Growing Amazon Sword (Echinodorus Amazonicus) In The Aquarium

This is a semi-aquatic species. Its natural habitats are coasts of rivers, creeks, lakes, floodplains and swamps in South America.

The plant has short and thick rhizome with rosulate, intense green, lanceolate, underwater leaves on long leaf stems. These leaves are about 4 cm wide and up to 30 cm long. They have pointed tips which rearward bends. The species develops also above-water leaves. They are undulating in characteristic way. The species develops also flower stalks which develops plantlets (formations of miniaturized plant) under water because the plant blooms only above the water surface.

The species should be singly planted in the middle of the aquarium. It can be up to 40 cm wide.

It grows slowly when water temperature and lighting are too low and water is poor in nutrients. We should cut all above-water leaves.

This is spermatophyte species but in aquarium we reproduce it vegetatively - by the plantlets. These plantlets should be several centimeters long and they should have extensive root system. Then the seedlings will properly grow.