# Ozelot Sword making flower stem?



## LVKSPlantlady (Oct 4, 2009)

Is there anything special i can do to get my Ozelot sword to send up a flower stem?

It's in a 20 long NPT, with with 2 other ozelot's, <just got them last month>,crypts, and subulata, killi loaches and a kribis for fish, minial filtration, 20 watts of light and no sun light.. It has made 2 new leaves every week and a half since march. The leaves are big more leaf than stem on them and the ends touch the top of the water. It seems to have picked up the pace with the leaf making in the last 2 weeks, that is it used to wait 2 or 3 days after the last leaf completly stopped growing before starting another leaf, now the new leaf starts and the other is only half as big as it will get... Is this a good sign that it might do something soon?


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## geeks_15 (Dec 9, 2006)

Mine has sent 2 flower stems (at the same time). When I bought the plant it was already large. I have it in an open top, el natural setup with soil substrate. Many of the leaves are above the surface. The above water leaves get brown around the edges. I think its because the humidity is too low. Here are some pictures.


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

most of the swords are easiely send out flower like that once they are near the water surface or above. That is why you would see it often in store as they received emersed form most of the time.


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

forgot to tell you the way I do is to lower the water and lots fert. at the same time. It work once in a while but I have a friend always get those for no reason. You can try it and let me know does that work for you or not.


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## LVKSPlantlady (Oct 4, 2009)

What Kind of Ferts? I have Flourish, Flourish Iron and Flourish Excel on hand and just ordered Flourish Trace and Flourish Pottassium. Been having problems with pin holes in my crypt in another tank. 

Do I need CO2? I think I messed my tank up cuz I put an air stone in one cornner of the tank when I set it up in march, thinking I was helping with added water movment, after reading around on here I found out that the air stone was probally difussing most of the CO2 out of the water, I took it out and that's when the more rapid plant growth started in the ozelot and all the other plants too. 

I don't think the water level is too high it's only in 8 inches of water. Also by adding more ferts would I not be making the limting factor Lighting then CO2...I would then just have to add more of both..

thanks for the reply.

I have a Small tank thinking to starting an emersed tank just for one of these.


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

LVKSPlantlady said:


> What Kind of Ferts? I have Flourish, Flourish Iron and Flourish Excel on hand and just ordered Flourish Trace and Flourish Pottassium. Been having problems with pin holes in my crypt in another tank. .


pin holes... try pottassium, it would slow down there ageing process. Swords are ative in the roots, I mean ferts for their roots. All these liquid are just going to make more effect on the leafs of teh plant.



LVKSPlantlady said:


> Do I need CO2? I think I messed my tank up cuz I put an air stone in one cornner of the tank when I set it up in march, thinking I was helping with added water movment, after reading around on here I found out that the air stone was probally difussing most of the CO2 out of the water, I took it out and that's when the more rapid plant growth started in the ozelot and all the other plants too. .


you got thta right. Fresh(new) water have some CO2 but they would be escape 10 times or more faster than the oxygen out of the water. With sword you can just do water change often but additional CO2 would speed up their growth more.



LVKSPlantlady said:


> I don't think the water level is too high it's only in 8 inches of water. Also by adding more ferts would I not be making the limting factor Lighting then CO2...I would then just have to add more of both..
> 
> thanks for the reply.
> 
> I have a Small tank thinking to starting an emersed tank just for one of these.


As long you can make the plant think they are very close to the surface or by slowly reduce the level that is good enough.


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## LVKSPlantlady (Oct 4, 2009)

WOW! I Started adding some ferts, Florish potassium, and trace, and WOW! It's making leaves even faster now and they are completly BLOOD red when they come out, and don't start geting the random checker board pateren til the get about 2 inches long and they are still deep red! It's got 2 deep red newer leaves, and I can see where a new leaf is already starting! I love this plant!


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## LVKSPlantlady (Oct 4, 2009)

Well it has not made a flower stem yet.

I moved the tank right in front of the window, it now get direct sun light for about 3 hours in the morning then a siesta for 3 hours then 65 watts for 6 hours! 

With more light it has sprouted not one but 2 babies from the side! I'm so happy! 
I have also been adding potassium and trace once or twice a week but not until I changed the lights did it sprout the babies!


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

is it open top now? let it come out a little


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## LVKSPlantlady (Oct 4, 2009)

No the leaves have popped out above the water line yet..they are getting close though...


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