• Echinodorus magdalensis Aqua Essentials
  • Echinodorus magdalensis Aqua Essentials
  • Echinodorus magdalensis Aqua Essentials
  • Echinodorus magdalensis Aqua Essentials
  • Echinodorus magdalensis Aqua Essentials
  • Echinodorus magdalensis Aqua Essentials
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Helanthium bolivianum Quadricostatus

Compact low-growing dwarf Amazon sword rosette for the foreground

£7.99
£7.99
  • Hurry, only 10 items left in stock!
Quick Facts

Rating:

Common name:

Origin: South America

Position in Aquarium: Foreground

Grows up to (cm): 15 cm

Pot Size: 5 cm

Growth rate: Medium pace
Description

Helanthium bolivianum Quadricostatus, formerly classified as Echinodorus quadricostatus, is a compact, low-growing rosette plant often referred to as the dwarf Amazon sword. It produces narrow, bright-green leaves on a small, tidy rosette that typically stays under 15 cm, making it one of the most useful small sword-type plants for foreground and lower midground planting.

It is easy to keep, tolerating a wide range of water conditions and growing well under medium light without CO2 injection. Like its larger relatives it is a root feeder, benefiting from a nutritious substrate or root tabs to support steady, healthy growth. It spreads by sending out horizontal runners that develop into new rosettes.

Supplied as an established potted plant, Helanthium bolivianum Quadricostatus suits aquariums from 40 litres upward. Its compact, grass-like habit makes it useful for filling in the foreground of planted layouts with a subtle, natural texture that contrasts well with broader-leafed plants.
Plant Sizes

You’ll receive a healthy, rooted plant in a pot, similar to those shown. Each one is hand-checked before dispatch.
Shipping

Same-day dispatch on orders placed before 4pm, Monday to Friday. Tracked 24 Service from £4.99, DPD Express from £6.99.
Echinodorus magdalensis Aqua Essentials
Echinodorus magdalensis Aqua Essentials
Echinodorus magdalensis Aqua Essentials
Echinodorus magdalensis Aqua Essentials
Echinodorus magdalensis Aqua Essentials

Customers praised this aquarium plant for "growing rapidly" and producing runners quickly, with many noting "top quality plants promptly delivered in excellent condition." Most found it easy to care for and effective for substrate coverage. However, some reported plants dying despite feeding, potentially due to substrate compatibility issues with fine sand.

  • Good quality plants that are growing rapidly, sending runners out all over the place
  • In just two weeks I have runners covered in young plants
  • Very good grows very fast great for covering substrate
  • 5 stars: 15 (79%)
  • 4 stars: 2 (11%)
  • 3 stars: 1 (5%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 1 (5%)
i
ian d.
Review

received two of these plants within days of planting lots of runners produced As usual top quality plants promptly delivered in excellent condition .

S
Steven L.
Review

Very pretty plant, looking forward to seeing it develop and spread.

M
Malcolm B.
Review

Good healthy plant, growing fast

K
Kenneth D.
Review

These plants have all but died despite feeding

S
Sarah S.
Review

I am a complete beginner with aquarium plants, and have set up my first planted tank. I thought this would be a nice addition as it is easy to care for. A couple of the leaves "melted" but it is growing faster than I thought it would and has already produced a runner. Beautiful plant.

W
Wendy S.
Review

All doing well and putting out runners.

H
Helen D.
Review

Good looking plant when arrived but has now died. My substrate is fine sand - maybe it won't grow in fine sand?

t
tacy k.
Review

Looked lovely when it arrived, but the clown loaches dug it up and then the angels ate the roots! But it is beginning to recover in a nano tank and already sending out runners. A very pretty plant.

N
Nigel D.
Review

Good quality plants that are growing rapidly in my aquarium, they are sending runners out all over the place and have only been planted for 3 weeks.

A
Audrey M.
Review

I love the colour of these a good contrast for darker plants. The delivery was quick and they were well and securely packaged. Thank you Aqua Essentials

A
Andy P.
Review

Really pleased with these. My plant skills are very limited but in just two weeks I have runners covered in young plants on both the plants I got from AquaEssentials.

l
laura m.
Review

Really lovely plant, the leaves are a bit lighter than pictured but I still love it. Doing really well with a fairly low tech setup!

G
Glenn R.
Review

Excellent no melting back growing good after 3 weeks planted

I
Ian J.
Review

Very good grows very fast great for covering substrate

A
Angie B.
Review

Plant arrived in excellent condition and is doing very well so far.

I
Ian J.
Review

Nice plant arrived in good condition as expected been in around 5 days already signs of growth

N
Nick G.
Review

Fast delivery yet again... plants are lush and green look amazing in my aquarium started to show shoots already....????

C
Colin H.
Review

Great quality and growing so well that I've already got little plants to start growing on.

D
David N.
Review

I love this stuff. It carpets in the foreground of a large aquarium and works as a bushy background in smaller. Description says 15cm, but my leaves were about that long making the plant shorter when it has room to spread. Since the runners are often above the substrate, if you let it run wild, the plant crowns can be well above. This is how it worked as a background in a Fluval Spec V - with an ADA Aquasoil, pressurised CO2, and Tropica nutrients under an AquaOne PlantGlo lamp upgrade.

Product FAQs

Helpful details before you buy.

Is Helanthium bolivianum the same as Echinodorus quadricostatus?

Yes. It was previously classified as Echinodorus quadricostatus and is widely known under that name. Both refer to the same plant.

How large does it grow?

It typically stays under 15 cm in height, making it one of the smaller sword-type plants and suitable for foreground or lower midground placement.

Does it need CO2?

No. It grows well without added CO2, though it benefits from a nutrient-rich substrate or root tabs.

Does it spread?

Yes. It propagates by sending out horizontal runners along the substrate, producing new rosettes that gradually spread and fill the foreground.

What aquarium size suits it?

It works well in aquariums from 40 litres upward, including nano tanks, where its small size is a practical advantage.