TankBud

Quadricostatus chain sword

Helanthium bolivianum 'Quadricostatus'

Also known as Echinodorus quadricostatus, Echinodorus bolivianus var. magdalenensis, Broad-leaf chain sword, Echinodorus xinguensis, Echinodorus quadricostatus var. xinguensis, Helanthium bolivianum, Echinodorus bolivianus, Echinodorus bolivianum, Bolivian sword, Bolivian chain sword, Echinodorus magdalenensis

FreshwaterRosetteRunnersPlantlets

Quadricostatus chain sword (Helanthium bolivianum 'Quadricostatus')
Tommy Kronkvist · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
5.9 in
15 cm
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Midground
Type
Rosette
pH
5.5–7.5
Hardness
2–18 dGH
Spread
7.9 in (20 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Alismataceae
Origin
South America

Overview

Quadricostatus chain sword is an easy rosette plant for the midground, or a taller foreground plant in larger tanks. It spreads into a low turf of broad, bright green strap leaves.

Did you know

Quadricostatus chain sword helped pioneer easy carpeting in the hobby. It was one of the original fast, low-demand chain swords recommended for starting up new tanks, long before modern high-tech carpet plants existed.

Caring for Quadricostatus chain sword

Plant Quadricostatus chain sword rosettes in a group, burying the roots and leaving the crown just above the substrate. Their runners soon knit the group together.

It grows in low light without CO2, though CO2 and steady fertilization make it noticeably faster and denser. It is a hungry plant, especially for iron, and shows pale new leaves when it runs short. Feed both the substrate with root tabs and the water column with a liquid fertilizer. Keep it at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C).

It grows fast and spreads vigorously by runners, so it can crowd a small tank. Thin the daughter plants regularly, cutting them free once they have roots if you want to replant them.

Good to know

Quadricostatus chain sword was long known in the hobby as Echinodorus quadricostatus. It is now treated as a form of Helanthium bolivianum, in the family Alismataceae, so the old Echinodorus name is a synonym. The name 'Quadricostatus' refers to the leaf's several prominent veins or ribs running along its length. Plants in this complex are taxonomically tangled, and the same trade material has circulated under several Echinodorus and Helanthium names.

In the wild

Quadricostatus chain sword is a South American plant from the wider Helanthium bolivianum complex. It grows in shallow, often seasonally flooded waters and along damp margins. There it creeps outward on long runners that root into the ground, switching between submerged and emersed growth as water levels change.

Common questions

Does Quadricostatus chain 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 Quadricostatus chain sword need CO2?

No, but it helps. Quadricostatus chain sword can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does Quadricostatus chain sword need?

Quadricostatus chain sword is a low-light plant, and the light that comes with a standard tank kit is enough for it.

Does Quadricostatus chain sword need root tabs?

They help. Quadricostatus chain sword takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.

How do you propagate Quadricostatus chain sword?

Quadricostatus chain sword propagates by runners and plantlets. New plants grow along its runners. Cut one free once it has roots and plant it. Small plantlets form on the plant and can be detached once they have a few roots.

How tall does Quadricostatus chain sword grow?

Quadricostatus chain sword grows to about 5.9 in (15 cm) tall. It grows fast, so expect to trim it often.

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