Beautiful ruddy coloring on this sword 'Echinodorus barthii'. Newer leaves sprout red with thick veins, and older leaves fade to green. Neat, oval/ spear- shaped leaves will keep on producing in a medium to low light aquarium. Stunning as a single specimen piece in Nano aquariums, or planted in a trio in a larger aquarium.
Swords (Echinodorus) are one of the most difficult aquatic plants to kill, and they are fairly slower growing. They won't need anything special in terms of lighting, filtration, or temperatures, but could use a nutrient rich soil to look their best.
If they are happy, they'll grow right out of your tank, and may even produce beautiful little white flowers for you. It's rewarding.
Swords are hearty plants, similar to things like Java fern or Anubias; so if you have fish that are nippy and like to dig (small cichlids, loaches, goldfish etc), these plants will work for your set up.
Growing requirements:
- 65-80 Degrees Fahrenheit
- Ph 6-8
- Low to Medium light intensity.
- Can be grown immersed or submerged
- Medium growth speed
- Root tabs recommended
As I like to keep real ecosystems in my aquariums, there’s always a chance of harmless hitchhikers like snails or dwarf shrimp tagging along with your plants!
I personally keep several beneficial snail species in my tanks, including Colorful Ramshorns, Bronze Bladder and Pond Snails, Mini Rams, and Malaysian Trumpet Snails. These snails stay relatively small, help clean the aquarium, and do not eat healthy plants or cause harm. However, if you’d rather avoid any hitchhikers, I highly recommend checking out our blog on how to safely disinfect aquarium plants before adding them to your tank:
How to Bleach Dip Aquarium Plants Safely
All plants are freshly snipped or harvested and packed right before shipment. I take great care in preparing every order and use methods that have consistently produced the best results over many years in the hobby. A lot of love goes into every package, so please don’t leave your plants sitting in a hot mailbox for too long 🙏
Thank you for looking, aqua friends! 💚