Also known as Tropica Sword or scientific name: echinodorus parviflorus.

1.  Question: How big do Rosette Sword plants get?

Answer:

6″ to 10″ tall. One plant will grow to be about 10+” wide. 

2.  Question: Why is a rosette sword plant a good choice for your aquarium?

Answer:   

1.  Swords are beautiful plants and this sword plant stays a bit smaller 

2.  Like all swords it grows quickly.

3.  This sword plant would look great as a background plant. 

4.  Rosette sword can be grown in a low-tech tank if desired, although adding CO2 is optimal.

 Question: How do I grow a large, healthy Rosette Sword in my aquarium?

Tank size: I would recommend at least a 30 gallon tank. A smaller tank as is often recommened is just not going to show off this beautiful plant to the fullest. 

Lighting: Rosettes, like other sword plants will need lots of light. For my sword plants I have two very bright led light strips that are on for about 12 hours per day. 

CO2: I wouldn’t try to grow a rosette sword (on any sword plant for that matter) without adding pressurized CO2 to the tank. Not adding CO2 can lead to algae outbreaks because your sword will not be growing fast enough to out compete the algae for nutrients.

UV Sterilizer: I wouldn’t try to grow aquarium plants without a high quality UV sterilizer. I have two UV sterilizers running at all times on my 30 gallon sword plant.

Here is a picture of my sword plant tank. I rarely trim this huge plant back. It is 10 inches tall and 24 inches wide. It would be taller if I had a bigger aquarium. Pressurized CO2 (bubbling on the right side of the tank – It runs from the time I wake up until I go to bed) and UV sterilizers added. I could clean out the algae clumps if I wanted, but I am getting ready to do a major change by taking the plants (there is a java fern in back) out of the pot and planting them in gravel which I will be adding. Your rosette sword could look like this only a bit smaller if you wanted.

This is a rosette sword from the author’s 10 gallon aquarium. Notice flower stem on the right side of the photograph.

Rosette sword plants can be grown by a beginner although it is a bit more demanding with its needs. Having a beautiful sword plant growing in your beginners aquarium will be worth the extra care.

Sword plants grow in south america, central america and subtropical north america. In its natural habitat the dwarf sword grow plants grows normally emersed with it being fully submerged (totally covered in water) in the rainy seasons. Dwarf swords can be grown fully submerged.

If your sword plant(s) has come to you prepackaged it has likely be grown in the nurseries immersed (leaves grown out of the water), so the old leaves will die back after you’ve put it in your tank. The new leaves that emerge will grow in your tank without melting back.

Rosette swords will grow under medium lighting but bright lighting is suggested. Regular aquarium conditions will be fine.

Rosette sword will spread quickly on its own by sending out runners with plantlets growing on the runners. If you live in an area with high humidity the runners will grow out of the water and produce small white flowers. 

Propagation is simple. Cut off the plantlets from the runners and replant. For really fast growth of the plantlets consider dry starting them before replanting them in your aquarium. Soon you will have a huge mess of rosette sword plants filling your aquarium. Your fish will love it as they will have a place to hide when they get tired of the chase.