• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

echinodorus tank

Nick16

Member
Joined
13 Aug 2008
Messages
1,759
Location
Surrey, UK
hi guys, im very keen on having a tank with loads of ech's in, however a quick trawl through the journals doesnt yield much, so im struggling for ideas.
with most google image pics i found, it seems the swords look very odd as they stick out at the back of the tank without much infront of them, i plan on having an iwugumi with lots of blyxa and perhaps hairgrass but with some taller swords at the back to provde some cover. If anyone has or knows where, i can view some good aquariums that have made good use of swrods i would love to know.
they do look awesome if its very well done.

Cheers
 
Look at steve2tanks journal ;) he has a nice looking tank with swords if my memory isn't playing up. I think he used Blyxa and Hairgrass too!

There's also a couple of tanks in past PFK issues I think that make good use of swords.
 
ahh cheers, i will have a look when i get home later. I dont have any pfk's apart from one and there wasnt anything in that one, typical :lol:
 
Choose your plants carefully too - there are loads of species/varieties/hybrids of Echinodorus, but most of them (including, unfortunately, most of the red or spotted ones) are big fast growing plants. If you've got a big enough tank you can make a great display, but if you're using a tank less than about 4x2x2 feet your options are more limited - but you can still use the smaller ones. Quadricostus is one I've always liked, good foreground plant for a big tank (great pale green colour), tenellus doesn't get too big either.

Look at tropica's list (tropica.com), they provide heights and spreads. Lots of them have a spread of 20-40 cm, which wouldn't really be workable in a tank much less than 2 feet front to back, unless perhaps you do have them growing out of the tank.

Lots of people on the internet say that if you constantly remove the new leaves you can eventually get the plant to grow smaller leaves, but if I had one of these beautiful plants, I'd want it to grow to it's full potential - it's your choice.

I'd love to try some of these plants, they're fantastic looking, but I don't have the space for them. :(

Hope you get it set up and some pics on here soon!!

Best regards,

Mark
 
I agree with Mark. Unless you have a huge tank they can soon take over. I have a marbled queen that a1matt gave me that has taken over my 48"x18"x15". I'm kinda loathed to get rid of it but I think it's going to have to go soon as it's shadowing out everything else on one half of the tank.
 
the tank i have on oder is (wait for it) a 4x2x2 :lol: haha, and you were just saying about it!!
i perfer swords like E. argentinensis and E. Radicans, i like the look of the long thin stems with the leaf at the top rather than the E.amazonica that is basically one big leaf.
i see what your saying guys and i dont want to be over run, apart from tennelus and quadricostus can anyone suggest any other small swords?

cheers All
 
There's some small 'chain swords' that grow to about 30cm. Have you thought about using Crypts?
 
i did, but crypts arent the same, they are lower level plants and do not reach the heights the swords do, i need something that fills an area higher up in the tank as its 60cm tall. plus i love the look of some of the swords like radicans etc. Its just how i pull it off, the transition between something like blyxa and the swords, although im tempted to stick a nice stem infront of the swrds but behind the blxya to make it easier, something with a nice redness to it.
i really like the stems in this shot, but im not sure what they both are (the red one and the stuff directly to the right).... anyone shed some light?

bazz said:
quick update; 29th june!
3671681797_5f35ee4423.jpg
 
I don't think you'll have a problem getting most large swords to grow to around 60cm. There are also some Crypts that will grow near that height, as well as lower ones.
 
hi nick, i just answered your questions about the plant selection over on my journal (i think),
a couple of tips about large swords in big tanks is
a, (i might be wrong on this but) plant them at the rear right up against the glass so they have a tendancy to grow out and forwards rather than forming a big umbrella in the mid ground and shading the whole aquarium, and
b, don't believe everything you read on the labels, on the tag that came with my red special it says it grows 10-30cm high and 10-20cm wide, in 3 months it has attained 55cm high and 75cm wide (lol)!
hope this helps slightly!
cheers,bazz!
 
Back
Top