Dwarf Sword???

[JDogg]

ok, I have a sword plant. according to the lfs if is a Oriental Sword Echinodorus macrophyllus. i think before i got it it was grown emersed because the leaves were round and green. since it has been growing immerses it has grown leaves that are narrow and red. is this normal?

anyways it was about 7 inches tall when i got it, but the new growth is only 3 inches tall. i have had it for 3 months now, will it never get bigger?

dose excel every other day, k, no3

ammonia/nitrate = 0
NO3 = 20
P = 2
ph= 8

 

[fish_4_all]

Well from what I can find, give it time and it will outgrow your tank in short order. Lower light or shorter light periods might keep it smaller but once it gets adapted to being submerged, I would bet it will take off. It looks like it needs to be pruned, any leaves that look older and aren't growing so well or getting a little transparent. That being said, I trim my red melon sword all the time and it only grows faster so if you want it to grow fast, keep trimming it. 8O

 

[Peyton]

In my very first planted tank I had one of those. It got very large, very fast. I wasn't even using co2 or anything at that point. If I remember right it sent out runners all the time too. I think mine had round leaves on it at first also. My guess is it's developing a root system first then it will take off like mad.

 

[JDogg]

My guess is it's developing a root system first then it will take off like mad.

how long does it take to develope a root system? i have had it for a few months