Echinodorus palaefolius (Mexican sword) differ from other amazon swords in the following aspects:
- Stem – long
- Leaf form/shape – oval
- Leaf size – long
- Leaf colouration – green
- Height – 33cm + (15” +) regular pruning can keep them this small, but they tend to grow very large and out of the aquarium
Amazon swords – are mostly great accent plants that propagate through side shoots that can grow out of the water. They are a good beginner’s plant because their needs are so clearly described and if adhered to they will thrive.
What is this needs?
- Nutrient rich soil or regular root tabs
- MUST remove the cotton from the plant before planting
- Moderate lighting
- Stable water conditions
- Limit any copper based medication as far as possible (some ICH meds use copper as active ingredient)
- CO2 is not essential but good idea in high lighting aquariums
NOTE – They form massive root systems and this can cause other plants to suffer. An easy way to prevent this is to plant them in a reasonable size (IE 15cm – 6”) flat tray/pot, filled with good quality aqua soil, that you can burry in your substrate to hide it.
pH: 5.5-8.0
Care: Easy
Light: Moderate
Co2: Not necessary
Propagation: Adventitious shoots
Growth rate: Fast
Echinodorus palaefolius - Amazon sword - Potted
This Is the normal potted version
BUT WHAT IS BETTER?
ROOTED is better as these plants are grown in soil and have very strong roots, making them stronger growers in your system.
SUBMERGED is even better for aquariums – as these plants are already grown in water for you!Links to see if any of these are available at present:
Echinodorus-palaefolius-amazon-sword-rooted
Echinodorus-palaefolius-amazon-sword-submerged