Keeping Amazon Swords

I just found out my LFS sells dwarf hairgrass! I will use this as the small plant and I plan to get A LOT of these eventually, and I will still get 2 large amazon swords. What do ya think?
 
My LFS now sells microsword, which is a grassy amazon sword that only gets to be a max of 4 in. high and has a carpeting effect like the dwarf hairgrass! I'm so excited to get these plants!
 
I already mentioned how I would get API Root Tabs as a fertilizer for my amazon swords, but since I'm now getting microsword and I'm going to let it carpet my tank, I'm going to get a general fertilizer for the both plants along with the other one. I'm think about getting this:http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/198655/product.web Is this a good brand, is okay with tank setup, fish, and appliancies I have, and will it work good with the plants I'm getting?
 
Anybody?
 
Okay, my water doesn't suck so I think I'll be good! Thanks for all the help!
 
fishboy7 said:
Yea you are probably right. I may get some non-amazon plants just for looks, but I doubt they will let me sell them because they are already hesitant about me buying them. Also, I will do water changes when they are here and the small business idea may work, and I tell them that it teaches me responsibilty so they agree to that. Finally, they realize I work at it, but they apparently expect that of me because they never give me much credit for it. They just aren't big pet people, so they probably don't understand. Thanks again for the ideas, I hope they work!
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You can sell the fake plants on e-bay and recoup some of that money. You can also sell the overgrowth of your foreground plants and recoup some of your money that you put into the hobby.

Another reason for keeping plants is that it really helps the fish. The entire reason I started with live plants is because I was having some SERIOUS nitrate issues in my tank because I overstocked it. I was doing 70%+ water changes every week and by the end of the week the nitrates were back at or above 40 ppm. I installed a heavily planted sump with a bunch of plants in the main tank, and presto chango, no more nitrate. In fact, the nitrate level went down to 0. I could not believe it and thought my test kit was broken. Now, I can go several months without a water change, but that is only if I use ferts sparingly. In fact, that is what happened just this year. Between moving into a new house and tax season (i.e., I am a CPA/attorney with a tax practice), I just did not have time for maintaining my tanks. Finally got around to it in June and the fish were just fine. Granted, the tanks looked like a jungle, but I expected that. Simply put, plants and fish are part of the ecosytem and they help one another out.

I think the mircosword and Amazon swords will look awesome. However., make sure you put the Amazaon sowrds toward the middle of the tank because they can get pretty large. Personally, in a 30 or 36, I think I would go with a single Amazon sword right in the middle of the tank. I have 2 of them in my 75 and when taken care of, they can get really large.
 
Okay, glad to know that! Thanks for the advice!
 
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