Echinodorus Schlueteri

🌿 Species Profile

• Common Name: Schlueter’s Sword / Small Amazon Sword
• Scientific Name: Echinodorus schlueteri
• Plant Type: Rosette sword plant
• Origin: South America (cultivated aquarium form)
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• Difficulty: Easy
• Placement: Foreground to midground

🌱 Appearance

• Shorter, broader oval sword leaves compared to large Amazon swords
• Bright green coloration
• Compact rosette form
• Mature size:
  • Height: 10–25 cm (4–10 in)
  • Width: 10–20 cm

It stays much smaller than E. bleheri or E. radicans.

🧪 Tank Requirements

• Temperature: 22–28°C
• pH: 6.0–7.5
• Hardness: Soft to moderately hard water
• Lighting: Low to medium (medium gives better compact growth)
• CO₂: Optional

🌿 Substrate & Nutrition

• Strong root feeder
• Best results with:
  • Nutrient-rich substrate
  • Root tabs in gravel/sand setups
  • Iron and trace nutrients for strong green leaves
• Poor nutrition can reduce leaf size significantly

✂️ Care Tips

• Do not bury the crown
• Remove old outer leaves regularly
• Give moderate space to spread
• Stable fertilization keeps leaves compact and healthy

🌱 Propagation

• Produces flower stalks above water
• Small plantlets form on the stalk
• Once roots develop, they can be separated and replanted

🐟 Aquarium Use

Best for:

• Nano to medium planted tanks
• Foreground “sword clusters”
• Nature-style aquascapes

Compatible with:

• Tetras
• Rasboras
• Corydoras
• Shrimp
• Peaceful community fish

⭐ Key advantage

Echinodorus schlueteri is ideal when you want an Amazon sword look without the large size, making it perfect for smaller aquariums or controlled layouts.