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I was given this plant by someone several years ago and stuck it into a planted tank with compost and volcanic rock on top. It has a slight stripe to it and in full sun sometimes goes red but at present it's in a window with only a couple of hours sun daily.

The 60litre tank is unheated now that the fish are gone, and receives no supplemental lighting. I only occasionally add some flourish excel to try and keep the hair algae at bay. Room temperature ranges from 5-25 C.

I wonder if it's a sword but the leaves are a bit small being a maximum of 2 inches in length.

aquatic plant

Random planting including Vallisneria. Lots of reflection artifact present.

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Graham Chiu
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  • I LOVE aquariums. Why, Graham, are the fish gone? Someone else will know the name of this plant but plants like this in SOIL make incredible environments for fish. I'd never put my aquarium in sunlight. Well, I did once and COOKED all the fish! Your bulbs should be grow bulbs. You've got to have incredible filters and oxygenators and definitely a Plecostomus for cleaning algae...or two. Love those guys!! Tough part is finding a stable ecosystem where you don't have to clean manually! Out on a covered porch would be great for these plants but NEVER in direct sun... – stormy Jan 15 '17 at 23:03
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    It's a natural aquarium so no filters, and using sunlight instead of artificial lighting, and there's no CO2 injection. I don't have any algae on the glass as the plants outcompete the algae for the nitrates. I only had a Siamese fighting fish but he got mouth rot and perished. – Graham Chiu Jan 15 '17 at 23:15
  • I'd get a Pleco for sure. I am assuming fresh water. This should be an incredible environment for aquatic plants AND fish. I am trying to remember what mouth rot meant...what is the pH of this set up? Do you want fish? (How could you not)? Still, a natural aquarium is NEVER a natural aquarium!! Grins. But to add to your aquarium filters, bubblers ways to MOVE that water and exchange old for new water would make a far better aquarium. What I see is beautiful. For your fish to get a disease only means pH is off and your fish were stressed or something. What is the gallon size? – stormy Jan 15 '17 at 23:25
  • Amazon sword? What do you think? There are also tiny frogs and snails to add for a 'natural' aquarium as well as Plecos. Still have to have movement and exchange. Check that pH...plants can do better in more acidic water than the fishies are able to handle. – stormy Jan 15 '17 at 23:28
  • Sorry 60 liters...arghhhh, or 15 gallons. I am so pissed with the USA for not going to metric. SMALL for trying to get a semi-self sufficient aquarium...I'd go to a 50 or better (100 gallons) to do this. This semi natural aquarium will do very well in a larger body of water especially if you get some animals involved. No direct sun! I've had beautiful POTS with mature water lilies where fish could survive in direct sun. That water got changed or added to an awful lot. Also kept checking pH. I used tap water...do you know your tap water's chemistry? pH? I miss aquariums... – stormy Jan 15 '17 at 23:41
  • I'm using the Walstad method http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=101 for the natural aquarium. I think she recommends that you probably need a pump to move the water a little but mine seems to be still alive without! – Graham Chiu Jan 16 '17 at 00:35
  • Since the tank is heavily planted I guess I could add a bubbler to increase dissolved CO2. – Graham Chiu Jan 16 '17 at 00:43
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    @stormy, I immediately thought it was Amazon Sword (Echinodorus bleheri) as well. Seems like an obvious. Answer away, in my opinion. – Brenn Jan 17 '17 at 04:23
  • Graham that would be good, what do you use for CO2? Moving water helps move the O2 that was produced by the plants away from the leaves so CO2 gets a chance to be used by the leaves and chlorophyll. A CO2 bubbler would be a smart idea for a fishless aquarium...but O2 bubbler keeps the water oxygenated for the fish...and the pleco would clean the algae off your glass and rocks... – stormy Jan 17 '17 at 20:29
  • I just saw the picture you just added WOW. That is breath taking!! You need some underwater spot lights for depth and drama! Just that back lighting in the picture is WOW. What a fun creation, shows you understand what 'natural' or 'realistic' looks like...love the old pier touch!! Couldn't you get some hardy fish (do tiny tiny fish to make the landscape larger) or frogs (they are tiny and pop up for air and swim back to the safety of your 'forest')...a pleco would look like a prehistoric monster. Excellent 'natural' aquarium, Graham...WOW. Moving water would add a fourth dimension... – stormy Jan 17 '17 at 20:37
  • @stormy in life it looks messy! The Vallisneria in the first year overtook the whole tank and I had to keep trimming it back and removing plants. But in less light, it is growing much more manageably and I haven't trimmed it in the last year. I could put some guppies in it I guess, but then I'll probably have to add a way of oxygenating though some people say that the plants should add enough oxygen. But I don't see pearling much so I think I will need the pump. – Graham Chiu Jan 17 '17 at 21:18
  • You know your stuff, Graham. Images of your ? What is the proper name?terraaquarium? Grins...anyway there are books out there with pictures of miniature realistic ecosystems and yours should be added!! Or on the internet. All I know is a pump will enhance your very cool ecosystem...guppies, or mollies? Just to add movement and life. – stormy Jan 17 '17 at 21:24
  • @stormy it's just called a natural planted aquarium. I read this book https://www.amazon.com/Ecology-Planted-Aquarium-Diana-Walstad/dp/0967377366 though didn't follow all her good advice as I'm too lazy! – Graham Chiu Jan 17 '17 at 21:30
  • I think I have her book...! The picture books of these aquariums were on my coffee table when I had a coffee table. This is a very Japanese type of thinking. To try to make miniature or life size ecosystems where a human couldn't tell if it was man made or not. It isn't lazy. It is called choosing one's battles. Doing things that give back some energy...so beautiful. It is like a live sculpture. – stormy Jan 17 '17 at 22:03

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I'd guess the less popular Echinodorus palifolius as this tends to be slightly smaller than Echinodorus bleheri and the existing plant seems mature. It may develop from slightly less pointed leaves. Also the stem is a large part of its height. However Kew Royal Botanic Gardens accepts 30 species of Echinodorus and Redwood Aquatics for example offers a total of a dozen varieties, including "Echinodorus Latafolius (Dwarf Chain)" that might refer to Echinodorus palifolius. "Amazon sword" may refer to various Echinodorus and naming in general is highly inconsistent.

Echinodorus (Image courtesy aquaportail.com)

pnuts
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