Ozelot Sword

Echinodorus sp. 'Ozelot'

Lighting

Medium

CO2

Beneficial

Growth Rate

Medium

Max Height

45 cm

Placement

Midground

Substrate

Rooted

DifficultyBeginner

About

Ozelot Sword is a hybrid Echinodorus developed in cultivation, not pulled from any wild river system.

What makes it stand out immediately is the patterning: dark reddish-brown spots and streaks scattered across broad green leaves, genuinely reminiscent of the coat markings it's named after. Two common variants exist, Green Ozelot and Red Ozelot, with the red form showing much stronger coloration under good lighting. New leaves often emerge with intense coppery or reddish tones before maturing to spotted green.

Growth habit is a classic rosette, so it fans out from a central crown and needs room to do it properly. In a well-fed tank with nutrient-rich substrate it can reach 40 to 45 centimeters, making it best suited toward the mid to back section of medium or larger aquariums.

It's forgiving enough for beginners but rewards more attentive keepers with noticeably richer coloration. Propagation happens through runners or adventitious plantlets on flower stalks.

If you want to see how this plant actually fills out in a mature tank, browsing community builds on planted forums is genuinely worth your time.

Water Parameters

Temperature

°C

22–28

15202530

pH

6.5–7.8

56789

GH

dGH

2–15

05101520

Compatibility

Herbivore SafeSometimes

Burrower SafeSometimes

Care Notes

Root tabs make a real difference here since Ozelot Sword pulls most of its nutrients through the roots. Skimping on substrate nutrition is the most common reason it stagnates. CO2 isn't mandatory but accelerates growth and deepens the spotting. Don't bury the crown when planting or it will rot. New leaves arriving pale or washed out usually signals an iron deficiency rather than a lighting problem.

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