# My Amazon Swords look odd...



## InuGirlTeen (Oct 26, 2008)

When I first bought my swords a couple of months ago, the leaves were broad and full. Now the leaves are long and thin. They look more like overgrown blades of grass. It's weird. The plants are wonderfully perky and green. There are almost never any dead on them and they are growing quickly, but the leaves look incredibly different from how I think they should.

Assumedly normal:
http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Decor_81.jpg

And then mine:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/InuGirlTeen/Aquarium/100_0115.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/InuGirlTeen/Aquarium/100_0116.jpg

I'm not too worried, since all my plants seem quite healthy and content in their aquatic world, but I am curious as to why they've changed so much in appearance.


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## MaelStrom (Jun 24, 2007)

I would guess there is an over-abundance of light. They grow shorter and thinner to avoid too much light, but this is purely speculatory.


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## InuGirlTeen (Oct 26, 2008)

MaelStrom said:


> I would guess there is an over-abundance of light. They grow shorter and thinner to avoid too much light, but this is purely speculatory.


If that is the reason, though, I am confused. My aquarium only has .5 wpg and I can't see how that is too much light... Thanks for your comment, though. I'll look into that aspect.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

InuGirlTeen said:


> When I first bought my swords a couple of months ago, the leaves were broad and full. Now the leaves are long and thin. They look more like overgrown blades of grass. It's weird. The plants are wonderfully perky and green. There are almost never any dead on them and they are growing quickly, but the leaves look incredibly different from how I think they should.


ITG: This will sound like a very, very silly question but are you certain that the plants which are growing in your tank (ie. the last two photographs) are the plants depicted in the first photograph?

TR


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## Logicaly (Sep 28, 2008)

The one you linked, at least to me, is starting to look more like a fern variation then an amazon sword. But thats just me.


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## Manthalynn (Aug 23, 2008)

MaelStrom said:


> I would guess there is an over-abundance of light. They grow shorter and thinner to avoid too much light, but this is purely speculatory.


Based on my botany and greenhouse experience, if there is _high _light, plants will grow shorter and bushier/stockier, not thinner. If there is _too much _light, they will just burn.

Long and skinny is called "leggy" and is caused by too low of lighting.

I assume you've seen this page as that's where your "should look like" photo came from. It was interesting, but it didn't tell me any ideal WPG lighting. It did say exactly 12 hours of light to produce good results.

If it makes you feel better, my swords look terrible too. But that's just because I don't know what the heck I'm doing...


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## InuGirlTeen (Oct 26, 2008)

Thanks, everyone. 

-Brooke


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## Logicaly (Sep 28, 2008)

The amazon sword I have is flourishing, and has been for some time. I use 2 15w aquarium bulbs in the tank. Its a small 10g tank, and the lights stay on for 6 hours a day. Maybe that will help you some.


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## Plecostomus (Jul 31, 2006)

Don't feel bad, because That's exactly what my amazon swords do too. I don't think it's because of too much light though, because my tank is pretty low-light, and if I don't give my plants leaf fertilizers they won't grow from the light alone.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

if you only have about 1/2 watt of light per gallon then your plants are reaching for it.."leggy" is the correct term as sam pointed out.
in a reasonably healthy aquarium with low to medium lighting and a fair fish load,you don't need any kind of chemical fertilizers.the fish will take care of that for you;as they provide co2 from their respiration and fertilizers from their waste.
but when you start putting in a high level of light you will also have to do one of two things..add more fish or go out and buy a co2 injection system(in which case you will have to cut way down on the number of fish...and you will have to add lots of fertilizers every week.
since the main reason i got into this hobby was the fish..i would rather have them in the tank than co2 and chemicals.


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

lohachata said:


> but when you start putting in a high level of light you will also have to do one of two things..add more fish or go out and buy a co2 injection system(in which case you will have to cut way down on the number of fish...and you will have to add lots of fertilizers every week.
> since the main reason i got into this hobby was the fish..i would rather have them in the tank than co2 and chemicals.


Oh yea of little faith! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I am slowly but surely (I hope) getting down 5PPM CO2, fert concentrations, lighting and plant placement in order to enjoy "hard to keep" as well as "easy to keep" plants without algae (the without algae business is still kinda a joke now but I am still experimenting).

TR


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## Manthalynn (Aug 23, 2008)

Ron, I've been looking into DIY CO2 setups and found this page. Sounds like something I might be able to try.

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/co2-narten.html


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

Manthalynn said:


> Ron, I've been looking into DIY CO2 setups and found this page. Sounds like something I might be able to try.
> 
> http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/co2-narten.html


Sam:

I got the "yeast, sugar and 2L bottle" down to a science (ie. no longer much of an art) but the PROBLEM is the "every two weeks" business*.

CFL came up with a link in this post


crazyfishlady said:


> I have found the jello mixture (http://joelfreshwaterfishtank.blogspot.com/2007/10/here-is-recipe-i-found-at-httpwww.html) to be much more consistent and longer lasting than the sugar and yeast mixture.


and the method which is explained therein I am for sure going to try out ie. 3 months instead of two weeks => much joy.

TR

*Should you have some friends "who are into this" after two weeks and you have removed the bottle from use you can add a cup of raisins or several cups of grapes, a packet of yeast and cup of warm water to the brew and in another two weeks .... (but you will need a clothes pin for your nose while you are preparing the final brew).


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