[dufus]

Can some of you guys with the fancy swords post some pics here so i and others can compare and contrast them?
Not amazon sword and stuff, but like E.sao paulao , E. bleheri, Rose, flame, ozelot, cardifolius, uraeguansus(Sp on all that!)

That would be awesome of you.

 

[Daniel*Swords]

Hmm. I think I have no pics of my own (ok, have one of the Rosé) but I can put links here to pics that look like the real deal.

E. sp. Saõ Paulo
E. bleherae (yes, that's the right way to spell it)
E. 'Rosé' (my plant when smaller)
E. 'Red Flame'
E. 'Green Flame'
E. 'Golden Flame'
E. 'Ozelot Red'
E. 'Ozelot Green'
E. cordifolius (plant when recently submersed)
E. cordifolius 'ovalis'
E. cordifolius 'fluitans'
E. cordifolius 'Marble Queen' (click on pics)
E. uruguayensis
E. uruguayensis red (aka. horemanii red; my plant has wider leaves)

Some other hybrids can be found on Wolfgang Ise's pages. Hope this helps!

 

[dufus]

sweet! thanks a bunch!

 

[sfcallen]

No pics, just questions. How giant does the Echinodorus `Red Flame´ get? I have a common Amazon that I want to replace. However, it is all ready growing out the top of my 75 gal. I cut and prune on it all the time and still have trouble keeping it in the tank. Or any swords you guys can recommend that does not get huge?

 

[Galactic Doug]

E. Oriental will only get about 22" with surface leaves and the leaves are real beautiful (great colors in the green and red/pink spectrum) as seen here along with many other plants. Unfortunately the pics are not the best size wise.

http://www.gpavlineris.com/aquaticplants/

 

[Daniel*Swords]

According to Ise, 'Red Flame' should get about 30-40 cm high (12-16''). The narrow ovate, long-petioled leaves will be about 25 x 10 cm (10'' x 4''). In other words, it should be of the same size as its close relative 'Ozelot'. I think that in good conditions it will get somewhat bigger than than though...

E. 'Oriental' is a very nice hybrid, indeed! It's supposed to get upto 22 inches but the mine has always stayed smaller (I guess I have not enough light & CO2). With proper lighting it will be really beautifully pink with somewhat undulating leaf margins. One of my favourites!

 

[Galactic Doug]

One of the best tircks with E. Oriental is to have an open topped tank and bright light. They then will grow large (I mean LARGE) leaves laying horizontal across the top of the water column. This has the added effect of making little areas that have dimmer light in the tank. VERY COOL!

And another one is the E. Hormanni (SP?) it has VERY red leaves and does not grow all that big. sorry no pics available at this time.

 

[Daniel*Swords]

I have never heard before that E. 'Oriental' would grow large - even in an open tank. I guess the size (depth) of the tank has to be considered. Didn't know it can grow floating leaves as well, that'd be fun! A close relative, E. 'Rosé', will grow out of even a big tank.

I linked above to the E. horemanii red. The real (scientific) name is E. uruguayensis, and it will get huge. There are some other deep red swords that stay smaller, say:
E. 'Rubin narrow leaves'
E. 'Aflame'
E. x barthii

 

[Galactic Doug]

Didn't know it can grow floating leaves as well, that'd be fun! [/URL]

Actually they are not floating per say like a lilly type leaf they simply turn horizontal with the water surface and stay "stiff" at or above the water surface each new leaf will grow above the other and be pointing in a fairly different direction in order to capture the most light(I suppose only the plant knows why though ) from above.

I wish I had a picture of my old tank setup it had 6 of these beauty's in it as a center focal point with low growing plants beneath it. Splendid!

I have not been able to get the Horman's sword or Uruguayensis as you call it to get much higher than a standard 55 G hieght minus gravel bed. Though I suppose they can get taller with conditions more to their liking. I had that plant in a 55 that was setup with poor lighting(40) and being a more redish plant it needed more light but it was still beautiful to see elsewhere in LFS tanks and such.

 

[Daniel*Swords]

Oh ok. So not really floating leaves but emersed ones. Hmm... have never seen that but with swords anything is possible! 6 of them? Gosh! That must have been a sight!

Here's an old thead from the Krib on the red uruguayensis and its size. I have one myself, and it seems to be rather slower growing in my conditions... compared to say, Rosé, which is one of its offspring. It is nicely deep red/green, though, even with a really low light conditions. I think it would be even redder had I more light for it.