October 2009 - Kitchener Waterloo Aquarium Society

The PlantED tank: Continued from page 11
Echinodorus v. Rubin (Red Rubin Sword)
As the name would suggest this variety has red leaves. Under
sufficient light conditions the red colour is rather spectacular for
a plant of this size and shape. It has the same basic shape as the
Amazon sword but with heavier veined leaves that can get
almost a light burgundy. It is another hybrid that has been
developed for its colour. It should be kept in no less than
medium light conditions and the more light the greater the
colour you will achieve. I have found it to be a bit slower
growing than some other species, but it is worth finding a spot
in your tank if you are looking for some solid colour in a plant
that is sturdier than the red stem plants. !
Echinodorus Uruguayensis (Uruguayan Sword)
This is a nice tall and narrow plant that sends out long oarshaped
leaves on long stems. It is a light to medium green in
colour and does not make demands on light. It grows quite
easily and will grow more upright and will require less
footprint space than some of the wider growing species.
Echinodorus latifolius (Chain Sword)
This is one of the smaller varieties of the group, growing only
3-4 inches high. It has narrow leaves that resemble dwarf sag
(saggitaria subulata) and can very easily be mistaken for that
species. It is not seen for sale very often but is a nice foreground
O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9
and ground cover plant. I find it slower growing but once
established makes a solid plant. It has a smaller root structure
so it might not take well with loaches and corys digging
around.
Echinodorus tenellus (pygmy chain sword)
Pygmy chain sword is the smallest of sword plants, growing
only a few inches in height and having leaves only a few
millimeters in width. It’s dark green leaves look like sprouts of
grass shooting up in a line as it shoots runners under the
substrata and new plants spring up every two inches. It can
develop runners a foot long and when planting it may be easier
to pinch off plants and bury them separately as the runners
tend to be stiff and twist and make it difficult to keep roots
buried. The roots are also fairly shallow and may be easily
uprooted by bottom dwellers or tank maintenance and a finer
substrata will work much better for this plant. Over time a
dense ground cover can be formed and will make a very natural
foreground.
So, that is a short look at some good South American plants but
there are other places to visit and next month I will jump
continents to take a look at some of the more popular African
plants. Some are hard water plants, some are slow growing, and
some only show up when they want to. Hopefully you will
want to take a look at what I can come up with there and maybe
answer a question or two that somebody has been wondering.
- PlantED
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