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Re: Pygmy Chain Swords Not so Pygmy



Tom wrote:


> 
> I gave
> up and switched to two other species of sword plant that do stay short -
> echinodorus parviflorus and echinodorus bleheri v. robustus. Both are
> available at Arizona Aquatic Gardens - www.azgardens.com where the e.
> robustus is also called Compacta. Details on the e. parviflorus are also at
> the www.tropica.com website.
> 
> Because the
> parviflorus grows so low to the substrate, high light with some punch, or a
> shallow tank, is best. My tank is 24" deep, 20" to the surface of the
> substrate. 


Hmmm. I have 80 watts over a 29 tall. Maybe not enough light? I'll shop 
around and see.

Anybody want to trade E. parviflorus for Brazilian pennywort or rotala 
indica? Got plenty of that....

And then Paul wrote:


> If the leaves are that long, they may not be the true pigmey chain sword,
> E. tenellus.  They are probably E. bolivianus or E. quadricostatus.  E.
> tenellus comes in two varieties, a light green wider-leaved variety and a
> dark green narrow-leaved variety.  Both varieties usually produce a turf
> with leaves less than 6 inches long.  Brighter light keeps the leaves
> shorter.  when the plants get really crowded, the leaves tend to get
> longer, but when they are not crowded, the leaves are only 2-3 inches long.
> 


Don't remember what they are. Might very well be quadricostatus.

As for crowding, now we may be on to something. The chain swords are 
more crowded in the center of the tank, where there is more light and 
they grow quickly. In the corners, where the bulbs do not extend all the 
way to the edge of the tank, and it is shady, the chain swords are 2-3 
inches as described.


So I need either more light or less light. My head is swimming.



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