Which Echinodurus species do you have...I see that you have narrowed it down to two names.....give me the scientic names....and I'll see what I can find for you. I'm not sure if I have kept them or not.

Off the top of my head....they may like to have lots of light but still be shaded....kind of like begonias in our landscape gardens. Some of the sword plants and some other plants....slow down when they are moved.....it can take a year or longer for them to start putting on new growth.

Sierra

Echinodurus Tenellus was what I thought it was, because of the label calling it Micro Sword. I "think" I have found the reason, I have noticed in my searches earlier there are alot of plants called "Micro-Sword" but so far it seems that the Echinodrus Tenellus is the only "true" sword? I have just identified mine as Lilaeopsis novae -zelandiae. Very similar but is a slow grower. I thought of it needing indirect, high light. Thats why I included that tidbit. I have 2 and they haven't grown much, if at all. Maybe I'll slightly shade one and keep the other direct. I notice in the garden the plants that are "Full Sun" sometimes grow bigger, lusher (if thats a word) in a partly shaded spot. So, I'll surround them with some faster growing foreground plants. Or just move them until they mature?

Still any advise on this particular variety of quasi micro-sword is welcome.

Hi,

Ok I have kept Echinodurus Tenellus.....In my aquarium it was a slow grower but it did grow...

Here is what I found....

Its a small aquatic or swamp plant. It forms low rosettes of small grass like leaves which propagate laterally by runners. Leaves are not longer than 10 cm and bout 2mm wide, linear and sometimes narrowly lanceolate with 1 - 3 veins. A terrestial swamp form has stronger and darker leaves. Inflorescence appears only with the emersed form. it is usually 3 to 10 cm high with one whorl and 3to 6 flowers on stalks pointed by three lanceolate brackts. Flowers are 1 cm in diameter.

In the tropics it grows as a perennial while in the temperate zones as an annual. It grows in wet sand along the shores of pools and in the inundated zones of rivers. It rarely grows in flowing water. It grows similar to Sagittaria subulata, S. teres, Lobelia, Myriophyllum, Micranthemum and some other species of Echinodorus.

Plant in a damp fine sand which contains dried clay, a good quantity of mud and a great part of peat-moss. Other wise it grows well in shallow tanks where there is a lot of detritus on the bottom. Reduce the water level to a minimum before it roots. It is possible to bring up the water level later. Recommended temps 64 to 78 F. Hardness of water ...average about 9 DH. Ph value 7 to 8.

It sounds less likely to be Lilaeopsis novae -zelandiae.

I can't find a lot of info on this one.....but here is what I found....

Lilaeopsis includes 14 to 20 species distributed in North Amaerica and South America, Australia and New Zealand. Most of the species are found on the shores of brooks or submersed in rivers and lakes. Some are found in brackish water.

Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae is a tiny plantlet, about 25 to 50 mm tall and a bright green color.Its creeping stock branches very quickly and makes a thick green carpet.Each plant has only one to three leaves. Its not available in large quantities in the trade. It grows exceptionally well and is not particular about the quality of the water or the light.

I hope this helps!

If you can post a pic of your planted tanks sometime...I would be really interested in seeing them.
Sierra

It is the lilaeopsis novae - zelandiae ( new zealand ). I went to the shop where I bought it and snagged a label. It was grown a "Florida Aquatic Nurseries" so I guess I can investigate it that way. The owner doesn't know much about them and called his vendor for me (nice guy but, not a plant guy) the vendor was a twit and didn't really know much. As far as pics, I only have a few that are descent. My digital camera and fish tanks dont get along. Once in a while I get an allright picture but nothing I am satisfied with. I have a few posted at a different group. The problem is I cant get them to look close to the real thing. I recently had to burn up some "old fashioned" 35mm film from the summer and my daughters birthday party. I noticed that a disc along with the prints was available for free so I got them. I haven't downloaded them, but will do it after submit this post. I'll try to post it on the gallery. I am unsure how to, the directions are a little vague, to me anyway. I don't know how to attach it to a post. So If I have no luck maybe a link to the other group. Funny thing, last month I won 2nd for tank of the month. Someone nominated a picture I put in my photo album there. It was a bad picture when my 29Gallon (this is my "show" tank, its in the kitchen) got an algae bloom. It was cloudy still at the end of the treatment period and I was documenting the difference my DIY diatom filter made. I am constantly changing it arround, still trying to get the look I want. I will be making a DIY background, I have a picture type one of plants and blue background. It looks fine headon but the angled veiw needed to take a picture without flashback or glare makes it look cheesy. I have tried every angle and setting with the digital camera. Hopefully the 35mm will be better. I guess I'll post when they are done or the link if I fail to upload them here.

