sword plants

[willie32]

I'm planning a rescape of my tank to a low tech setup soon and I'm keen to add some swords to the mix. I've taken a liking to the fancier types available nowadays, but I'm having trouble recalling their sizes.

For a 2 foot tank, how many swords would you recommend? I'm looking at smaller growers like Echinodorus Reni, and also some of the bigger ones like Echinodorus Ozelot. I've also come across some fancy varieties like 'Red wild grass' and 'Rose' that I think would be great additions.

Thanks

[coltin]

Most Echinodorus species can grow leaves up to 12 inches long underwater. Out of water, they can reach 2-3 feet tall. For a 2-foot tank, I'd stick to one or two swordplants, considering their potential size.

[sSjey]

@janesanySolano - that's a good point, I've noticed Echinodorus Reni does display red leaves when they're young, providing it gets sufficient lighting and fertilization, which helps maintain that vibrant color.

[boomer]

The red-tinted varieties, including some non-red ones, are not natural wild Echinodorus plants but cultivars developed from crossing different species. Their growth height might be more uniform for each variety compared to wild species. However, there's considerable variation in the size of wild species plants, which can depend on the aquarium conditions. This variation is a natural aspect of wild species. For instance, Echinodorus grisebachii shows differences in appearance between plants, seemingly influenced by their environment. This phenomenon likely occurs in nature as well, resulting in transitional forms within the species.

Research by Lehtonen and Falck (2011) suggests that the limited genetic variation within the complex makes it difficult to establish distinct groupings. Initially, E. amazonicus, E. bleherae, E. grisebachii, and E. parviflorus were described as separate species, but phylogenetic analysis revealed they are actually all E. grisebachii with varying appearances.

Kasselmann (2003) reported that Echinodorus "ozelot" has leaf blades measuring 10-15cm in length and 3-4cm in width, resulting in a maximum height of 20cm. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information on E. "reni" in my texts.

Wild species can exhibit significant size differences. I had a personal experience with E. grisebachii, which produced numerous inflorescences over the years. I detached many adventitious plants and placed them in other tanks. Despite coming from the same parent, these plants showed remarkable differences in leaf blade length and width. Some remained small, while others grew close to the size of the parent plant, all in different tanks.

[willie32]

Most Echinodorus species can grow leaves up to 12 inches long underwater. Out of water, they can reach 2-3 feet tall. For a 2-foot tank, I'd stick to one or two swordplants, considering their potential size.

I think one big one and a smaller type would work well in a 2ft tank.

boomer said:



All of the red-tinted varieties, as well as some non-red varieties, are not natuflake wild Echinodorus plants but cultivars developed by crossing various species. The height to which they grow might be more uniform for the variety than are wild species. There is considerable variation among the size of the plants in the natuflake species, and this can depend upon the conditions in the aquarium. But it is also a fact of the natuflake species. For example, Echinodorus griesbachii: Differences in appearance between plants of this species are apparent and seem dependent on the specific environment in the aquarium; this seems likely to also occur in nature, what can be termed transitional forms of the species. But the limited genetic variation within the complex is insufficient to establish reasonable groupings (Lehtonen & Falck, 2011). The "species" E. amazonicus, E. bleherae, E. grisebachii and E. parviflorus were initially described as distinct species, but phylogenetic analysis has confirmed that these are actually all the one species, E. grisebachii, with varkento4t appearances.

According to Kasselmann ((2003) the leaf blades of Echinodorus "ozelot" are 10-15cm long and 3-4 cm wide, giving the plant a maximum height of 20 cm. I have no information in my texts of E. "reni."

The wild species as I mentioned can grow quite different in terms of size. I had E. grisebachii [at the time thought to be E. bleherae which is now known to not be a distinct species] That produced dozens of inflorescences over the years, and I detached many of the adventitious plants and placed them in other tanks. In spite of the fact that all of them came from the same parent, and presumably would grow similarly, the differences in leaf blade length and width was remarkable. Some never grew beyond a third of the size of the parent, while some came very close to the size of the parent plant, in different tanks.

