# What plants to add in between Amazon swords in the background?



## Arv (Oct 3, 2011)

Hello! Newbie here! Been researching a lot and now I need a plant that does not get too wide. Something that grows upright would be great. It could be short but it would be between the swords (about 4-5 inches apart) in the background so it might not get a lot of light on the lower leaves if its not a blade type of leaf. If it grows really tall that it will over shadow the amazons, it needs to be that it allows light between the leaves so the amazons do not suffer. Am I over thinking this? Are the 5 swords enough? 
I plan to add 2-3 of these plants on the left side of the tank between the amazon swords.
2x39W t5HO right on top of tank (AQ 38G, about 20” tall) – with 2 flora sun (grow) lights. I’m still debating if I would run both or just one. So to be on the safe side I’m picking plants that do not require too much light.
Some sort of val or crypt maybe?
Current plants:
5 medium-large sized amazon swords in the background 
8 small to large java ferns (lots of babies ready to be planted soon, will continue to attach to driftwoods as they get bigger or detach) on two large driftwoods (center and right side of tank)
3 anubias on rocks (two in middle, one on left in front of a big slate rock formation)
Dwarf hairgrass spread across the front
3 bags of eco complete, some laterite and peat under eco complete
Pressurized CO2 with TB style inline reactor 
2x ehiem 2322 caniters.
No fishes yet, plan to get some corys, loaches, cardinals, an apple snail or two and maybe some amanos
This site has been a great source of information and I've learned a lot over the last 4 months! So thanks to everyone!


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## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

I can only comment on the amazon swords...it is my understandning that they get quite large - 24" or so tall, rather wide, and have large root systems that can choke out other plants. I have one in a 40b, and a few I want to put in my 55s. I really wanted to put one in a 29g but chickened out! lol
If I'm understanding your post, it sounds like you have 5 amazon swords in a 38g tank?


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## jedimasterben (Aug 21, 2011)

driftwoodhunter said:


> If I'm understanding your post, it sounds like you have 5 amazon swords in a 38g tank?


This is what I gathered from this. Doesn't sound like it's gonna work for very long.


For reference, this is a melon sword, it's leaves are on top of a large stem, the tank is 21" tall:









Now, imagine that being an Amazon sword, with the leaves bushing out from the base of the plant instead of having a long stem. I think you won't have but one of the swords in there after a few months.


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## jccaclimber (Aug 29, 2011)

I have two amazon swords in my 75g. I'm pretty sure they would take over the entire tank in under a year if I let them. Mind you that's with ferts/CO2 and a fair amount of light, but they do get large.


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## Arv (Oct 3, 2011)

Thanks for the heads up guys! It looks like I'm going to be pruning a lot. Unless the plants that I put in between them block out some light will that work?


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## Arv (Oct 3, 2011)

The new leaves on my Am swords are longer and start closer to the base and do not have very long stems. Mostly leaves vs. stem. So I guess the stems will get longer in the long run?



jedimasterben said:


> This is what I gathered from this. Doesn't sound like it's gonna work for very long.
> 
> 
> For reference, this is a melon sword, it's leaves are on top of a large stem, the tank is 21" tall:
> ...


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## kingdave (Feb 20, 2010)

Amazon swords on your 38 will be just fine if you prune them as often as needed to keep them the size that is appropriate to your aquascape. I have two in my 38 along with a compacta sword.


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## Arv (Oct 3, 2011)

ok, thanks Kingdave! Now to get back on track, what should I put in between them? Or should I even put anything considering how big they get? I just want to fill the spaces in between the swords to make it layered and fuller.

Thx!


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## jccaclimber (Aug 29, 2011)

Arv said:


> Thanks for the heads up guys! It looks like I'm going to be pruning a lot. Unless the plants that I put in between them block out some light will that work?


I suspect (don't know) that the sword will end up over the other plants. The best way to find out is to try though.


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## jccaclimber (Aug 29, 2011)

Arv said:


> The new leaves on my Am swords are longer and start closer to the base and do not have very long stems. Mostly leaves vs. stem. So I guess the stems will get longer in the long run?


