Sword in 3 gallon even possible?
- Thread starter dereks
- Start date
They will grow in one .
But, a standard Amazon sword will get to maybe 2 feet if given room
I had one that took up over half of a 90g aquarium and the leaves were on the glass of 3 of the 4 sides.
You need to remember that even if you trim the leaves, the roots will keep growing.
I would maybe do a chain sword in a 3g aquarium.. or maybe a type of crypt.
And, yes, adding ferts would be good... Especially root tabs that have nitrogen/nitrates in them. For any of my suggestions and you should be able to control growth with the amount of light .
But, a standard Amazon sword will get to maybe 2 feet if given room
I had one that took up over half of a 90g aquarium and the leaves were on the glass of 3 of the 4 sides.
You need to remember that even if you trim the leaves, the roots will keep growing.
I would maybe do a chain sword in a 3g aquarium.. or maybe a type of crypt.
And, yes, adding ferts would be good... Especially root tabs that have nitrogen/nitrates in them. For any of my suggestions and you should be able to control growth with the amount of light .
It looks like a regular Amazon sword to me.. based on the leaf shape
It may not be growing to its full extent if it isn't fertilized and isn't too well lit... Or depending how much the roots have spread.
I wouldn't leave it in there personally.. but if you do, be careful of the roots if you ever decide to remove it..
It may not be growing to its full extent if it isn't fertilized and isn't too well lit... Or depending how much the roots have spread.
I wouldn't leave it in there personally.. but if you do, be careful of the roots if you ever decide to remove it..
Because the roots will take over? Or because it's too large of a plant? Or something else?
Both of those...
And just that I have been put off swords in the past because of them being so large... I don't even like them at all any more.
Looking at the photo, that's already a pretty substantial sword for a 3-gallon tank. It can definitely survive there, especially if you like the overgrown jungle look, but I wouldn't expect it to stay "small" for long.
Amazon swords are heavy root feeders, so root tabs will likely help if the substrate is mostly inert gravel. The plant may do fine for a while on the nutrients already available in the tank, but long term it will probably appreciate additional feeding.
That said, if your goal is a lush, overgrown betta tank and you don't mind the sword becoming the dominant feature, there's nothing wrong with letting it grow and seeing where it takes the scape
Amazon swords are heavy root feeders, so root tabs will likely help if the substrate is mostly inert gravel. The plant may do fine for a while on the nutrients already available in the tank, but long term it will probably appreciate additional feeding.
That said, if your goal is a lush, overgrown betta tank and you don't mind the sword becoming the dominant feature, there's nothing wrong with letting it grow and seeing where it takes the scape
Amazon sword in a 3 gallon is going to be pretty cramped long-term, especially if you’ve seen how big they get in your 29. The nutrient demand isn’t really the biggest issue here—the size of the plant and its root system are.
You could probably keep a small one for a while if you stay on top of nutrients and trim/remove older leaves, but it’ll eventually dominate a 3 gallon and leave you with very little swimming space.
If you like that overgrown look, I’d lean toward a smaller rosette plant or something with a similar broad-leaf appearance that stays compact. In a 3 gallon, the plant’s eventual size matters more than whether you can technically keep it alive.
You could probably keep a small one for a while if you stay on top of nutrients and trim/remove older leaves, but it’ll eventually dominate a 3 gallon and leave you with very little swimming space.
If you like that overgrown look, I’d lean toward a smaller rosette plant or something with a similar broad-leaf appearance that stays compact. In a 3 gallon, the plant’s eventual size matters more than whether you can technically keep it alive.
Amazon swords can be done in a 3 gallon, but I wouldn’t recommend it long-term. They’re nutrient-hungry plants and, more importantly, they can get huge compared with the footprint of a nano tank.
If you like the overgrown look, you could let one grow for a while and trim/remove older leaves as needed, but eventually the roots and foliage are going to dominate a 3 gallon. A smaller sword variety would be a much better fit.
For a 3 gallon, I’d lean toward smaller plants and create that same jungle effect with several compact growers rather than one big sword.
If you like the overgrown look, you could let one grow for a while and trim/remove older leaves as needed, but eventually the roots and foliage are going to dominate a 3 gallon. A smaller sword variety would be a much better fit.
For a 3 gallon, I’d lean toward smaller plants and create that same jungle effect with several compact growers rather than one big sword.
Like said above, I've had Amazon swords completely fill a 29gal. When I took down this tank, the root mass under the substrate was an impressive 30"X12" rectangle.