Swords have gone nuts.

[Lady Hobbs]

I've had my swords maybe a month and they are growing out of the top of the tank......especially all these long shoots they put out. I have removed the tank top and will have to put my light on "feet" so I can have an open tank.

But I have a question.......I read somewhere that stronger light makes swords grow taller but less fullness. Less light keeps them shorter but they fill out more. Has anyone heard of this?

[Siamese Fighter 1]

Most tank-raised Amazon swords grow 12 to18-inches tall. Oddly enough, too much light keeps them from growing tall. They flatten out. On the other hand, The plant can grow up and out of a 70-gallon tank under hanging lights. the big plants grow flowers and make lots and lots of little baby swordlets.

[Lady Hobbs]

Thank you. I was expecting a bit more growth on some of my so-called fast growers and they aren't doing quite so much. The swords on the other hand are going nuts. Also the anubius and moss. I certainly was expecting slower growth on the anubius but that is doing very well.

[Lady Hobbs]

3 weeks have gone by since I started this thread but I wanted to add an update.

I have lots and lots of the new babies on stringers but the mother plant itself is not getting any new leaves. Should I cut all these stringers off with the babies? I wondered if it would help get new leaves on the base plant?

[Dave66]

It does, Hobbs. If you cut the runners the plant will put its energy into making leaves, not babies. Its why my bleheri is more than 2 feet tall with a 28 inch spread with at least one hundred leaves.

Dave

[OscarFan]

If you put lights on the sides of the tanks It might make the swords fill out becuase they want to reach the light.

[Lady Hobbs]

Thanks. I cut those runners off today and all were good sized with 5 or 6 leaves. Left them just floating in the tank for lack of anywhere to put them.

[Algenco]

It's amazing what a little iron will do for them

[Lady Hobbs]

You're not kidding. More light and iron made all the difference. My others had transparent leaves and were dwarfs.