Melon Sword's Leaves are Changing?

[ahelmes71]

My melon sword had tall green rounded oval-shaped leaves on long stems when I got it at the store. Looked pretty cool.

After a few months, those leaves died off. The new crop of leaves coming was very dark, almost blackish purple, when they came up. Now they are a purplish-rose color and the shape is long and pointy...in other words like a "sword."

Does this mean the specimen I bought was possibly grown out of water, but now it will have a completely different shape under my tank's lighting and water conditions? It still looks healthy and I like the reddish color, but I like the oval-shaped leaves too. If I Google melon sword I see pictures of plants with both types of leaves.

 

[fort384]

It could be a combination of a couple of things: Emergent growth vs. submerged growth, as you described, but also, what is your nitrate testing at?

 

[aqua_chem]

Some plants can have different leaf morphs based on light intensity as well.

 

[brennae]

I read in a plant book that melon swords start out dark and the leaves lighen as they get older and grow. Doesn't sound like anything to worry about from what everyone else has said.