Amazon sword
Echinodorus grisebachii
easy careOverview
The Amazon sword (Echinodorus grisebachii) is a classic background plant — a big, bushy rosette of broad green leaves that makes a dramatic centrepiece in a larger tank. It is undemanding on light and CO2 but has one firm requirement: it is a heavy root feeder and needs a nutrient-rich root zone to reach its full, lush size. Given that, it is a hardy, long-lived, beginner-friendly plant.
Planting & placement
Plant the Amazon sword in the substrate, roots down, with the crown (where leaves meet roots) just at or above the substrate surface — bury the crown and it can rot. It appreciates a deep, nutrient-rich substrate or plain gravel supplemented with root tabs. Because it grows large, give it space in the background or centre of a tank of around 100 litres or more. Our how to plant aquarium plants guide covers setting the crown at the right depth.
Light, CO2 & ferts
Medium light is plenty; CO2 is optional and simply speeds growth. The critical input is root feeding: push root tabs into the substrate around the base every couple of months, and add a nutrient substrate if you can. Supplement with a liquid fertilizer for potassium and iron to prevent the yellowing and pinholes that signal deficiency. See our best substrate for a planted tank guide for good root-zone options.
Propagation & problems
Amazon swords propagate by sending out runners — long stems that produce baby plants (adventitious plantlets). Once a plantlet has several leaves and its own roots, cut it free and plant it separately. The usual problems are nutrient deficiencies (holes, yellowing — add root tabs and trace ferts) and transplant melt, where a newly moved sword sheds older leaves before recovering. Keep feeding the roots and it bounces back with vigorous new growth. Give a mature sword a few months to settle, and it becomes a dramatic, jungle-like centrepiece that provides shade and spawning cover for fish. Remove the oldest outer leaves at the base as they age rather than trimming their tips, which keeps the rosette looking clean.
Amazon sword — frequently asked questions
Does an Amazon sword need root tabs?
Yes. The Amazon sword is a heavy root feeder that draws most of its nutrients through its roots. Push a root tab into the substrate near the base every few months, and it will reward you with large, deep-green leaves. Liquid ferts alone often leave it pale and stunted.
Why are my Amazon sword's leaves melting or full of holes?
Holes and yellowing usually mean a nutrient shortage — most often iron or potassium, or simply no root tabs. New transplants may also melt older leaves while they adapt, then push healthy new growth. Add root tabs and be patient.
How big does an Amazon sword get?
Large. A healthy Amazon sword can reach 30–50 cm tall and equally wide, so it suits the background or the centre of tanks around 100 litres and up. In small tanks it quickly dominates.
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