Well the 35mm looks a little better but the digital pics are not as good as the prints. They are better than my digital cameras though. I cant figure out how to reduce below 61kb. I tried cropping but that doesn't work enough, unless 1/2 the picture is cropped out. I am not good with computer stuff, sorry. Try the link to the other group. I added the newer pics from a month ago. The others are from 2 months ago. There are other of pics on the different forums, mostly DIY. OK a direct link wont work. The easiest way is click on the "Message Boards". Then click the "Do It Yourself" board. One of the first couple posts are mine. Click on my board name "Squidhead 71". That will bring you to my profile, scroll down to recent pics. The 35mm1 & 2 are the most recent, before I replant and do my background.

Here is a link that might be useful: Planted

I figured it out last night on my wat to bed, not the computer, reset the camera. Sheesh. Will try to post them here later, gotta go.

I couldn't see your pics...it kept asking me for a password to sign into that forum.

Hope you get your plants growing.

What photo imaging software are you using to resize your pics? There should be a resize option somewhere....so you don't have to crop off what you want to keep in the pic.

Finally got it. I was looking for that &*%$@# option for what seemed like ever. I am off to the Gallery to post. Still a little blurry. I think I'll try to take pictures with the 35mm and use them. The ones I am attempting to post are from the 35mm, about a month old. I think I'll experiment with the 35mm with different angles and use a tripod. I just snapped these real quick to burn up the end of the film. The micro-swords are in front of the rock structure, on either side. Hopefully it will work.

Now how is it possible to attach these photo's to a post in discussion? They only appear in the Gallery.

Your planted tank is very nice....I notice that you don't use much gravel.....I use 4inches to 6 inches of gravel in planted tanks. My theory is that it anchors the roots better and gives them more room to grow. Anyway your tank is very colorful and nice.

To add a pic here to your post...open a free account in one of the free web base sites that hosts pics....one is photobucket.com. but there are others...

Upload your pics there....if you use photobucket...there will be three lines under it.....copy and paste the tag line into your post here......and your pic will appear right in the post. You also have the option then of deleting it when you want more room in your photo album over there. Which will delete it here too.

Try to resize your pics before you up load though...Its just easier to see pics if they fit on the screen.

You will also probably find a sharpen button in your image editor....you can try that and see if you like the effects on your pic.....sometimes it helps and sometimes it makes it to bright.

Thanks for the photo tips. The gravel is 2 1/2 to 3". I thought about making a deeper bed but am not sure yet.When my background is done I will deside. I can get plants to grow pretty well but am not to good with arrangement. I am trying different combo's. I am partial to the reds, but they dont look as good without the shades of green. I was inspired by a website that has a yearly contest and got some good ideas. I just haven't put them together yet. I will hopefully have everything together the way I like in 3 weeks (if I ever get it started, lots of other priorities right now). I plan on documenting the transformation with photo's just for the sake of the msn group I belong to. They have a DIY section and thats one part I enjoy about this hobby. With fish, plants and an oppurtunity to be creative with DIY projects it is like a muli-hobby. I had 3 planted tanks (with fish)going at once but it is too hard to maintain all 3 at this time. I will eventually get a 75G in place of this 29G planted, with fish, so they just have plants. I want to start a small FOWLR to break into salt water. I might just try it in the 29G with a few small fish. The 125G will be at least set up this year/begining of next. I am doing a through-the-wall, in a den that has to be renovated first.By the time this all transpires things should calm down a bit so I can dedicate enough time to maintainance. Going to that Florida Nursery site next.

Took me a while to find this thread but.... I pretty much gave up on these plants (Lilaeopsis novazelandiae) about a month after this thread. The 2 plants I have didn't grow at all, just stayed as is. I tried pruning them down from some advise I read and they just looked sick. They where covered with algae. The other plants grew great and these didn't.I had looked at the Florida Nurseries site and it was not much help, I didn't e-mail them but maybe I will now. In searching for info on this plant I came across someones thread who was searching for a good foreground plant also, but like me had trouble with this sucker. They ended up taking some watersprite and laying the stems horizontaly so it would have the effect of a low grower. The person did worn that if your tank was fast growinga weekly trimming was needed. Watersprite is like a weed for me and found this quite true. It did look great when it was trimmed too. Well December rolled around with its usual busy time at work (end of the year, begining of the next) and Christmas of course. Needless to say no trimming was done. Kids sick right after New Years and again this week. I decided I had to remove the watersprite because it took over the aquarium. In fact thats all that could be seen. Well, I removed 6 huge clumps of the stuff to reveal the piece of driftwood and java ferns I added (got rid if most of the rocks) and to my suprise 2 thriving micro-swords. I guess it did need filtered light. The marker that comes with them indicates it needs Strong Light ,to me that means +2.5 watts per gallon fluorescent. "Usually" even plants that say low to moderate light grow well, if not excelerated by the strong light. I had a hunch it may need a kind of reflected high light, but this happened just by accident. Other then that the only thing I did was add more epsom salts then normal to bump my GH up a notch and also the benefit of trace element magnesium. I am not sure what did it but what a difference. The bigger of the 2 can almost be split.I wonder if it can be sucessful in a low or moderate light aquarium? Guess I have to try it if they deside to take off.

thanks for taking the time to follow up! very useful info to me.

Ah ha good news!

Sierra