Stunted Plant Growth

[dwalk77]

Hello,
I have a Marble Queen Radican Sword. The leaves don't grow much more than 3 or 4 inches, they lay flat horizontally rather than growing upwards, and they die with age. That being said, it will grow new leaves at about the same rate they are dying. This has been going on for about 6 months or so. From what I've seen online, the plant is much larger when it's thriving, having leaves up to a foot long.

I have about 2" of sand substrate. I add a few root tabs every few months, and also fertilize with easy green and easy iron. I have a light on at the highest setting on an 8 hour timer. I never did CO2.
I have jungle val in the tank as well, and it's been much more successful, spreading and growing rapidly all over the place.
Any suggestions on how I can improve growth? Is 2" enough substrate or should I add more? Also, as leaves die, should I trim them or just let them decompose on their own?

Thanks for any advice

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello dwalk. I can tell you a little that may help your plant. This type of sword just needs medium light. If you increase the light, you basically tell the plant you want it to grow faster. If you don't give the plant as much food as you do light, growth is going to be sporadic. I guess you could say the plant gets confused if the food and light don't equal one another. Does that make any sense? If I've explained this right, you just need to decrease the light a little. You may have bright light and the plant just needs a little less. Try introducing a floating plant, like Anacharis above your sword, this will decrease the light a bit.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[Byron]

This plant is a cultivar of the species Echinodorus cordifolius. It is a virus-infested plant, not a cross with another species. Kasselmann (2003) says the virus transfers itself quickly to waterlilies, but mentions no other issues. The submersedand emersed forms can be quite different. I don't know this plant, so here are a couple of sites that may be informative.

Sword Radican Marble Queen (Echinodorus cordifolius 'Tropical Marble Queen')

Sword,Radican Marble Queen (Echinodorus cordifolius)

aquariumplants.com

Echinodorus Marble Queen

Common Name: Echinodorus Marble Queen Echinodorus Marble Queen is a rare type of Amazon Sword which green leaves with white markings throughout. Like most swords, they should be planted directly into the substrate. When using inert substrates such as sand or gravel, it is important to supplement...

buceplant.com