I have a 55 gallon tank with 2 Amazon Sword that already reaching the top of
the tank. I've ordered 2 Red Wendtii Cryptos, 1 Marble Queen Sword, 2 Crypy
Beckttii, and 2 Qriental Swords. How far apart should i put the new plants
when the arrive? I want my tanks to look full along the back and sides, but
don't know how far apart they should be when i put them in. Thanks for any
advice.

Matt

"JUNE WILLIAMS" wrote in message
hlink.net...
I have a 55 gallon tank with 2 Amazon Sword that already reaching the top of
the tank. I've ordered 2 Red Wendtii Cryptos, 1 Marble Queen Sword, 2 Crypy
Beckttii, and 2 Qriental Swords. How far apart should i put the new plants
when the arrive? I want my tanks to look full along the back and sides, but
don't know how far apart they should be when i put them in. Thanks for any
advice.

Matt



Hi Matt,

That is a good question and I will look forward to reading other people's
opinions.

If you want your tank to look full along the back and sides plant the sword
plans close to each other. Swords are slow growers and I think I would not plant
them extra 2 or 3 inches apart in anticipation of future growth.

I recently put some swords into my 360L (90g) aquarium and I put them a little
to far apart. I will be replanting them in a few days. Or I could just wait
months or years for it to start looking dense ;-)

--
Marvin
hlavac (at) rogers (dot) com

Marvin Hlavac wrote:

Swords are slow growers and I think I would not plant
them extra 2 or 3 inches apart in anticipation of future growth.

I recently put some swords into my 360L (90g) aquarium and I put them a little
to far apart. I will be replanting them in a few days. Or I could just wait
months or years for it to start looking dense ;-)

Marvin,

I have two plants sold to me as Amazon swords. Although I have removed 77 leaves
from the pair (yes, I counted exactly) in the past three months, together they cover
20 inches along the back of my tank to a height of 19-20 inches above the gravel.
They started out as standard potted plants, each with just a half-dozen rounded,
emersed-type leaves, about 9 months ago.

So I think your advice about swords may be a bit conservative. His species aren't
clear, but most swords are medium or fast growers.

JUNE WILLIAMS wrote:

I have a 55 gallon tank with 2 Amazon Sword that already reaching the top of
the tank. I've ordered 2 Red Wendtii Cryptos, 1 Marble Queen Sword, 2 Crypy
Beckttii, and 2 Qriental Swords. How far apart should i put the new plants
when the arrive? I want my tanks to look full along the back and sides, but
don't know how far apart they should be when i put them in. Thanks for any
advice.

Matt

Matt,

Check out www.tropica.com for a pretty good database of plant species, their
sizes and growth rates. Sword plants are all Echinodorus species. There are
quite a few of them, sold with confusing names, but you may be able to identify
the precise one either by looks or by contacting your vendor.

Good luck!

"Dave Millman" wrote in message
...
Marvin Hlavac wrote:

Swords are slow growers and I think I would not plant
them extra 2 or 3 inches apart in anticipation of future growth.

I recently put some swords into my 360L (90g) aquarium and I put them a
little
to far apart. I will be replanting them in a few days. Or I could just wait
months or years for it to start looking dense ;-)

Marvin,

I have two plants sold to me as Amazon swords. Although I have removed 77
leaves
from the pair (yes, I counted exactly) in the past three months, together
they cover
20 inches along the back of my tank to a height of 19-20 inches above the
gravel.
They started out as standard potted plants, each with just a half-dozen
rounded,
emersed-type leaves, about 9 months ago.

So I think your advice about swords may be a bit conservative. His species
aren't
clear, but most swords are medium or fast growers.

I would agree. I planted three Echinodorus Ozelot six weeks ago. They were
about
5" tall at the time, and maybe 6" in diameter. Now, the leaves are over 20"
long,
about 5" wide, and the three plants (which I planted in a group about 5" apart
from
each other) fill a volume that is around 15" in diameter and 20" tall. One of
the
plants has grown a spike out of the (open top) tank. The spike is about 40 in
long
above the water line, with five nodes; each of the nodes is growing leaves and
puts
out one or two flowers every morning (white, with yellow stamen, three leaves
each).
The flowers wilt by the evening (presumably because of the heat coming from the
overhead metal halides).

At any rate, I wouldn't call that a slow-growing plant by any stretch of the
imagination...

Cheers,

Michi.

--
Michi Henning Ph: +61 4 1118-2700
Triodia Technologies http://www.triodia.com/staff/michi

"Michi Henning" wrote in message
...
"Dave Millman" wrote in message
...
Marvin Hlavac wrote:

Swords are slow growers and I think I would not plant
them extra 2 or 3 inches apart in anticipation of future growth.

