# Amazon sword problems.



## Lyfeoffishing (Jun 14, 2014)

Okay so I just grabbed some amazon swords from PetCo (Ik not best place). They all look healthy besides the fact they only roots maybe 1cm in length. As of right now I have the tied to rocks buried in the substrate but idk if that will help roots grow. They are just hovering over the sand. I am dosing seachem flourish with root tabs (not sure they will help since no roots yet). 

Any advise on this situation I greatly appreciate it. Had to get to work so I will try and post pics tomorrow. 

Here's a pic of the tank but you can't see the crowns on the swords. 










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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

you need to bury the roots into the substrate. Amazon swords are VERY heavy root feeders.


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## Lyfeoffishing (Jun 14, 2014)

Veritas said:


> you need to bury the roots into the substrate. Amazon swords are VERY heavy root feeders.



I got that but the roots aren't long enough to be planted. If I plant the roots the crown will be under the substrate and won't that kill the plant? 


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

I'll defer to others that might know more....but mine didn't suffer from it when I buried them up to the crown. I had to get rid of one b/c it overwhelmed my tank.


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## Adrand (Feb 13, 2012)

I would also bury them deeper. I have bought amazon swords from petco and they have survived with great success. Give them some time to root and they should take off. Root tabs are highly suggested.


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## Korya (Sep 22, 2013)

You'll probably get some melting/die off but burying them might also stimulate them to grow roots faster.


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## Lyfeoffishing (Jun 14, 2014)

Interesting maybe I have my plants mixed up ill bury them more tomorrow. 

Thanks everyone


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## redant (May 6, 2014)

Don't bury the crown in the substrate. Tie the plant to small rocks which will hold them down. When new roots grow you can remove the rocks.


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## Zapins (Jan 7, 2006)

Burying the crown or not burying it the swords aren't going to do well in this tank. The tank is quite deep and the lighting is too dim for them. Swords don't do well in extremely low light conditions, and it looks like your tank has stock lighting which unfortunately puts the tank squarely in the low light bracket. 

Other than that, swords routinely lose their emersed grown leaves when first put under water so you should expect the round leaves to die off. The plant will start putting out longer thinner (sword-like) leaves over time. These are the submersed leaves, though without stronger lighting (like the giant fixture I see reflected off the glass tank) the plants aren't going to do well.


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## Lyfeoffishing (Jun 14, 2014)

Zapins thanks for the advise but I grew out a sword to decent size before I had to move and empty my tank for a year. But I will be getting a LED structure from ecoxotic soon. 

Here's the pic of the old sword was 2 months old and did fine with root tabs. 










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## Zapins (Jan 7, 2006)

The lights you have must be deceptively strong then! Those older swords look great.


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## Scotty16 (Mar 13, 2014)

Yeah but don't lights over time get dimmer and dimmer?


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