[ichthyogeek]

So...I think I made a mistake. I bought an Echinodorus ozelot about 2 months ago for my 20L tank. The plant has really taken off in the past month, and now the leaves are starting to reach the surface. This is great for the plant, but I was really hoping for a more compact amazon sword that maybe reached halfway up the water column (leaf size max 4-6" ). Are there any Echinodorus that reach this size and don't go over it? Or is there another plant that has the Echinodorus look and is significantly smaller? I'm looking for a plant that doesn't reproduce in aquaria (so runner plants like crypts are out) but has lots of leaves.

 

[jake21]

Two that i like a lot and have frequently mentioned are prinz kleiner sword (not prinz bar). This is a rich reddish purple but seems to do better in high-tech tank. Another is Echinodorus parviflorus 'Tropica' - this plant is a very rich deep green and around 1 inch high (non tropica version is taller). Unlike pygmy or micro sword this plant does not look like grass - it has a very pleasing modestly large (less than 1 inch) leaf. I'm trying to carpet my 40B with this tank and it has just started sending out a few runners after 7 months in a high-tech tank (this is the more traditional above ground runner with 3 to 4 plants).

A plant that i like a little (lot) less but is popular is Echinodorus ‘Vesuvius’ - you can see pictures of it - it grows about 3-4 inches high.
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Hum - one more not so bad sword that seems to stay small is red flame. I have had one now for 3 years (last 2 years in a high tech tank) that seems to stay a bit less than 6 inches high is a red flame. Not sure why it stays small when melon got quite large (24 inches).