Echinodorus, The Sword Plant

Size does matter!

The aquatic plant world would just not be the same without this group of plants.  This  species can range from very showy centerpiece plants to  the dwarfs that make nice mats of low foreground plants. E. tenellus being the smallest. 

General care for most species:
moderate to bright light
heavy root feeding
little growth during the first 30 days

I think what might help you most in choosing swords is knowing the typical size in relation to one another and the aquarium so you have a little clue as to where it might go when you plant it. I tried to make the list of swords below, by size (smallest first) and then go up in size. Remember that there is much variation in some plants by how it was grown and it's age. 

Foreground swords
E. tenellus- Pygmy Chain Sword  (Fine -leaf)- throws runners, 2-3" high on avg. 
E. tenellus v latifolius- Dwarf Chain Sword (narrow leaf)- throws runners 
E. quadrocostus-Broad leaf Chain sword-throws runners 
E. bolivianus- narrow leaf medium chain- throws runners,  maybe 6-8" high on average 
E. parviflorus v tropica (Rosette Sword)- Tough broad leaf. Nice plant for the money.  Note- there is a regular E. parviflorus which gets bigger than the v. tropica. 

Marble Queen

Middle to background swords
E. scaber- 
E.schlueteri- 
E.apart- 
E.ozelot- 
E.oriental- can get quite large
E.muricatus v "green"- The regular E.muricatus is too big for most aquariums. 
E.barthi- Red Melon 
E.uraguayensis med-large swords 
E.bleheri-Amazon sword-broad leaf 
E.amazonicus- Amazon sword narrow leaf 
E.parviflorus (formerly peruensis) Black Amazon (it's not black) 
E.rose 
E.red rubin 
E. ruby
E. indian red
E.horemanii-red  can get quite large
E.horemanii-green 
E.argentinensis-
E. compacta stays fairly low, but grows outward instead of upward!  Still a big plant
E. cordifolius, (marble queen)

I don't consider the following as suitable for even most large aqariums.
E.grandifolius- 
E.muricatus- 
E.major (formerly martii)-Ruffled leaf sword