Pygmy Chain Sword (Echinodorus tenellus) is a great carpeting plant

Pygmy Chain Sword or Echinodorus tenellus is a small (up to 4″ high) rosette plant. It propagates with runners and with time will cover bottom of you aquarium with a lush green carpet.

Shrimp-Tank.com Pygmy Chain Sword

Echinodorus tenellus is a perfect carpeting foreground plant. It’s one from several low and medium light carpeting plants. It doesn’t require CO2 injection or fertilization. However with high light it also grows well and tends to grow red tips on end of its blades.

Echinodorus tenellus has been popularized by well-known Japanese aquascaper, Takashi Amano. This plan doesn’t require special conditions and can live in ordinary tropical aquariums. Hard water with high PH is not preferable. Fine gravel or rich soil will promote growth. Extra Iron fertilization will brings more red colors on Pygmy Chain Sword blades.

Shrimp-Tank.com Echinodorus tenellus

Shrimp-Tank.com Echinodorus tenellus

Live plants purify aquarium water by creating extra surface for beneficial bacteria and using metals and minerals for its growth. Carpeting plants  help to dissolve shrimp waste and aerate soil or sand with their roots.

Initial planting of Pygmy Chain Sword should be done as for other carpeting plants. Bunch of Echinodorus tenellus should be separated to individual plants. The best way is plant them one by one with 1″ or less distance between plants to cover all required area.