I recently put some swords into my 360L (90g) aquarium and I put them a
little
to far apart. I will be replanting them in a few days. Or I could just
wait
months or years for it to start looking dense ;-)

Marvin,

I have two plants sold to me as Amazon swords. Although I have removed 77
leaves
from the pair (yes, I counted exactly) in the past three months, together
they cover
20 inches along the back of my tank to a height of 19-20 inches above the
gravel.
They started out as standard potted plants, each with just a half-dozen
rounded,
emersed-type leaves, about 9 months ago.

So I think your advice about swords may be a bit conservative. His species
aren't
clear, but most swords are medium or fast growers.

I would agree. I planted three Echinodorus Ozelot six weeks ago. They were
about
5" tall at the time, and maybe 6" in diameter. Now, the leaves are over 20"
long,
about 5" wide, and the three plants (which I planted in a group about 5" apart
from
each other) fill a volume that is around 15" in diameter and 20" tall. One of
the
plants has grown a spike out of the (open top) tank. The spike is about 40 in
long
above the water line, with five nodes; each of the nodes is growing leaves and
puts
out one or two flowers every morning (white, with yellow stamen, three leaves
each).
The flowers wilt by the evening (presumably because of the heat coming from
the
overhead metal halides).

At any rate, I wouldn't call that a slow-growing plant by any stretch of the
imagination...

Cheers,

Michi.

--
Michi Henning Ph: +61 4 1118-2700
Triodia Technologies http://www.triodia.com/staff/michi



Hi Dave and Michi,

What would you then suggest to Matt, the original poster. How far apart should
he put the new plants when they arrive? He wants his tanks to look full along
the back and sides, but doesn't know how far apart he should plant them.

What I'm doing now in my tank is I'm planting my swords close to each other
along the back wall of my 360L (90g) so it looks *full*. A few weeks (months)
later I may need to move them around a bit.

--
Marvin
hlavac (at) rogers (dot) com

Marvin Hlavac wrote:

Hi Dave and Michi,

What would you then suggest to Matt, the original poster. How far apart should
he put the new plants when they arrive? He wants his tanks to look full along
the back and sides, but doesn't know how far apart he should plant them.

What I'm doing now in my tank is I'm planting my swords close to each other
along the back wall of my 360L (90g) so it looks *full*. A few weeks (months)
later I may need to move them around a bit.

Again, each species is a bit different size. Go to www.tropica.com, click on the
various Echinodorus species, and check out the sizes shown. For example, Echinodorus
cordifolius 'Tropica Marble Queen' is listed as 15-25 cm wide. This means that two
plants about 20 cm (8 inches) apart will lightly touch, and two plants about 10 cm
(4 inches) apart will have massively intertwined leaves.

"Marvin Hlavac" wrote in message
ble.rogers.com...

Hi Dave and Michi,

What would you then suggest to Matt, the original poster. How far apart
should
he put the new plants when they arrive? He wants his tanks to look full
along
the back and sides, but doesn't know how far apart he should plant them.

What I'm doing now in my tank is I'm planting my swords close to each other
along the back wall of my 360L (90g) so it looks *full*. A few weeks (months)
later I may need to move them around a bit.

Given the way my Ozelot swords are growing, I'd suggest a minimum spacing of
6-8".

Cheers,

Michi.
--
Michi Henning Ph: +61 4 1118-2700
Triodia Technologies http://www.triodia.com/staff/michi

I enjoy www.tropica.com, also, but don't take the descriptions too
seriously. I usually use a few sources and sort of "average" the answers.
Besides, unless you're a botanist, at least half the time you'll never
absolutely know for sure what kind of echinodorus you've really got. Just
grit your teeth and keep telling yourself that rearranging the plants every
few months is part of the fun.

I've got an Ozelot that I planted as a little, tiny "tree" on the lawn of
lileaopsis at the very front of my 75-gallon. About three months later, it
now occupies the entire right-front quadrant of the tank but it's so
gorgeous I can't bear to touch it. I walk around to the side of the tank and
press my cheek up against the wall to look at it.

On the other hand, I planted two rather large and expensive Jade Hormanis
about eight inches apart in the back of the tank and they have failed to do
anything but drop leaves and **** me off.

My two-cents' worth, at any rate.

Dave Millman wrote in message
...
Marvin Hlavac wrote:

Hi Dave and Michi,

What would you then suggest to Matt, the original poster. How far apart
should
he put the new plants when they arrive? He wants his tanks to look full
along
the back and sides, but doesn't know how far apart he should plant them.

What I'm doing now in my tank is I'm planting my swords close to each
other
along the back wall of my 360L (90g) so it looks *full*. A few weeks
(months)
later I may need to move them around a bit.

Again, each species is a bit different size. Go to www.tropica.com, click
on the
various Echinodorus species, and check out the sizes shown. For example,
Echinodorus
cordifolius 'Tropica Marble Queen' is listed as 15-25 cm wide. This means
that two
plants about 20 cm (8 inches) apart will lightly touch, and two plants
about 10 cm
(4 inches) apart will have massively intertwined leaves.