WhistlingBadger
Professional Cat Herder
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- Dec 18, 2011
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Hi! New to the forum--thanks for being here.
First, my question: Can anyone recommend a nice, big freshwater tropical that won't rip my plants to shreds?
Now, some background: I have a 55 gallon freshwater tank. Currently planted with large swords (3 flames, 1 Amazon, and three that are too chewed up to remember what kind they were) and a few very small anubias that are barely holding their own. 2 60W compact fluorescents, so plenty of light. Stocked with 7 turquoise rainbows (at least two of which have been spawning, so I know it's a healthy tank!), 4 3" tinfoil barbs, a few small plecos and oto cats, a red tail shark, and around 10 or 15 nerite snails.
The trouble is the tinfoil barbs. They are already ripping my plants to shreds, and they've uprooted the three swords mentioned above. Other than that, I like them--they're easy going, durable, look great with the rainbows, are almost as fun to watch eating as my old native fish tank, and eventually they'll make a good emergency food supply.
But I don't like what they're doing to my plants.
I originally had a couple of large (8-9") goldfish in the tank. Contrary to popular wisdom, they got along fine with the tropicals and looked stunning with the rainbows--they were long-finned, bright crimson sarasa pond comets that contrasted with the blue-green rainbows beautifully. But they were even tougher on the plants than the tinfoil barbs, so they went back in the pond. I had heard that tin foils would nibble on non-tough plants, but they are "nibbling" faster than the plants can grow.
I like having some nice, large, eye-catching fish in my tank. I've thought about bala sharks, but I'm afraid I might have the same problem with them. Discus is a possibility, but from everything I've read they seem just a bit too fussy for a semi-low-tech community tank like this.
Recommendations?
Thanks!
Tom
First, my question: Can anyone recommend a nice, big freshwater tropical that won't rip my plants to shreds?
Now, some background: I have a 55 gallon freshwater tank. Currently planted with large swords (3 flames, 1 Amazon, and three that are too chewed up to remember what kind they were) and a few very small anubias that are barely holding their own. 2 60W compact fluorescents, so plenty of light. Stocked with 7 turquoise rainbows (at least two of which have been spawning, so I know it's a healthy tank!), 4 3" tinfoil barbs, a few small plecos and oto cats, a red tail shark, and around 10 or 15 nerite snails.
The trouble is the tinfoil barbs. They are already ripping my plants to shreds, and they've uprooted the three swords mentioned above. Other than that, I like them--they're easy going, durable, look great with the rainbows, are almost as fun to watch eating as my old native fish tank, and eventually they'll make a good emergency food supply.
But I don't like what they're doing to my plants.I originally had a couple of large (8-9") goldfish in the tank. Contrary to popular wisdom, they got along fine with the tropicals and looked stunning with the rainbows--they were long-finned, bright crimson sarasa pond comets that contrasted with the blue-green rainbows beautifully. But they were even tougher on the plants than the tinfoil barbs, so they went back in the pond. I had heard that tin foils would nibble on non-tough plants, but they are "nibbling" faster than the plants can grow.
I like having some nice, large, eye-catching fish in my tank. I've thought about bala sharks, but I'm afraid I might have the same problem with them. Discus is a possibility, but from everything I've read they seem just a bit too fussy for a semi-low-tech community tank like this.
Recommendations?
Thanks!
Tom
