# How to aquascape with swords?



## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

I have seen swords used many many times here in the US, but not in a tank that I'd call well aquascaped if you know what I mean. Tank is healthy and all, but not really "scaped".

Has anyone seen a tank sucessfully scaped with a sword? ANy opinions/suggestions/comments about using swords in a scape? 

I'm considering the Kleiner bar in a 20x18x20"H tank, but not sure if it can be done "as an aquascape".


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## Kevin Jones (Apr 4, 2004)

The biggest problem I have had with swords is their notorious habbit of exceeding their "maximum size". even some of the smaller varieties ('Red Special' for example which I have in the 220 gallon display at work) with maximum heights of 30cm typically get much bigger when well-established. 

I currently have 2 smaller swords in a 33 gallon stem plant tank a schlueteri 'Leopard' and a veronica. We shall see how well they behave. Other than these 2 swords, i also have a Barthii x that is almost 3 feet tall (and flowering) when its max size is listed as 50cm by tropica. my red flame at its peak was over 65cm tall when tropica lists it as a 30cm max for height. Most if not all of the swords i have grown over the years have proven to be troublesome when trying to fit them into a central part of an aquascape simply because they do not behave the way more predictable plants do.

typically i use most swords as background or corner plants where they can have a not so domnating presence and become as large as they want without disrupting the scape to a severe degree.


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## Ghazanfar Ghori (Jan 27, 2004)

Swords can be used to aquascape - you just have to have
a HUGE tank.










That's a full grown E. uraguayensis on the bottom left.

This picture is of the gigantic (I'd guess 4000 Gallons) planted
tank at the Barnes & Noble at the Baltimore Habor.
For you guys coming to this year's AGA - you'll see it in person!


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## Daemonfly (Mar 21, 2004)

:shock:


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

How much light does that tank get?


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## cactusdoug (Feb 17, 2004)

I've used Swords in each back corner of my #1 - 10 gal tank.










When they get too big I'll pull them and replace them with smaller ones.

I keep getting new ones popping up in my 55 gal.

CD


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

When people start using swords in a smaller tank, they are drifting away from the nature and dutch aquascaping. 

Unless people can begin to recorgnize its own beauty, it will not be what some call beautiful aquascaping.


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## cactusdoug (Feb 17, 2004)

Wow, thanks :shock: 

I've been told this tank is very beautiful, and I thought so too.

Guess I was wrong. 

Next time I'll check with you before doing any aquascaping.

Bye,  

CD


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## jerseyjay (Jan 25, 2004)

CD,

What branches did you use in your 10G tank ?


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## pineapple (May 4, 2004)

Tony,

Where did you get a 20 x 18 x 20 tank? Is it glass or acrylic? I am looking to escape AGA aquariums - specifically looking for a good quality glass tank in the region of 36 x 18 x 18.


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## tsunami (Jan 24, 2004)

I think aquascaping with swords in such a small tank is infeasible. A sword should be able to outgrow that 10g in a matter of couple weeks. Anubias, Java ferns would be a better choice for 'large' leaved plants in such a tank.

IMO, swords belong in very large aquaria and, even then, they need to be pruned regularly by removing all the outer leaves.

Just look at this red rubon sword in a Senske tank of 2002:










That tank is a 375g and 30 inches deep!

Carlos


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## cactusdoug (Feb 17, 2004)

Jay,

The branches are Manzanita.

CD


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

Doug, I think you completely missunderstood Edge's comment.

Pinapple, it is the Oceanic 30g cube.


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## Error (Apr 16, 2004)

I have never been able to use swords effectively in any of my aquascapes, other than the ubiquitous and unending incarnations of the "chain sword".

E. osiris was one of my favorite plants for a long time, until it grew so big and so fast that it actually choked out a gigantic Aponogeton ulvaceus.

I think that's a good question too--anyone ever used Apons effectively? I am thinking about finally doing a very, very large 'scape around an A. madagascariensis var. henkelianus. I don't think I'll ever move beyond the lace plant as the king of all awe-inspiring sights in this hobby.


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

Aren't those Apons?


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## tsunami (Jan 24, 2004)

Yes, and so are these (A. boivianus, I think):










Perhaps all these specimen plants (swords, aponogetons, etc) are better used as background plant curtains rather than "centerpieces." 

Carlos


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

oops, sorry doug, I should have mention the comment was to gomer's original post.

What I mean is that it is hard to make a sword look natural in a small tank because they get out of proportion to the aquascape once it settle in and start to take off. 

On a side note: I am beginning to think the depth of the substrate has some controlling effect on the height of the sword. I cannot get the redflame in my 75G tank to grow any taller than 14". This redflame occasionally send out flower stalk too; it is healthy and not lacking any nutrients as far as I could tell. 

Swords doesn't work in a dutch aquascape because dutch rely mostly on terracing to create the effect. I have never seen a sword in a dutch aquascape before.

To really admire the beauty of smaller tank /w a large sword, we would have to look at the aquascape not as an 'natural' or dutch design but something else all together.


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## tanVincent (Mar 19, 2004)

Hi,

Red flames , to my knowledge, does not grow to too high. They are one of the shorter species of Echinodorus. IF you are looking for some swords that stays real small, try Echinodorus Parviflorus "tropica" or Echinodorus sp "Harbich".

Cheers
Vincent


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

On the contrary to the suppose small size of redflame, Kevin Jones's redflame reached 26" tall. His Redflame was one of the first baby plant from my redflame. 

I haven't seen harbich available in Canada. I had a leopard in the tank once, but that plant stay flat to the substrate which made it looked ugly in the tank. Everything else (including sag pusilla) was growing taller than the leopard.


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## Kevin Jones (Apr 4, 2004)

My Redflame was in a tank that had a heavily organic substrate that was about 5" deep. It was also nearly directly under the 175 watt MH. 

Edge, if you want that puppy to flower try raising your phosphate to 2ppm, i did this and my leopard shot out a flower stalk as well as my Barthii X.

Swords are VERY condition-dependent. I have seen Barthii X that were stunted in lower light and shallow substrates that took on an amazing pinkish hue topping out at about 9". When lighting and substrate DEPTH not composition were increased, the same plant reached nearly 3 feet in height with olive green leaves. 

If one is to try and utilise a sword in an aquascape, you have to be prepared to yank it, as your conditions may lead to too large of a plant. Even in the case of the "smaller" swords.


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

I add 1.4 ppm back into the tank after a 60-75% water change. It does build up to over 2.5ppm in the tank.

Ikept the 'leopard' as a foreground/midground plant

The 'leopard' probably didn't flower and grow properly because the substrate was quite shallow at 1.5" depth.

I can break apart 'leopard' soon. it send out a new plant next to the motherplant before I moved it outside.


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