That's really interesting, I knew most of the colours were grown in captivity. Some of them you see for sale tell the story, like one I saw named after a German town. What do you think of Echinodorus xinguensis? Is it correctly labeled or is there only one true Echinodorus now? I know they moved some of the smaller ones to a new group called Helenthium.

[boomer]

I'm planning a rescape of my tank to a low tech setup soon and I'm keen to add some swords to the mix. I've taken a liking to the fancier types available nowadays, but I'm having trouble recalling their sizes.

For a 2 foot tank, how many swords would you recommend? I'm looking at smaller growers like Echinodorus Reni, and also some of the bigger ones like Echinodorus Ozelot. I've also come across some fancy varieties like 'Red wild grass' and 'Rose' that I think would be great additions.

Thanks

I appreciate your interest in the details, and I must say, this response is quite lengthy. As I've mentioned in my profile elsewhere, the plant in question is actually a natural wild species, albeit misnamed. The correct classification is Helanthium bolivkento4um, described by Rusby in 1947. This species was initially part of the genus dixonma, but later moved into Echinodorus in 1979 by Holm-Nielsen.

The dixonmataceae family comprises 12 genera with around 80 species, primarily found in tropical and subtropical regions. Three genera, Sagittaria, Echinodorus, and Helanthium, are of particular interest to aquarists, but their similarities in appearance can make identification challenging. Even within a single species, leaf lengths can vary significantly depending on the aquarium conditions.

H. bolivkento4um is native to areas in Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and South America, down to northern Argentina. Nurseries often supply H. bolivkento4um as H. tenellum, but the two species are distinguishable. H. bolivkento4um has three rows of chlorophyll-free "windows" adjacent to the leaf spine, whereas H. tenellum has normal green tissue throughout the leaf. I've had both species, and I can attest that H. bolivkento4um has larger leaves.

According to The Plant Index, 11 "species" described by Rataj are now considered synonyms of H. bolivkento4um. Aquarists have long recognized that while Echinodorus species readily hybridize, they resist hybridization with chain sword species, supporting the notion that these two genera are distinct.

The taxonomic history of Helanthium is complex. Initially described as a section in the genus dixonma by Engelmann, Bentham, and Hooker in 1883, it was later elevated to a distinct genus by Engelmann and Britton in 1905. However, Fassett reversed this decision in 1955, considering the species within Helanthium as Echinodorus. Phylogenetic analysis by Lehtonen and Myllys revealed that Echinodorus is polyphyletic, leading to the reclassification of certain species, including E. nymphaeifolius, into the genus Albidella, and E. bolivkento4us, E. tenellus, and E. zombiensis into Helanthium.

The species now classified as Helanthium are those former Echinodorus species known for their chain sword-like characteristics, reproducing in aquaria via "runners" and generally smaller than true Echinodorus species.

[anglerman]

The red-tinted varieties, including some non-red ones, are not natural wild Echinodorus plants but cultivars developed from crossing different species. Their growth height might be more uniform for each variety compared to wild species. However, there's considerable variation in the size of wild species plants, which can depend on the aquarium conditions. This variation is a natural aspect of wild species. For instance, Echinodorus grisebachii shows differences in appearance between plants, seemingly influenced by their environment. This phenomenon likely occurs in nature as well, resulting in transitional forms within the species.

Research by Lehtonen and Falck (2011) suggests that the limited genetic variation within the complex makes it difficult to establish distinct groupings. Initially, E. amazonicus, E. bleherae, E. grisebachii, and E. parviflorus were described as separate species, but phylogenetic analysis revealed they are actually all E. grisebachii with varying appearances.

Kasselmann (2003) reported that Echinodorus "ozelot" has leaf blades measuring 10-15cm in length and 3-4cm in width, resulting in a maximum height of 20cm. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information on E. "reni" in my texts.

Wild species can exhibit significant size differences. I had a personal experience with E. grisebachii, which produced numerous inflorescences over the years. I detached many adventitious plants and placed them in other tanks. Despite coming from the same parent, these plants showed remarkable differences in leaf blade length and width. Some remained small, while others grew close to the size of the parent plant, all in different tanks.

