours. Byron explained about that in a post. Have you already posted a pic?
 
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