No baby swords?

[clb2196]

I have 2 large sword plants in my tank. About a month or so after I got them, they both started sending out baby plants, maybe 1 every 2-3 weeks or so (or at least it took me that long to see it). I haven't seen any in maybe 2 months or so now. However, the plants themselves have grown a lot more leaves, and are nice and big.

What would cause them to grow and not send out babies? Do I need root tabs more often, better root tabs, something like that or do they just alternate between growing and reproducing?

 

[Hebily]

IME, they just switch back and forth between growing and babies.

 

[clb2196]

Thanks, I kinda figured. I'm just impatient cause I want more babies to take up some space. :lol: And some of the bigger babies are going to be too big soon, so I want to sell them and replace with new babies. Guess maybe I'll hafta buy some, oh well.

 

[customdrum]

my plants with babys are slow growers to, if you have alot of light and ferts they grow good, mine are in low light, i have radican marble queen and amazons with runners but they take months to grow out good

 

[fabsroman]

I never had a clue that Amazon Swords reproduced via runners. Is this the same type of reproduction as vals? Also, do compact swords reproduce in the same manner because I have 3 of them in my 75 and have never seen a baby plant from them. In fact, they aren't even looking very good right now. Are root tabs the way to go for these plants?

 

[FISHSHROD]

I had baby plants a few times before I used root tabs so it's not that necessary I guess.

 

[Hebily]

I've never used root tabs, but if your plants are looking sickly, you might try them... it's not the same as vals... it looks like a really narrow stem, that shoots straight up, with no leaves, taller than all the other stems. Then it will develop 'nodes' (wider parts in the stem) and these will turn into baby swords.