Removing a big Amazon Sword?

[Ken]

Has anyone ever removed a large well established sword plant? The AAAC (Aquarium Appearance Acceptance Committee, the Mrs.) has decided that two is too many and that corner of the tank is over crowed. She is correct of course. Has anyone ever taken out one this big? 

[Keeg]

Not quite this big but close. I removed it kind of like a dandelion weed in the garden. Moving all the leaves together and pulling  from the base, but I was more careful with the sword. The leaves melted when I moved it to a different tank, like cysts do.  I like the look of the tank with its massive leaves. 

[Brandon p]

I’m very similar in the way I move them. I recently move some out and replace the with red melon. I grabbed the bunch at the bottom and worked my han down to the roots and gently started to pull and with the other hand I try to save as may of the roots as possibly so those energy store would be there to provide energy after the move and help with any die back or melting. I think it’s important to try to save the roots as much as possible. You can save them all, mine reached form one end of the 75gal to the other and had ground to the one I had on the opposite said

[Keeg]

On 9/15/2021 at 8:33 PM, Brandon p said:

I’m very similar in the way I move them. I recently move some out and replace the with red melon. I grabbed the bunch at the bottom and worked my han down to the roots and gently started to pull and with the other hand I try to save as may of the roots as possibly so those energy store would be there to provide energy after the move and help with any die back or melting. I think it’s important to try to save the roots as much as possible. You can save them all, mine reached form one end of the 75gal to the other and had ground to the one I had on the opposite said

WOW, never had roots that long from a sword, my longest roots were from some pogostemon stellatus and I just stuck a few bamboo skewers at the bottom and uprooted lightly

[Ken]

On 9/15/2021 at 9:33 PM, Brandon p said:

I’m very similar in the way I move them. I recently move some out and replace the with red melon. I grabbed the bunch at the bottom and worked my han down to the roots and gently started to pull and with the other hand I try to save as may of the roots as possibly so those energy store would be there to provide energy after the move and help with any die back or melting. I think it’s important to try to save the roots as much as possible. You can save them all, mine reached form one end of the 75gal to the other and had ground to the one I had on the opposite said

The super long roots are the part I'm worried about. The plant has been growing for over a year in a 40 breeder. I worry as much about the other plants as the one I'm removing. I guess I'll give it a go. Thanks for the encouragement.

[Brandon p]

Swords are pretty hardy. You can only do our best. As long as you are trying to get as many as you can. If there are a bunch back there it gets harder, but you do your best if you get to about 4 inches out they should do well when moved. I have gone in cut roots at bout that length and been fine the recover time is more because the really little fine roots do the most up take of nutrients. The thicker darker/yellow root to some uptake but work mainly work to anchor the plant. 

[Brandon p]

If you make Dyi undergravel and make it slightly taller. Plant on top of it ideally before you put gravel in. I would use larger gravel. This lets the plant grow through the filter and go crazy down there. I used a normal and used wood blocks to bring it up some. Also I cut the grates with a dremel to widen the slits in the grate and added some parallel. With the root down there it stayed surprisingly clean under it. I had it up for 4 years and maybe gravel vac’d maybe once. There are some dyi under gravel that use the smaller egg crate and some that used the regular eggcrate with a screen over. The ones I just moved where the discus tank it was a plain River rock gravel.

@Keeg

[Keeg]

On 9/15/2021 at 9:17 PM, Brandon p said:

If you make Dyi undergravel and make it slightly taller. Plant on top of it ideally before you put gravel in. I would use larger gravel. This lets the plant grow through the filter and go crazy down there. I used a normal and used wood blocks to bring it up some. Also I cut the grates with a dremel to widen the slits in the grate and added some parallel. With the root down there it stayed surprisingly clean under it. I had it up for 4 years and maybe gravel vac’d maybe once. There are some dyi under gravel that use the smaller egg crate and some that used the regular eggcrate with a screen over. The ones I just moved where the discus tank it was a plain River rock gravel.

@Keeg

ive tried under gravels and they weren't my thing. I found that I can grow plants really well in sand though and that collects debris like an under gravel. After transitioning from gravel to sand, I dont know if ill ever go back

[Deku-Corydoras]

For well-rooted plants, I use a method where I start to pull them up, and when I feel resistance I stop. I then look to see where the largest roots are, and unbury them individually. Sometimes it's impossible to completely dig them out, and it's inevitable that you'll lose some of the root system in the process. But it definitely preserves a lot more of the roots than just yanking them out in one go. I've even been able to relocate crypts without them melting back using this method!

[Tihshho]

If you can, get a siphon going at the same time. You're going to be pulling up a cloud of mulm and debris. While you uproot everything slowly siphon off the waste you're pulling up just so it doesn't settle on your plants or on the surface of your substrate. You have a great tank, and I hate to know how much clean up you'd be doing after to get it back to how it looks minus the sword.

[Brandon p]

@Keeg I have one 20 g that has an  undergravel. I think they have a place but I don’t prefer they in most cases. I do think they are unrated. In the tank that has one it has moss from the yard growing one the bottom of the whole. The light downward suction keeps the moss hugging the bottom instead of floating away.

[tolstoy21]

On 9/15/2021 at 11:18 PM, Ken said:

Has anyone ever removed a large well established sword plant? The AAAC (Aquarium Appearance Acceptance Committee, the Mrs.) has decided that two is too many and that corner of the tank is over crowed. She is correct of course. Has anyone ever taken out one this big? 

I've taken out some very large ones from time to time that get well established in a large aquarium.

I just remove them slowly. I start by grabbing the plant by its rootball under the gravel and pulling that up slow.  

If you're worried about the roots being entangled in other plants and taking those along for the ride, you can always get it part of the way out and then snip the roots with scissors, leaving the long runners behind.

Just know that they do make a mess when coming out, but that will clear as the dust and whatnot settles or gets removed by mechanical filtration. Maybe things will be cloudy for half a day or so. Your tank will recover. 

Also, if there is anything growing close to its base that you disrupt, just replant it when you're done. Plants are pretty good at re-establishing themselves easily within the same tank/water params.

And just to add, when I remove mine, I don't try to save them. I just trow them in the compost bin. So I can't really comment on removing one for transplanting to another aquarium. 

Edited September 17, 2021 by tolstoy21

[H.K.Luterman]

I moved a big, well established sword from my 40 breeder to my 75, and it went very well. Just pull up slowly from the root ball. You will most likely break some roots, but as long as most of it is intact it should be fine. I just replanted into the new tank and put a bunch of root tabs in and it continued growing as if nothing happened. Be prepared for a giant mess when you pull it up though! X3 

[Ken]

Well, it wasn't as horrible as I thought. A nice tight root ball. I did it just before the water change so had the python hooked up and ready but didn't really need it until it was over. I just went very slowly.