Baby Amazon Swords

[AllFishNoBrakes]

What’s up everyone? Long time ACO follower, avid forum user, but first time posting in the plant section. 
 

I have a giant Amazon Sword that was the first aquatic plant I ever purchased when I set up my first tank in 2020. This bad boy is coming up on 3 years old. I feed it lots of root tabs, and for the third time it’s throwing off runners with new baby Amazon Sword growing off those runners. 

 

The other two times this has happened, I’ve let the baby swords (swordlets?!) develop roots like in the pictures above. From there, I’ve harvested the runners and replanted the baby Swords 

The two pictures above are from the same harvest/replanting and are in the same tank.

These guys are from the first harvest and in a different tank.

These baby swords just simply aren’t growing as explosively as I’ve had other swords grow, and I’m curious what I’m missing? Do they just take a long time to establish and go crazy? More root tabs? More root tabs more often?

If I’m totally honest, I’m more into breeding fish and raising them up than I am on propagating plants, but I feel like you plant enthusiasts can give me some tips on what I’m missing. Any and all advice is welcome. Cheers, Nerms. 

Edited March 5 by AllFishNoBrakes

[Guppysnail]

I’m curious about this. I’m also more fish than plants but do have tons of plants. I don’t fertilize though. At our club auction three bags each containing 3 good size connected runner red flame swords were sold. Of course I had to get a bag. I’m also curious how to give the babies the best chance. 

[Theplatymaster]

@AllFishNoBrakesnice!

I wish mine would reproduce, id take another. 😄

i havent had mine for 3years though, ive had mine for a few months, and its recovering from some melting trauma so it makes sense that its not reproducing already.

 

 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

@Guppysnail They’re definitely growing, just not at the rate I would expect them to. Probably just need more root tabs and time. 
 

@Theplatymaster Mine took probably 2 years to throw the first runners. I had this bad boy in a 29 gallon and it literally took over the whole tank. Then it got moved to a 55 gallon where it still takes up a ton of real estate 

[Theplatymaster]

On 3/5/2023 at 10:03 AM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

 

@Theplatymaster Mine took probably 2 years to throw the first runners. I had this bad boy in a 29 gallon and it literally took over the whole tank. Then it got moved to a 55 gallon where it still takes up a ton of real estate 

mine is still small, so i havent had a takeover issue, though if i have one ill adress it then, i do like a jungle look though.

 

the tallest leaf on this plant is one of the original leaves it came with, its melting back though, and the news leaves are coming through.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

@Theplatymaster
The sword on the left is the one throwing the babies 

When I moved it from the 29 gallon into the 55. That’s a 5 gallon bucket, lol

Edited March 5 by AllFishNoBrakes

[Theplatymaster]

On 3/5/2023 at 10:09 AM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

@Theplatymaster
The sword on the left is the one throwing the babies 

When I moved it from the 29 gallon into the 55. That’s a 5 gallon bucket, lol

yeah mine is nowhere near that big currently, i wish it was though, because having a giant sword is just awesome.

you ended up showing me your sticker collection, so ill show you mine (and get off topic 😄)

although the larger of my 2 LFSs had a giant amazon sword in one of their tanks, and it was pretty cool. (though it was not in great condition).

Edited March 5 by Theplatymaster

[rockfisher]

Swords love root tabs. I try that first. If I get behind the smaller plants suffer first. I would increase the rate that you add root tabs. 

[uscmule]

I got an amazon sword from ACO, and it came with a runner and two babies!!

I let them hang on to the mother for a little bit then snipped em and planted em so they wouldn't put too much demand on the tiny mother. They are growing very slowly, I think there is a transition period where the go from receiving everything they need from the mother to establishing a solid root system.

Ive had strawberry plants on runners fail from leaving them attached to the mother for too long... so who knows 😛

[AllFishNoBrakes]

@rockfisher @uscmule Thanks for the input! I just chopped off and replanted another 6 swords. At this point, I have 3 sets of baby swords to play with. We’ll see what happens!