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Reni sword

Echinodorus 'Reni'

Also known as Red Reni sword, Echinodorus Reni, Echinodorus 072D

FreshwaterRosetteRunnersSide shoots

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Midground
Type
Rosette
Temperature
72–82°F (22–28°C)
pH
6.0–8.0
Hardness
2–15 dGH
Max height
15.7 in (40 cm)
Spread
9.8 in (25 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Origin
Cultivar (bred by Tomas Kaliebe, cross of 'Großer Bär' x 'Ozelot', released 2003)
Family
Alismataceae

Overview

A compact red sword that stays small enough for the midground of medium tanks. New leaves emerge reddish-brown to deep beetroot with lighter veins, and colour is strongest under good light with a nutrient-rich substrate; CO2 helps but is not essential. Feed the roots with tabs and remove tired outer leaves at the base.

In the wild

A cultivated hybrid with no natural range. Its ancestry traces to South American marsh swords that grow along shaded stream banks and seasonal wetlands, rooting into muddy substrate and often growing emersed in the dry season. Reni keeps the compact basal rosette habit of those parents.

Good to know

Bred by German aquarist Tomas Kaliebe by crossing the cultivars 'Großer Bär' and 'Ozelot', both themselves Echinodorus hybrids, and brought to market in 2003. It sits in the family Alismataceae. It is notably slow to size up, holding a small rosette far longer than most swords, which makes it usable in smaller tanks.

Did you know

Because Reni can hold a rosette of leaves only around 10 cm long for a long time, it is one of the few Amazon-type swords small enough to work as a foreground or centrepiece in a nano or small tank.

Where to buy

Some links may not be the exact species or variety.

…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

Low-light plants · Midground plants · Sword plants · Beginner plants

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