Hadi Red Pearl sword is a compact, undemanding sword with red-marked leaves. Its size makes it usable as a midground centerpiece, even in smaller tanks.
Did you know
Hadi Red Pearl sword does not color evenly like a solid red sword. Its red comes as pearly speckles and blotches scattered over green leaves, which is where the Red Pearl name comes from.
Caring for Hadi Red Pearl sword
Plant Hadi Red Pearl sword in a nutrient-rich substrate with root tabs, and leave the crown just above the surface. It is a heavy root feeder and takes most of its food from the substrate.
Moderate light is enough, and it tolerates low light. It shows its best color under brighter light with CO2, though it grows without injected CO2. Keep it at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and a pH of 6 to 7.5.
It usually stays under 25 cm. It reproduces by plantlets on side shoots, which you can cut off and replant once they root. An older plant can also be divided at the rhizome.
Good to know
Hadi Red Pearl sword is a cultivar, written Echinodorus 'Hadi Red Pearl' in single quotes, with no valid wild binomial. It is sometimes traded as Echinodorus cordifolius 'Harbich Red'. The genus sits in the family Alismataceae. The red flecking comes from anthocyanin pigments concentrated in patches rather than spread across the whole leaf.
In the wild
Hadi Red Pearl sword is a cultivated Echinodorus hybrid with no wild population. Its parentage is often linked in the trade to the cordifolius group. Like many swords, it also grows emersed, with leaves rising above the waterline.
Common questions
Does Hadi Red Pearl sword need to be planted in the substrate?
Yes. Bury the roots and leave the crown, where the leaves join, just above the substrate.
Does Hadi Red Pearl sword need CO2?
No, but it helps. Hadi Red Pearl sword can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.
How much light does Hadi Red Pearl sword need?
Hadi Red Pearl sword wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.
Does Hadi Red Pearl sword need root tabs?
Yes. Hadi Red Pearl sword draws much of its food through its roots. Push root tabs in near it, or grow it in a nutrient-rich soil.
How do you propagate Hadi Red Pearl sword?
Hadi Red Pearl sword propagates by side shoots, plantlets and rhizome division. Cut a side shoot off once it has a few leaves and plant it on its own. Small plantlets form on the plant and can be detached once they have a few roots.
How tall does Hadi Red Pearl sword grow?
Hadi Red Pearl sword grows to about 9.8 in (25 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.
Low lightMidground7.9 in (20 cm)
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
High lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)
Medium lightBackground19.7 in (50 cm)