Amazon Sword vs African Sword vs Pygmy Sword Comparison Guide
Three plants sold as “swords” cover wildly different niches and only one is actually a true sword plant. The sword plant comparison question matters because shop labelling lumps them together and beginners end up with a 50cm Amazon sword in a 30-litre nano. This guide from Gensou Aquascaping at 5 Everton Park clarifies the trio for proper midground and background planning.
Quick Verdict
Pick Amazon sword for a classic broad-leafed midground centrepiece in 80-litre+ planted tanks. Pick African sword (actually Bolbitis heudelotii) for hardscape-mounted texture in slow-flow blackwater scapes. Pick pygmy sword for a low-tech foreground or midground carpet in nano tanks under 60 litres.
Amazon Sword: The True Centrepiece
Amazon sword (Echinodorus amazonicus) produces broad lance-shaped leaves reaching 30-50cm tall in mature plants. Bright to dark green foliage. Light requirement: medium, 40-60 PAR. CO2 optional but accelerates growth significantly. Heavy root feeder — substrate fertiliser tabs essential. Water tolerance: pH 6.0-7.5, GH 5-15, temperature 22-28°C. Plant the crown above substrate. They reproduce by sending up flower stalks that produce daughter plants. Mature specimens dominate the visual centre of a 90cm scape and crowd out smaller companion plants.
African Sword: The Misnamed Bolbitis
“African sword” is the common-name confusion: the plant sold under this name in Singapore is almost always Bolbitis heudelotii — a true rhizome fern, not a sword at all. It produces dark green tripinnate fronds 20-40cm tall on a creeping rhizome. Light: low to medium, 25-40 PAR. CO2 optional. Mount on driftwood or rocks; the rhizome must stay above substrate or it rots. Slow growth — comparable to anubias. Water tolerance: pH 5.5-7.0, GH 1-10, temperature 20-26°C. Prefers slow-flow blackwater conditions.
Pygmy Sword: The Carpet Variant
Pygmy sword (Helanthium tenellum) reaches 5-15cm and forms a dense grass-like carpet through runner propagation. Bright green to red-tinged blades, 2-3mm wide. Light requirement: medium, 40-60 PAR — runs vertical and never carpets under low light. CO2 optional but strongly recommended for dense carpet formation. Water tolerance: pH 5.5-7.5, GH 3-15, temperature 20-28°C. The “red” variant under high light produces orange-red colouration. Easier than dwarf hairgrass and forgives more parameter swings.
Side-by-Side Spec Comparison
Height: pygmy sword 10cm, African sword 30cm, Amazon sword 40-50cm. Mounting style: Amazon and pygmy substrate-rooted, African rhizome-mounted on hardscape. Light demand: African low, Amazon medium, pygmy medium-high. CO2: African and Amazon optional, pygmy strongly recommended. Tank size: pygmy under 60L, Amazon 80L+, African flexible based on hardscape. Price: pygmy SGD 8-15, Amazon SGD 12-25, African (Bolbitis) SGD 18-35.
Decision Framework
If you have a nano tank under 60 litres and want a grass-like carpet alternative, pygmy sword is the right pick. If you have 80-litre+ tank and want a dramatic broad-leafed centrepiece, Amazon sword fits — plant it once and let it dominate. If you have a blackwater scape with extensive driftwood and want a textured fern accent, African sword (Bolbitis) is correct, but understand it is not actually a sword plant. Never plant Amazon sword in a 30-litre nano expecting it to stay small — the plant has the genetic programming to hit 40cm.
Singapore Sourcing and Pricing
Iwarna and Polyart stock all three. Amazon sword runs SGD 12-25 per pot, with red and rubin variants at SGD 25-40. Pygmy sword (often sold as “chain sword” or “narrow leaf chain sword”) sits at SGD 8-15 per portion. African sword/Bolbitis at SGD 18-35 because it grows slowly and supply is limited. Tissue culture options for Helanthium tenellum exist via Tropica imports at SGD 15-22 per cup. Pair with substrate fertiliser tabs and aquasoil from the aquarium plants range for proper root feeding.
Common Mistakes
Burying the crown of an Amazon sword is the universal killer — the white meeting point of leaves and roots must stay exposed. Second mistake: planting Bolbitis (African sword) directly in substrate; the rhizome rots within 2-3 weeks. Tie or glue to driftwood instead. Third: assuming pygmy sword will carpet under low light — it grows tall and thin instead, and nothing fixes it without raising PAR. Fourth: dosing Amazon sword with only liquid fertiliser; it is a heavy root feeder and needs substrate tabs every 3-4 months.
Pairing With Other Plants
Amazon sword pairs with vallisneria as a contrasting tall background and anubias for foreground accent. Pygmy sword pairs with monte carlo at the foreground edge and rotala as background contrast. Bolbitis pairs naturally with java fern and anubias on the same driftwood structure. All three suit Amazon biotope-leaning displays alongside catappa leaves and tannin-stained water from the hardscape range.
Related Reading
emilynakatani
Still Have Questions About Your Tank?
Drop by Gensou Aquascaping — most walk-in questions get answered in under 10 minutes by someone who has set up hundreds of tanks.
5 Everton Park #01-34B, Singapore 080005 · Open daily 11am – 8pm
