Should I keep my Micro Swords?

**Holyvision** · 09-26-2008, 02:54 AM

Ok so, here's the deal:

My swords are growing nicely, they are quite green and seem to be spreading. However, I underestimated their height, and they are almost 4" tall, and might get taller. Mind you, this is only a 30 gallon tank. I've noticed some stray leaves, and other matter getting stuck in it as well, making it look like a bunch of, for lack of a better description, weeds.

So, my questions looking for opinions is: Should I pull out and toss my micro swords, and not have ground cover, or should I let it keep growing over the tank? I put maybe, $7 into what I have, so it isn't much.

Thanks for any opinions!

**bushwhacker** · 09-26-2008, 03:00 AM

no you should immediatly pull them out and send them to me for proper disposal

**gunk** · 09-26-2008, 03:39 AM

You could try a different foreground plant like Glossotigma or Dwarf Baby Tears if you can find any. They don't grow as tall and don't have such a weedy look.

**Dave66** · 09-26-2008, 06:45 AM

Sound like you have Echinodorus tennelus, holy, not Lilaeopsis.
Tennelus spreads by daughter plants on runners, and can quickly carpet a tank, making it look like a lawn that needs to be mowed. Great plant, though. If you don't want them to spread, pinch off the runners close as you can to the bottom of the plant as they form.

Dave

**Holyvision** · 09-26-2008, 12:31 PM

Checked the order for from where I got it, and it says it's Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae. I suppose I will keep it and give it a shot for a while; I was just worried that it makes the tank look too small. Patience is a virtue I suppose.

That was one week ago, you can see it all on the left side, with a patch that spread to the right.

**Lady Hobbs** · 09-26-2008, 01:03 PM

No way. Send them to me. LOL Seriously, a tank of micro's look nice. Just add something that will get in there and keep it clean. Great place for fry to hide and others to spawn. That tank would look awesome full of cardinals or neons and that grass.

**riot** · 09-26-2008, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by Lady Hobbs

No way. Send them to me. LOL Seriously, a tank of micro's look nice. Just add something that will get in there and keep it clean. Great place for fry to hide and others to spawn. That tank would look awesome full of cardinals or neons and that grass.

NOOO. SEND THEM TO ME!!! =P

**Holyvision** · 09-26-2008, 10:49 PM

Lol, I will keep them since her majesty hobbs says so!

But I agree, I really want to stock killies and tetras, so that may look good. It's just a major pain in the *** to pick all the random stuff out of it without uprooting it.