# Amazon swords....getting too big..like to remove them.



## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

I have 2 Amazon swords and they are getting quite big now. 2ft long leaves. The stem or stalk the height of the tank. I would like to replace them with something more bushier and easier to trim. Of course, I am not sure how messy this can get. Any idea as to how to remove them without too much of a mess? The leaves by the surface are also magnets to staghorn algae and some BBA too.


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

tetra73 said:


> 1. I would like to replace them with something more bushier and easier to trim.
> 
> 2. Any idea as to how to remove them without too much of a mess?


1. Water_sprite
2. Cut it at the base. Like chopping down a tree.


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

JasonG75 said:


> 1. Water_sprite
> 2. Cut it at the base. Like chopping down a tree.



What about the roots? Won't they rot and causing anaerobic condition in the substrate?


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

What is your substrate?


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## psalm18.2 (Oct 16, 2010)

Stick a spoon in the sand and remove roots and all. Then you can sell them.


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

JasonG75 said:


> What is your substrate?


They are from aquariumplants.com


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

psalm18.2 said:


> Stick a spoon in the sand and remove roots and all. Then you can sell them.



The issue I have is that once these massive roots have been removed, they can create empty pocket holes in the substrate. Literally, my substrate will sink in. And not as compacted as before.


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

In my opinion the roots breakdown to nutrients OTHER plants can consume. If your worried with empty pockets PUT some extra substrate on and around that area.


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## CGY_Betta_Guy (Jul 26, 2010)

I would just grab and pull the sword up slowly.... most of the substrate surrounding the plant will essentially pull with the roots and create a mound so you will have to smooth it out anyways.

+1 to selling the entire plant... someone with a bit tank would likely pay for a nice large sword.


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## Cbwmn (Nov 30, 2007)

I have a 46 gallon (35” wide) with two E. Bleheri swords in it.
In March I tore the tank completely down. The roots from those swords covered 2/3 of the bottom.
I have 5/8 river rock substrate and quite a bit came out clinging to the roots.
I also would not cut them off at the substrate level. They may even grow back from the root rhizome.’
During the last gravel vac, I noticed a baby Frans Stoeffels sword growing nest to the mother plant.
I took a knife and cut through the root to separate it. 
When I pulled the baby out; I was surprised to see that I had cut through a ¾” rhizome.
Now they both are growing well.

Charles


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## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

Get ready for a big cloudy mess in the tank. I have some big swords in my tank too and can see the massive root system when I look at the underside of the tank.

I've been dreading doing a "nice" cleaning of the swords too.


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

JasonG75 said:


> In my opinion the roots breakdown to nutrients OTHER plants can consume. If your worried with empty pockets PUT some extra substrate on and around that area.



This is what I am hoping for and this is what I think it is supposed to happen....hmm.....


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## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

So, I have two red rubins and I can't even get these guys to go past a foot tall. What is the secret here? Every other plant in my tank needs trimming but my swords just don't move at all and I don't understand why. Am I getting them too much light and not forcing them to grow? Do I need to root tab them? I'm open to suggestions. I want to be able to complain about giant swords...


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

Abrium said:


> So, I have two red rubins and I can't even get these guys to go past a foot tall. What is the secret here? Every other plant in my tank needs trimming but my swords just don't move at all and I don't understand why. Am I getting them too much light and not forcing them to grow? Do I need to root tab them? I'm open to suggestions. I want to be able to complain about giant swords...


Do you dose EI? Sword does not need a lot of light. You want to use root tab since it is mainly a root feeder. Dosing the water column would definitely have your sword exploded.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

JasonG75 said:


> In my opinion the roots breakdown to nutrients OTHER plants can consume. If your worried with empty pockets PUT some extra substrate on and around that area.


No matter what substrate, leaving a huge sword rootball behind is a bad idea. Removing what you can is the safest bet. 

It is easy enough. Just go very slow. I just grab at the base during a water change and pull. shake. pull. shake. pull. You won't get it all, but you'll do well enough.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Abrium said:


> So, I have two red rubins and I can't even get these guys to go past a foot tall. What is the secret here? Every other plant in my tank needs trimming but my swords just don't move at all and I don't understand why. Am I getting them too much light and not forcing them to grow? Do I need to root tab them? I'm open to suggestions. I want to be able to complain about giant swords...


They need substrate ferts. I rich substrate(ADA) or root ferts.


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## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

tetra73 said:


> Do you dose EI? Sword does not need a lot of light. You want to use root tab since it is mainly a root feeder. Dosing the water column would definitely have your sword exploded.


 
Yeah, I'm EI dosing, high light/tech and up to rouch 30 ppm Co2 but no sword growth. They aren't stunted but they are not ending up being the "giants" that people have painted them to be either.


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## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

OverStocked said:


> They need substrate ferts. I rich substrate(ADA) or root ferts.


Alright, I'll try that. I mean I've tried everything else. I have read the war between the water column dosing and the root dosing with tabs and I'm undecided on all of it. I don't know if rooted aquatic plants use roots for anchoring or feeding but either way I know that root tabs have not been put into the substrate since I EI dose the column. I will purchase them tonight and hopefully that does the trick because I am disappointed in my sword growth, period.

In fact I'll give 1 sword a root tab and I won't give one to the other and see if there is any difference in growth.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Swords ALWAYS do better when there is something in the substrate. Swords and crypts are heavy root feeders and tthere is a distinct difference in growth from plants with nutrient rich substrate. 

Less of an issue with stems and other plants, but if you pull out the root mass you'll understand some. 

Even more, the roots spread out more(like a cottonwood) if they can't get what they need. Lots of options on how to properly get the nutrients to the roots, but I firmly believe that they will do better if given the right nutrients to the right zone.


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## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

So why are all of my crypts growing like mad and my swords just sitting there?


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

Abrium said:


> So why are all of my crypts growing like mad and my swords just sitting there?



How long you have your crypts? I have couple of crypts which I planted 2 weeks ago. They didn't melt like mad. One or 2 leaves. When I planted them, I made sure I put one root tab underneath the plant. I didn't experience a complete melt-down though. I dosed some trace element yesterday and noticed that the crypts are perking up. I am considering dosing my trace daily.


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

I did it. I have removed the 2 swords and replaced with a mate of Java Ferns. Too bad they don't look that tall. More like a mid-ground plant. It wasn't pretty but it wasn't bad since there were no plants near the swords. Nothing got uprooted other than the swords. One of the swords is 26 inches tall.


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## johnny313 (Apr 15, 2011)

lets see a picture! I have 2 HUGE swords. i pulled the smaller one out and the roots just kept going! its messy but after 2 hours everything was back to normal. you will have a small hole but just spread your substrate over it.


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

johnny313 said:


> lets see a picture! I have 2 HUGE swords. i pulled the smaller one out and the roots just kept going! its messy but after 2 hours everything was back to normal. you will have a small hole but just spread your substrate over it.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

I love Amazon Swords! I had two E. bleheri in my 55g and when I sold the tank they each had about 50 leaves. I got about $30 each for them at an auction. I think the fact that I had to put them in trash bags helped people to realized how enormous they were.


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

Capsaicin_MFK said:


> I love Amazon Swords! I had two E. bleheri in my 55g and when I sold the tank they each had about 50 leaves. I got about $30 each for them at an auction. I think the fact that I had to put them in trash bags helped people to realized how enormous they were.



I need to mail them out using plastic recycle bags. Fortunately, I have a 30" long tube-like shipping box for them. Too bad some of my leaves have been trimmed off due to BBA. My first starter plants....


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