Amazon Sword Runners?

[Maxw47]

So I keep seeing amazon sword with a whole string of runners and cannot get mine to send any off! It is currently in a ten gallon. Here are the specs-
Substrate- half and half mix between standard gravel and floramax gravel
Lighting-Marineland LEDs. Really, they are crap. There is only light in the middle of the tank and that isn't even much. Soon (once I get the glass hood), I am putting a 15 watt T8 light fixture on.
Ferts/CO2- I was dosing ferts and had DIY CO2 going, but it was too much in comparison with my crappy lighting and I kept having algae issues, so I stopped for now.
Are there any 'tricks' to get them to send out runners? My little narrow leaf chain swords are doing great and I have about 25 from the four I started with. I just can't figure it out. Hopefully you guys can point out something that I am missing or might help. Thanks!

 

[Coursair]

Try Root Tabs. Swords are heavy root feeders. How long have you had the plant ? They need time to acclimate to your tank also.

If you want to make your own
DIY Root Tabs

DIY Fert-Cicles.
Osmocote Plus from hardware store or nursery
+ Ice Tray
+ Tank Water

Fill trays 1/2 way with Fert
Fill trays with tank water
Freeze

Bury deep under or near Crypts and Swords or struggling plants. You don't need to put one per plant. Space them about 6" apart I think ??

I use O+ in my tanks. Got a RAOK of O+ root caps, gel capsules. They work great.

 

[Maxw47]

Ok, are you sure that I should add root tabs if I have the floramax substrate? Would adding those extra ferts put my whole CO2, lighting, fert balance off and then I would have algae problems? The sword has been in the tank for just under 5 months now, so I think that is enough time to establish. Thanks for the good idea too! I'll see if I can run by my local nursery and get some of that Osmocote Plus. Thanks!

 

[Coursair]

Ok, are you sure that I should add root tabs if I have the floramax substrate? Would adding those extra ferts put my whole CO2, lighting, fert balance off and then I would have algae problems? The sword has been in the tank for just under 5 months now, so I think that is enough time to establish. Thanks for the good idea too! I'll see if I can run by my local nursery and get some of that Osmocote Plus. Thanks!

No, not sure about it. But I'd try it if the plant isn't thriving. My Chain Swords weren't sending out runners in Flourite. I added the O+ Root Caps and now they grow like weeds !!

 

[Maxw47]

Oh cool! You mentioned chain swords (im assuming the little swords w/ leaves that come from the base). Just out of curiosity, how many runners do yours send out every...week?...month? Just wondering so that I can compare mine to yours.

-Oh, I forgot to ask, how often should I add the root tabs?

 

[Togliat]

My Root tab box says to add them every 30 days.
I have an Amazon sword with at least six runners in a chain that has been growing about six months.
I use 6700k LED lights (not the cheap - but rather AquaRay), CO2, and Flourish Excel.
I used to use HO T5 lighting with only two bulbs and despite some comments on this forum, they were enough for the plants to grow and even thrive.
I switched to LED when my T5 unit failed due to poor engineering. I simply have two polycarbonate panels with the lights sitting right on them.
It is not ideal but appears to be working until I can fabricate some sort of hood.

Hope this helps.

 

[Coursair]

Oh cool! You mentioned chain swords (im assuming the little swords w/ leaves that come from the base). Just out of curiosity, how many runners do yours send out every...week?...month? Just wondering so that I can compare mine to yours.

-Oh, I forgot to ask, how often should I add the root tabs?

Chain Swords are a species of Sword Plant.
Echinodorus tennellus
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myplants/63-Pygmy_Chain_Sword_Echinodorus_tenellus.html

Amazon Swords are a different species, but similar care.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/myplants/15-Amazon_Sword_Echinodorus_amazonicus.html

 

[Maxw47]

I think that you might have misunderstood me. I was just asking about your chain swords compared to mine, nothing to do with amazon swords. Sorry if was a little hard to follow! In fact, I probably shouldn't even be asking about the chain swords because that is a little off topic. I looked up that osmocote plus, and on amazon, it is $20 for just a 4.5 pound jug! That seems pricey to me. As maybe a cheaper alternative (maybe it is actually more expensive in the long run), are the seachem root tabs good? I heard they are pretty decent, and about $8 for 10 of them. Thanks!

 

[Atxpunx]

I bought that jug off of amazon. I used three pinch fulls to fertilize all three of my tanks. I won't have to fertilize for another six months, and I still have 99.997 % of that jug left.

 

[Maxw47]

Wow! That is great. The more I think about it, I think I will go with the diy root tabs. So once I upgrade the lighting to that T8, start adding root tabs, and maybe a little CO2, do you think my amazon sword will send off runners?

 

[Atxpunx]

The amazon swords making runners is a thing of chance. My first amazon sword a year ago sent out runners from the top and has never again. Now all my swords create side shoots from the base of the plants. When and if this happens separate the adventitious shoot from the original plant and replant the new plant and soon you'll have a new sword.

 

[Maxw47]

Ok, sounds good. Even if my amazon sword doesn't send off runners, I'm sure that it would grow a lot faster and be happier in general. My little chain swords will probably greatly benefit as well.

 

[jetajockey]

I make DIY root tabs every now and again, it's pretty easy. I make them from scratch, but the osmocote+ fertcicles is much simpler way.

 

[Maxw47]

Ok, cool. Fert-cicles seem like the way to go.