Altlandsberg Sword (Echinodorus sp. 'Altlandsberg') - Potted

The Altlandsberg Sword (Echinodorus sp. 'Altlandsberg') is one of the rarer sword hybrids in the hobby: bright green leaves dusted with deep red and pink spotting, as if someone flicked a paintbrush over the plant. New leaves emerge with the heaviest speckling, so a happy plant always has fresh red at its center. It grows into a substantial background rosette that easily becomes the focal point of a planted tank, while staying just as undemanding as every other sword. Browse the rest of our live freshwater plants to build around it.

Care Guide

• Planting: remove the pot and rock wool and plant in the substrate with the crown just above the surface. Place it background or off-center midground; a grown Altlandsberg wants a wide footprint.
• Feed the roots: like all swords it is a heavy root feeder. Root tabs around the base every few months make the difference between surviving and showpiece.
• Light: moderate to high. More light means denser red speckling on new growth; in dim tanks it grows fine but greener.
• Water parameters: 72 to 82°F, pH 6.5 to 7.5. Happy in low-tech tanks, no CO2 required.
• Transition note: nursery leaves may melt as it converts to submerged growth. Trim them off and feed the roots; replacement leaves come in stronger and better marked.
• Size: expect 12 to 18 inches in most tanks, larger in deep tanks with rich substrate.

Specifications

Placement & Companions

Give it the back corner or the spot right behind your hardscape and let it fan out. The speckled leaves stand out most against plain green neighbors, and it makes a striking trio with the classic Amazon Sword and the moody Chocolate Marble Sword. Sword plants shrug off nearly all fish; only committed diggers and plant eaters like large goldfish and big cichlids cause trouble.

Recommended Supplies

• Aquarium Co-Op Easy Root Tabs the sword essential
• Seachem Flourish comprehensive liquid supplement

FAQ

Why is the red spotting fading?
The speckling is strongest on new leaves and fades as each leaf ages. Keep light moderate to high and the roots fed, and the plant keeps producing freshly painted leaves at the center.

My new plant is melting. Should I worry?
No. Swords grown emersed at the nursery swap their leaves for submerged ones after planting. Trim the mush and new growth follows within a couple of weeks.

Is it hard to keep for a rare plant?
Not at all. Rarity here is about availability, not difficulty. If you can grow an Amazon Sword, you can grow an Altlandsberg.

Do I need special substrate?
Plain gravel or sand works with root tabs; aquasoil speeds it up. What matters is food at the roots, not the substrate brand.