Yours is probably just a different variety. In my experience most of them have shorter leaves and longer stems when grown emersed. I've seen some stay that way submerged, but I'm not sure which ones.
Here's one of my swords. I've had it for a couple months, and roughly 1 month of that has been under ferts/CO2. I've been playing with the light a lot so I can't really say one condition that it's been under the entire time. The scale in front of it is a 12 inch ruler.


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## Arv (Oct 3, 2011)

the original emersed leaves on mine are def shorter, thicker, and greener with much longer stems compared to the new leaves. I took a picture with my phone.


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## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

I love the way you're using the rock vertically on the left side - like a cliff!


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## Arv (Oct 3, 2011)

driftwoodhunter said:


> I love the way you're using the rock vertically on the left side - like a cliff!


Thx! That took 2 trips to a landscaping yard across town. I bought like 16 lbs of slate but I made sure I picked the ones that didn't have shiny stuff on it and wasn't crumbling. You don't see the back but it actually slopes down too. I had to use a tile saw and a dremel to make it look right and rubbed the pieces together so they would be flat where they glued together so it would look more seamless. That's actually 5 pcs.


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## Arv (Oct 3, 2011)

So any suggestions for plants to go between the swords in the back?
Thx!


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## Arv (Oct 3, 2011)

Still the same question... but now that my swords have grown a bit and I see how much wider they can get I'm looking for a plant that would do well in the shade and in the roots of the swords. I will be putting them in between and a little bit forward for some depth.

Thanks!


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## nalu86 (Oct 19, 2010)

My amazon sword grow from 5x5 inch to 20x20 inch in 20 days  just saying

Pic: January:








Pic Februari:


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## nalu86 (Oct 19, 2010)

So don't put anything in between, or some fast growing low light stems.
Hygro would work, wisteria also.


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## Capsaicin_MFK (Nov 15, 2009)

Crypts.


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## forester (Mar 12, 2010)

i would try some cheap crypts , mine do pretty well in the shade of my amazon as long as they get some light , but i do agree with other posts that the roots structure will eventually choke out other plants with having 5 amazons accross the back , i have a 58G . same dimensions as a 75 but little shorter and one amazon i had grew so large its roots were accross 2/3 of tank by time i ripped out , crazy seeing it from underneath the tank lol . but go with cheap crypts to try it out maybe regea wendtii to start , plus u will get a nice contrast of colors from the crypts/amazons


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## forester (Mar 12, 2010)

oh and great looking tank !!! will be pimp when it fills in ^^


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## Arv (Oct 3, 2011)

forester said:


> i would try some cheap crypts , mine do pretty well in the shade of my amazon as long as they get some light , but i do agree with other posts that the roots structure will eventually choke out other plants with having 5 amazons accross the back , i have a 58G . same dimensions as a 75 but little shorter and one amazon i had grew so large its roots were accross 2/3 of tank by time i ripped out , crazy seeing it from underneath the tank lol . but go with cheap crypts to try it out maybe regea wendtii to start , plus u will get a nice contrast of colors from the crypts/amazons


I read up more on crypts and people do put them near the base of swords since they like shade and the swords provide them.

Now since there's over a dozen types, which one should I get?

Oh yeah about the filling in, that darn dwarf hg is a pain to grow. I actually shifted my lights to the front to get more light on the hg.

Thanks for the comment on the tank and for all the replies!!!


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## EnigmaticGuppy92 (Jan 31, 2012)

i have 5 swords in my 37 gallon with vallisneria in between an have no problems effective pruning is a must really see pic for vallis, other low maintenance plants could work like cacomba and suchlike hope this helps

http://www.plantedtanks.co.uk/ekmps...ges/vallisneria-spiralis-jungle-val-649-p.jpg


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## Arv (Oct 3, 2011)

EnigmaticGuppy92 said:


> i have 5 swords in my 37 gallon with vallisneria in between an have no problems effective pruning is a must really see pic for vallis, other low maintenance plants could work like cacomba and suchlike hope this helps
> 
> http://www.plantedtanks.co.uk/ekmps...ges/vallisneria-spiralis-jungle-val-649-p.jpg


I did think about corkscrew vals but changed my mind since I wanted something that would be shorter than the swords and now instead of in between it will be slightly forward to create some depth.
thanks!


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