I've had swords in a covered tank before and they seem to do alright, I think the key is just making sure they're getting enough light. I've heard some people say they don't do well in low light, but I've had some smaller ones thrive in a tank with a lid.

[boomer]

The red-tinted varieties, including some non-red ones, are not natural wild Echinodorus plants but cultivars developed from crossing different species. Their growth height might be more uniform for each variety compared to wild species. However, there's considerable variation in the size of wild species plants, which can depend on the aquarium conditions. This variation is a natural aspect of wild species. For instance, Echinodorus grisebachii shows differences in appearance between plants, seemingly influenced by their environment. This phenomenon likely occurs in nature as well, resulting in transitional forms within the species.

Research by Lehtonen and Falck (2011) suggests that the limited genetic variation within the complex makes it difficult to establish distinct groupings. Initially, E. amazonicus, E. bleherae, E. grisebachii, and E. parviflorus were described as separate species, but phylogenetic analysis revealed they are actually all E. grisebachii with varying appearances.

Kasselmann (2003) reported that Echinodorus "ozelot" has leaf blades measuring 10-15cm in length and 3-4cm in width, resulting in a maximum height of 20cm. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information on E. "reni" in my texts.

Wild species can exhibit significant size differences. I had a personal experience with E. grisebachii, which produced numerous inflorescences over the years. I detached many adventitious plants and placed them in other tanks. Despite coming from the same parent, these plants showed remarkable differences in leaf blade length and width. Some remained small, while others grew close to the size of the parent plant, all in different tanks.

Yes. A few larger Echinodorus species can grow submersed leaves long enough to reach the surface, but this isn't the same as emersed growth.

[anglerman]

The red-tinted varieties, including some non-red ones, are not natural wild Echinodorus plants but cultivars developed from crossing different species. Their growth height might be more uniform for each variety compared to wild species. However, there's considerable variation in the size of wild species plants, which can depend on the aquarium conditions. This variation is a natural aspect of wild species. For instance, Echinodorus grisebachii shows differences in appearance between plants, seemingly influenced by their environment. This phenomenon likely occurs in nature as well, resulting in transitional forms within the species.

Research by Lehtonen and Falck (2011) suggests that the limited genetic variation within the complex makes it difficult to establish distinct groupings. Initially, E. amazonicus, E. bleherae, E. grisebachii, and E. parviflorus were described as separate species, but phylogenetic analysis revealed they are actually all E. grisebachii with varying appearances.

Kasselmann (2003) reported that Echinodorus "ozelot" has leaf blades measuring 10-15cm in length and 3-4cm in width, resulting in a maximum height of 20cm. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information on E. "reni" in my texts.

Wild species can exhibit significant size differences. I had a personal experience with E. grisebachii, which produced numerous inflorescences over the years. I detached many adventitious plants and placed them in other tanks. Despite coming from the same parent, these plants showed remarkable differences in leaf blade length and width. Some remained small, while others grew close to the size of the parent plant, all in different tanks.

Just hunting for more plants to add to my cichlid/catfish setup

[boomer]

Here's another aspect of chain swords I didn't mention earlier.

Helanthium bolivkento4um, like other species in this genus, can thrive in both permanently submersed and emersed conditions, as long as the roots remain submerged. When emersed in paludariums or terrariums, the plant produces oval leaves on short stems and flowers. However, when planted in an aquarium, the new leaves take on an awl-shaped form, while the emersed leaves turn yellow and die off. The submersed leaves are variable in shape but generally have a width of up to 1.5 cm and can reach lengths of 15-20 cm, depending on the light intensity.

Both emersed and submersed forms reproduce vegetatively, producing numerous pseudo-stolons that give rise to plantlets every few inches. These pseudo-stolons, often referred to as "runners," are actually modified flower stalks. Once established, the plant spreads rapidly and can be controlled by cutting off the runners as needed. The daughter plants can be replanted, making it easy to propagate.