[koolman56]

So does anyone have any expierence with these i have 2 in my 10 gallon tank does anyone know how i can make them healthier?

 

[SimplySplendid]

Hi koolman66,
Amazon swords can grow in almost all freshwater tanks. They are very hardy and adaptable.
What kind of substrate do you have? Medium sized gravel to sand is best.
Sometimes amazon swords also need root tabs, which can be purchased at most pet stores. Also make sure to pull of any dead leaves and stems

Brie

 

[koolman56]

So does anyone have any expierence with these i have 2 in my 10 gallon tank does anyone know how i can make them healthier?

i have about gravel the size of peas maybe :lol: and then a mixture of like fairley small gravel and the pea size :lol: K ill be sure to get soem of those ok thanks!

 

[SimplySplendid]

That gravel should be fine. Like I said, amazon swords are very hardy.
Good luck :thumbsup:

Brie

 

[Andrew]

Amazons are probably the easiest plant to grow, but if you want better results yu will have to give them a better home, pea gravel doesnt allow for good root growth, you might want to look at fertilising or putting some algae eating fish in there to keep them clean.

 

[love_my_fish]

I have kept some amazon swords for a few years. They started out pretty good for maybe 6 months, then I moved them around, and they just haven't looked the same. There are constantly leaves with holes in them. I have bn plecos, but almost never see them on the plants. The leaves just aren't as broad or as tall, or even as thick, as they should be. I use FloraPride (0-0-3), but not with every water change. Do I just need a different fertilizer? Do I need CO2?

 

[Lupin]

Plecs, in general, are nocturnal so you'll never see them rasping on the leaves thus leaving holes on them. Believe me, I had to move my loaches as I caught them one night boring holes on my Amazon swords.

Fertilizers are not really necessary unless your tank has insufficient nutrients which can be a sign when your plants show deterioration.
CO2 makes the plants grow faster. If you can afford it and want plants to grow fast, go for it.

 

[bettababy]

The amazon sword will outgrow your 10 gallon tank, so you may find that if it does well, puts out a runner with baby plants, you will want to plant the babies and maybe end up moving the mother plant to a larger tank.
Also, heed the warnings about plecos, they love amazon swords... it seems to be one of their favorite plants to eat. I wouldn't advise a pleco in a 10 gallon tank, so that should be ok.

 

[Andrew]

Cut back the skanky leaves, they arent good for the plant infact they probably do the plant more damage, just treat dead leaves like you treat dead flowers in the summer, rip them off and new ones grow!

I wouldnt say you need ferts or CO2 iwith swords, perhaps you need to change your lights- if they have faded and reduced in power that may have something to do with them no longer being impressive.

 

[love_my_fish]

Cut back the skanky leaves, they arent good for the plant infact they probably do the plant more damage, just treat dead leaves like you treat dead flowers in the summer, rip them off and new ones grow!

I wouldnt say you need ferts or CO2 iwith swords, perhaps you need to change your lights- if they have faded and reduced in power that may have something to do with them no longer being impressive.

I definately keep removing the damaged leaves, and am amazed that new ones keep growing in. I'm wondering about the bristle noses now, maybe try feeding them at night.

Questions about floursecent lights -- how often should they be replaced (I've heard 6 months) and what do you do with them? I've never had a bulb actually burn out (I should probably put em in a shop light or something) -- but even if they did, I've heard they have mercury or something in them.........do they go in the trash or out with hazardous waste? :dunno:

Also, are you suppose to trim the roots of amazon swords?

 

[Lupin]

Also, are you suppose to trim the roots of amazon swords?

Yes. If they keep growing, then you will find yourself shock by how long has the roots grown since you planted it.:mrgreen:

There's no harm done on cutting plants. Just do like what you do in your garden.:wink2:

 

[Andrew]

i dont cut roots of plants, but do you mean the runners that sprout at the surface?
well every 6 months is what you are meant to do, but thats is extreme, i think every 6 months if you have a large bank of tubes, then you rotate them so you dont have to buy them all at once- i think once a year for each tube- i wouldnt advise to change more than half any one time as the suddent change in light levels might damage your plants.

 

[Kathryn]

I have what I think is a couple of amazon swords in my 22 UK gallon tank. I have never really looked after my plants, it's the fish I'm worried about, but they were my first plant, bought around 5 months ago, and still going strong! Shows how hardy they are! :lol:

 

[fish_4_all]

When I had my Red Melon Sword, my BN left it alone. If I didn't add a root tab once every couple months they would start to show deficiencies until I adde CO2 and started dosing all nutrients. Once I did that the sword outgrew my 10 gallon tank in 3 weeks. If you really want them to getlarge, root tabs will hep this and alsdo help with the deficiencies, ifthey exist. Just make sure to use a complete tab like the ones from flourish if you don't fertilize the tank.

And I grew mine in standard epoxy aquarium gravel with no problem. The root system was the size of a softball cut in half. Mind you this was with dosing the tank and putting root tabs under the roots every 2 months.