Compacta Sword baby plants

motifone · 02-14-2005, 08:59 PM

I have 2 nice compacta swords, each of which has thrown up a verticle runner toward the surface, sprinkled with medium sized baby plants. Aside from the dangling roots, I don't mind the look of these plants on the vertical runner. I'm wondering, though, since it is a Sword, will these babies eventually die off if their roots can't reach the substrate. Is it essential I plant them? Or can I leave them on the runner, which is still attached to the mother plant. I'm somewhat tight on floor space.

**Ibn** · 02-14-2005, 09:19 PM

They'll be fine on the runner. Just make sure that they're not pulling too much from the mother plant (give her a root tab every once in awhile). I've got some emersed ozelot sword babies that are without roots and the shoot flowers every few days. So far, no problems with either the plantlets or mother plant and this has been occurring since the shoot broke the water surface (over a month now).

ringram · 02-14-2005, 10:16 PM

Can't you either manually bury it in substrate if the runner stem is long enough, or detach it once roots are formed and plant it yourself? Just an idea, I don't know for sure.

motifone · 02-14-2005, 10:27 PM

thanks guys,

good to know.

yes, I could detach the babies and plant them. But at the moment I am short on ground space and they get more light now on the verticle runner than they would if I tried to plant them at the moment.

motifone · 02-16-2005, 03:09 AM

another afterthought --

when i got this plant (compacta sword), the leaves were oval in shape. The newer leaves on the mother plant and the babies have not been nearly as oval, much thinner. The light has become a touch shaded where they are planted. Just curious if anyone else has seen these leaf shapes...

Anthony · 02-17-2005, 03:46 AM

Yes, mine was shipped with 3 babies (yay!!) and all of them have much narrower leaves. I planted 2 of them shaded by stem plants, and 1 in a 5 gallon with 10 watts of light a month ago and all are doing fine.

02-14-2005, 08:59 PM	#1
motifone Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 648	Compacta Sword baby plants I have 2 nice compacta swords, each of which has thrown up a verticle runner toward the surface, sprinkled with medium sized baby plants. Aside from the dangling roots, I don't mind the look of these plants on the vertical runner. I'm wondering, though, since it is a Sword, will these babies eventually die off if their roots can't reach the substrate. Is it essential I plant them? Or can I leave them on the runner, which is still attached to the mother plant. I'm somewhat tight on floor space.

02-14-2005, 09:19 PM	#2
Ibn Planted Tank VIP (View User Tanks) PTrader: (8/100%) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 3,212	They'll be fine on the runner. Just make sure that they're not pulling too much from the mother plant (give her a root tab every once in awhile). I've got some emersed ozelot sword babies that are without roots and the shoot flowers every few days. So far, no problems with either the plantlets or mother plant and this has been occurring since the shoot broke the water surface (over a month now). __________________ Eric

02-14-2005, 10:16 PM	#3
ringram Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (66/100%) Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 2,554	Can't you either manually bury it in substrate if the runner stem is long enough, or detach it once roots are formed and plant it yourself? Just an idea, I don't know for sure. __________________ 90g journal: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/ph...rnal-pics.html --------------------------------------------------- SFBAAPS member - http://www.sfbaaps.com/ SAPS member - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sacaquaticplant/

02-17-2005, 03:46 AM	#6
Anthony Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (10/100%) Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Covington, LA. Posts: 1,071	Yes, mine was shipped with 3 babies (yay!!) and all of them have much narrower leaves. I planted 2 of them shaded by stem plants, and 1 in a 5 gallon with 10 watts of light a month ago and all are doing fine. __________________ 40 gallon SeaClear Acrylic, 192 watt Orbit Lunar PC, Filstar XP2, Filstar XP1, JBJ Regulator, Rhinox 5000 glass co2 diffusor, 9 watt UV sterilizer, Hydor Inline Heater, Pool Filter Sand substrate Filstar pimp #53 How comes shoppings so stupid, looks at all this stuff I haves, what do I do's with it.

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02-14-2005, 10:27 PM	#4
motifone Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 648	thanks guys, good to know. yes, I could detach the babies and plant them. But at the moment I am short on ground space and they get more light now on the verticle runner than they would if I tried to plant them at the moment.

02-16-2005, 03:09 AM	#5
motifone Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 648	another afterthought -- when i got this plant (compacta sword), the leaves were oval in shape. The newer leaves on the mother plant and the babies have not been nearly as oval, much thinner. The light has become a touch shaded where they are planted. Just curious if anyone else has seen these leaf shapes...