# Echinodorus palaefolius var. latifolius



## jeffVmahar (Mar 31, 2005)

Just got this plant thinking it was an amazon sword (I have never had live plants before). Anyhow the plant was only in fair condition when I got it, and my question is how should I care for it? I just took it out of it's pot and buried in my sand (the sand is black and actually looks like crushed rock or somthing). Should I do anything else? I am gonna go to the LPS and buy some fertilizer, is it just a liquid that I add to my water? Thanks guys.


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

jeffVmahar said:


> Just got this plant thinking it was an amazon sword (I have never had live plants before). Anyhow the plant was only in fair condition when I got it, and my question is how should I care for it? I just took it out of it's pot and buried in my sand (the sand is black and actually looks like crushed rock or somthing). Should I do anything else? I am gonna go to the LPS and buy some fertilizer, is it just a liquid that I add to my water? Thanks guys.
> [snapback]956677[/snapback]​


A good fertilizer is always a good place to start and lights are also VERY important. 
How many watts per gallon do you have? post a pic of the plant since you seem unsure of the type, maybe people we can identify it for you. If it is a plant that requires lots of light and you dont have lots of light, it wont do well.


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## jeffVmahar (Mar 31, 2005)

BigChuckP said:


> jeffVmahar said:
> 
> 
> > Just got this plant thinking it was an amazon sword (I have never had live plants before). Anyhow the plant was only in fair condition when I got it, and my question is how should I care for it? I just took it out of it's pot and buried in my sand (the sand is black and actually looks like crushed rock or somthing). Should I do anything else? I am gonna go to the LPS and buy some fertilizer, is it just a liquid that I add to my water? Thanks guys.
> ...


The name of the plant is in the title of my post. As far as wattage per gallon I did some research earlier today and most post's said that 2watts per gallon was what I should have for keeping healthy plants and fish. So I checked the wattage of my current light and it was only 15watt, so I went to the LFS to pick up a 50watt bulb (I have a 25gal. so 50watts would = 2watts per gallon. When I get to the store I find that the highest watt bulb that I can get for my canopy light fixture is 15watts, so i'm kinda scratching my head as to what to do. I don't know if I missunderstood somthing along the way or what? but I am waiting to hear from someone on this board as to what is the right thing to do? I don't plan on having many plants (3 or 4 at the most) and just amazon swords, and mabey somthing that will flot on the top of the water to break up the light a little for the fishies. Someone please tell me what I should do about lighting. Thanks


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## BigChuckP (Feb 9, 2004)

The current light strip that you have now does not have a ballast to put out as many watts as you would like.
You will have to spend some money and get a compact light strip that will put out more watts or go to Lowes or Home Depot and find a 24 inch strip with 50 watts. Here is the compact solution you could consider, http://bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xm...id1=1843;pcid2=
With this strip you would have just over 2 wpg.


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