Surprise sword blossoms

[SugarBassJoe]

So the guppy colony got upsized again, skipped the next 3 sizes and went from a 20H to a 60 Breeder. Needless to say, I had actually no idea how many fish were actually stacked in that 20, seeing them in a 4FT tank I realize it wont be big enough for very long, but more on that later. Biggest surprise for me was finding one of my Amazon Swords had grown a couple maternal stems and new plantlets are beginning to grow off of them, I'm sure this isn't that exciting for some, but its a first for me so I'm stoked, cant wait to see what happens next.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

I think that's pretty awesome. I have several swords and while they are pretty healthy I've yet to see them do this!

[SugarBassJoe]

Its got to be the heavy bio load in there, a hundred fish produce a lot of "fertilizer", I don't dose any extra ferts with this colony, aside from the root tabs ill stick in the gravel every couple of months, honestly cant, I've always skirted the line with acceptable levels of nitrates with them.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Well that's the funny thing, I've never had less than 40 Nitrate in that tank (or any of my tanks really) plus that tank is technically overstocked (once had 60 Otos in it, now about 30 with several other inhabitants). So you would think I'd eventually get something going. I've recently started putting in root tabs to see how my Swords will react to them. They are only in large gravel and there's plenty of mulm in the back of the tank where they are planted. We shall see! 

[SugarBassJoe]

Maybe its the root tabs, I don't know for sure, this is one of the older sword plants I have, maybe its time too? 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

One of my Swords has been in the tank since I started it in 2020. It has its periods of massive growth then die back then repeat. I'm curious to see what my having just added root tabs will do for it. 

[SugarBassJoe]

Older than mine, got this one sometime early 2021, that's pretty much the cycle mine go through as well, its got to be the root tabs, I do triple up on these big ones, that could be doing it. Good luck, will look out for some sword blossoms from ya!

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Root tabs and lots of fish poop makes for some amazing sword plants. It’s all about the nutrients in the substrate- once you get plantlets like these they’ll feed from the water column but otherwise almost exclusively from the roots. I had a 2 foot Amazon sword and the roots were 2.5’ when I pulled it before our move literally crossed over half the 3’ tank bottom! 

[SugarBassJoe]

On 6/13/2023 at 1:24 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

Root tabs and lots of fish poop makes for some amazing sword plants. It’s all about the nutrients in the substrate- once you get plantlets like these they’ll feed from the water column but otherwise almost exclusively from the roots. I had a 2 foot Amazon sword and the roots were 2.5’ when I pulled it before our move literally crossed over half the 3’ tank bottom! 

Wow, that sounds like an impressive plant.

[SugarBassJoe]

The blossoms just keep coming,  two weeks later, the original stem is now an amazon bush, and more stems are popping up all around. Interestingly enough I have a few growing out of the water now, and it seems the other big sword plant in the opposite corner is joining in.