Echinodorus Species for a 10G?
 

Just looking for suggestiong that won't outgrow a little tank...

Already decided on one augustifolia var. Vesuvius...

nice plant..what are you up to this time?

Lol, just working in some plants with heavy roots into the Soil substrate tank I'm doing for the guide...

The Dwarf Sword (Echinodorus parviflorus "Tropica") as in the profiles remains small, I have this plant in several tanks including my 20g. The pygmy chain swords whatever they may be called (E. angustifolius is one, though large at 60cm/24 inches). Echinodorus aschersonianus is small with 10cm blades and likes a nutrient-rich substrate so should be well suited to your soil tank. E. schlueteri is only slightly larger. E. subalatus is another small sword.

What I like for its looks & size as adult plant is the E. Kleiner Bar
Below is a quite poor quality picture of my old one's in my shrimp tank, under higher lights they get a redish color mixed in with the greens.

I'm looking for a nice background plant for one of the corners... Something 10-12 inches tall would be perfect.... I picked the vesuvius because I read that Augistifolias don't get much bigger than 30cm, which, unless my math is wrong is 12 inches...

The parviflorus looks like what I had in mind.. And the Kleiner bar in other pictures I've seen.....

Guess I'll have to get all three. :-/

Leaf lengths in Echinodorus (as in many crypts too) frequently depend upon conditions; light and nutrients can vary the leaf sizes. Kasselmann says 60cm for submersed leaves, as does Neil Frank, Rataj says between 30 and 50cm, Robert Hudson says 6 inches,maybe 10.

In very bright light they would probably remain at the smaller end of the range. In less light, larger. However, I just spotted that you have the hybrid variety Vesuvius; it may well be shorter. Florida Aquatics market it, they say it originated (i.e., was developed) in SE Asia at Oriental Aquarium.

The "original" E. angustifolius is more probably not an Echinodorus, and also not a true species; there are only five accepted species in the "dwarf sword" group now, and "angustifolius" isn't among them. As Holm-Neilson thought this was a variant (same species) of E. bolivianus, that is probably where it is, as Helanthium bolivianum.

Just found out some interesting information about the runner-forming Echinodorus- Byron hinted at this... It turns out they have been reclassified to Helanthium . The vesuvius is now known as H. angustifolium "vesuvius" (E. angustifolius- angustifolius was changed to angustifolium, probably due to the masculine/feminine change. My latin is bad so don't ask what it changed to. :) Might have changed again, that's just the only name I found).


As for the name Vesuvius, someone might find this interesting...-