# Amazon Sword Plants



## Briand1 (Oct 15, 2008)

Hello I have some sword plants in my aquarium and the leaves look like their turning transparent and then slowly disappering. Anyone know what might be the problem. I'm new here so any help would be appreciated. Thanks


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

*Re: Amozan Sword Plants*

It could be caused by a lot of things. What size is your aquarium, how much light, do you fertilize and how, do you use CO2 or Excel, what other plants are in the tank and how are they doing????


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## Sunstar (Sep 17, 2008)

*Re: Amozan Sword Plants*

swords are heavy root feeders. stick root tabs under teh plants.


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## PRJCT92EH2 (Mar 7, 2008)

*Re: Amozan Sword Plants*

also make sure the crown of the roots is above the substrate


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

*Re: Amozan Sword Plants*

Most likely calcium deficiency. Root tabs are essential with swords as others have pointed out, they are heavy root feeders.

Check out this link:
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_nutrient.htm


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

*Re: Amozan Sword Plants*

The last big sword plant had was a "Kleiner Bar" sword in a 29 gallon tank, with SMS as the substrate, EI fertilizing and pressurized CO2. No root tabs at all, and the substrate was inert. That sword took over my tank in about 3 months, virtually filling the tank, before I removed it. It did have a typical huge root system when I pulled it out, but the only nutrients it could get were in the water column.

People have repeated the statement that swords are big root feeders and need root fertilizing to grow well for years now. As far as I have been able to find out, no one has actually done a controlled test to verify that.


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## chagovatoloco (Nov 17, 2007)

I believe that root feeding is their choice but they will tank in other ferts in the water column as well. I too have grown many swards with inert substrate and ei dosing that seemed to out grow the tank.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

I had a 'Red Rubin' sword take over half of my 75 without using root tabs and it had an enourmous root ball. My Amazon swords (Echinodorus x barthii) dont do well w/o tabs. They grow OK but when you stick in just a portion of a Seachem root tab they grow out of the tank.

Most plant books have them as heavy root feeders.


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