# Amazon Sword Lighting



## atvaholic (Nov 4, 2008)

Hello!

I have some malawi cichlids in a 65 gallon tank. I was looking at an amazon sword today, I think i'd like one in my tank. I did a search they seem to be one of the easier plants to keep. The problem is my tank has no lighting. It is near several windows, but is not in direct sunlight. What kind of lighting if any would be needed? Also, do I need some kind of fertilizer for them to grow?


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## LSBoost (Jan 21, 2010)

I rarely turn on the light in my tank now and my sword is doing fine. Root tab fertilizer make them super green but it's not require.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Mine on the other hand have special plant lighting (2 watts/gallon) and root tabs and are doing poorly. I bought them because they were supposed to be easy. I have not found the secret yet.


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## atvaholic (Nov 4, 2008)

LSBoost said:


> I rarely turn on the light in my tank now and my sword is doing fine. Root tab fertilizer make them super green but it's not require.


Thanks LS. How much natural light does your tank get? Also do you plant the sword into the substrate, or did you get a pot?

The LFS was mentioning the tabs...do you just bury them near the root?


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## 748johnd (Jun 30, 2007)

I have two varieties of Amazon swords. The are doing very well and one has been sending out runners and I have several young plants growing. My lighting is 6700K and it is on for a total of nine hours a day. I also use plants tabs, Seachem Flourish Excel (liquid carbon) and Seachem Flourish. The substrate is a small grain gravel. One sword plant is now a good 12 inches in diameter.


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## 748johnd (Jun 30, 2007)

Back again. I bury the plant tabs about three inches from the plants. I usually put two near each plant about every three or four months.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

I have only had real succes with Amazon swords grown in pots of soil. They need reasonable light to do well. One thing that will stifle their growth is if they have formed a corm/bulb at the base. Removing this will encourage growth, and the bulb can be planted to yield more plants.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

They are one of the few plants that like irridensent light ... yellowish. They are heavy root feeders, so tabs are usually a good idea. And they do love bright light, though do sort of okay in med light. Low light still not so much.


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## slickvic277 (Aug 20, 2006)

I've had Swords completely take over a 75 gallon and flower with less then 2 watts a gallon, no co2, and planted in pool filter sand. I just added a fert tab once in a while. I had 3 plants and they were way to big.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

swords with 150W of light will grow like the weeds they are... I've even grown some with as little as 36W of light over them. I find that the key to swords (nearly all of the species as well) is healthy roots in the right type of sandy/soil type substrate. Root tabs only help if the plant first has a healthy undisturbed root system. :thumb:


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## atvaholic (Nov 4, 2008)

BillD said:


> I have only had real succes with Amazon swords grown in pots of soil. They need reasonable light to do well. One thing that will stifle their growth is if they have formed a corm/bulb at the base. Removing this will encourage growth, and the bulb can be planted to yield more plants.


Bill - Can you give me more info? You have pots with soil in your tank?


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

I generally mix top soil, with gravel at about 60/40, fill the pots 3/4 full plant and top up with gravel. I have used clay pots, plastic containers, and even peat pots. The pot can be buried in the substrate to hide it. It is important to remove the corm if there is one, as it will stifle growth. I have one tank that has a thin layer (less than 1") of topsoil under the gravel. The 2 types of swords I tried to grow there survived but there wasn't enough light for them to thrive. The tank has one 32 W T8 bare with no reflector of any kind. Other plants such as Vals and Sag do quite well with the light.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

*BillD*
I've actually split sword plants once a corm forms by cutting the corm right in half with a razor blade. Just an alternative if you wanted instant gratification


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