Narrow Leaves On Pygmy Chain Swords...

[nry]

Hi all,

I added some pygmy chain swords to my tank ~3-4 weeks ago. Starting with 5 plants they have spread like mad, I would say I now have 25-30 shoots from runners. My setup is as follows:

* Juwel Rekord60 (54 litres)
* Single T6 Realux Daylight at 15w (though supposedly 40% brighter than the original T8 if this makes any difference at all, 11,000K), currently lit 7.5hrs per day as I get a reasonable amount of indirect light
* Tetra Optimat CO2, tube 2/3 filled shortly after lights come on
* SeaChem Flourish Excel 1ml daily
* Tetra Plantamin 1.5ml daily
* JBL AquaBasis Plus under substrate

The tank is fairly heavily planted and has a mix of plant types, I'll post some pictures at some point later when the tank lights come on.

The pygmy chain swords have much narrower leaves than when they were first planted. The leaves have a degree of little transparent 'spots'/holes on them aswell. I have read that cutting the runners off can help the parent plant grow better, I wonder if this is partly the cause?

I know the light levels are not amazingly high but for now I am trying to persuade my wife to let me get a much larger tank, I'd rather hold off spending much more on this one and try to save for a larger one

Are the leaves not getting enough light or is it possibly a different problem?

nry

 

[nry]

Picture:

http/www.nryonline.co.uk/coppermine/disp...m=35&pos=20

Tiger lotus is getting a bit big for its boots, though I love the plant and at the moment don't want to get rid of it or move it. Hornswort on the left is mainly there to combat algae, may either move it at some point or remove it, not sure yet. Planning to 'de-shoot' some of the pygmy chain swords and spread them out better, there are loads and loads of them now. I've just trimmed and replanted some of the rotala macranda and cabomba hence they aren't very tall.

 

[RadaR]

Mine have done that too.
I assume they just tend to do that or they dont have enough lighting, CO2, nutrients.
However I have seen them like this in high tech planted tanks (without the pin holes). Confused.
Pin holes i think are due to lack of light.

 

[nry]

Maybe thinning them out a bit will help, they are fairly bunched up with each other and other plants at the mo.

 

[Saedcantas]

As far as I am aware your pygmy chain swords arrive in their emersed form with the broader leaves. These grow out as the plant adapts to being submersed and are replaced by the "grassy" leaves you now see instead

 

[nry]

Hmm, didn't know they are growable below and above water! Ah well, least I know now, cheers!

 

[Themuleous]

Ive got some of these in my main tank, and although they are regarded as a low light species I have found mine have done very little under 1WPG. Could be a lack of light affecting your plants.

Sam

 

[Fillet 'O' Fish]

I have found a similar issue with full size amazon swords. Although when I got them they had a wider fuller leaf, as they have taken hold in my tank they have now very narrow tall spikey leaves, They look green and healthy in every way, but the leaves have changed shape as did yours. Im not sure why either?

Maybe if George reads this thread he will have some idea?

 

[Saedcantas]

Hiya guys,

I am certainly no expert or even experienced with aquatic plants, I just read that explanation in my copy of "Aquarium Plants - Mini Encyclopedia" By Peter Hiscock.

I've scanned the page it was on that shows the E.tenellus in it's aquatic form. The section on Echinodorus explains that as a group they are amphibious bog plants which mostly have the wide swordlike leaves, but will usually change to a fully aquatic form if kept submersed for long enough

 

[nry]

Hmm, I have those aswell, but they weren't sold as pygmy chain swords. I have some others (larger, maybe 4-5 inches in leaf length) which were sold as pygmy chain swords...I'll hunt out the latin if it is on the website I got them from. My tennelus aren't doing bad, probably have 30ish plants from 5 originals.