Gold Severums And Plants

[MermaidMel]

I have wanted a gold sev as a centrepiece fish for ages now, I have a lot of anubias growing on bogwood and a bit of vallis, a couple of onion plants and a crypto in sand. If I buy a baby (1-2") just the one, let him be my actual centrepiece fish, is he going to ruin my plantscape?

 

[kribensis12]

I dont want to shoot you down. But he may dig pits, uprooting your plants, and he also may eat the plants. I would wait for someone else response( who actually keeps them)< but this is just Typical Cichlid Behaviour.

 

[markandhisfish]

when i 1st got my sev he was an absolute bas---d for eating plants he destroyed the amazon swords and elodea densa . he has never dug pits tho. these days he doesnt really harm my plants or rather whats left of them lol well established hady fast growing plants shoud fare ok but be prepared for some holey leaves . i bought a lettuceclip that attatchdes to the glass and i put lettuice in that which he seems to like

 

[Davo86]

Any plants that are rooted into bogwood are usually left, I have about 6 Java Fern plants rooted into various bogwood pieces in my Sev tank and they are left untouched. They will totally destroy vallis,

no idea what onion plants or crypto is so i can't really comment on those.

Also Sevs don't generally dig pits, tending to prefer to hang out in the upper-middle levels of the tank

 

[markandhisfish]

even giant valis? now that my sevs plant eating ways seem to have mellowed a bit i was toying with putting somee in for the angels

 

[shroob]

My severum destroyed any plants it wanted (basically all). I used to sit and watch how it bit through the leafs of my onion plant, not even eating them. He started just biting them, tearing off little bits until he had gone through the leaf about 2ft from the base so the leafs floated off, then he would move down to the roots.

 

[foley69]

my sev doesnt both my amazon swords one bit the anubias if attached to bogwood SHOULD be left alone but you can never be sure with sevs but i have found amazon swords arent a delacasy to sevs so if he decides to eat the plants you have now (which he may not) then go for some swords its worth it for a severum because they are stunning cichlids and as you said it would be your centrpiece so just try differenat plants and see which it does not munch on

 

[MermaidMel]

Seems they are all different, just wondering if by having from a baby, it will not do it as it grows up with the plants
This is my tank - davo onion plant big long one back corner right, looks bit like giant vallis and front right corner is the crypto and yes that is a xmas tree in the tank lmao i am a saddo

 

[Davo86]

Seems they are all different, just wondering if by having from a baby, it will not do it as it grows up with the plants
This is my tank - davo onion plant big long one back corner right, looks bit like giant vallis and front right corner is the crypto and yes that is a xmas tree in the tank lmao i am a saddo

I thought the same mel, added my baby sev to a fully planted tank and within about 2 weeks, nothing was left apart from the java fern, one amazon sword, (that eventually had so many holes in it that i had to chuck it) and a load of frogbit, (frogbit is now getting picked off daily, used to cover 75% of the tank now covers about 15%)

If the Sev you get is anything like mine he will swim down to the bottom of the onion plant and bite through the base of each leaf, leaving you with a ream of floating leaves, I don't think mine would bother the middle plant (anubis?)

The christmas tree should be ok, unless its a grouch

 

[MermaidMel]

Seems they are all different, just wondering if by having from a baby, it will not do it as it grows up with the plants
This is my tank - davo onion plant big long one back corner right, looks bit like giant vallis and front right corner is the crypto and yes that is a xmas tree in the tank lmao i am a saddo

I thought the same mel, added my baby sev to a fully planted tank and within about 2 weeks, nothing was left apart from the java fern, one amazon sword, (that eventually had so many holes in it that i had to chuck it) and a load of frogbit, (frogbit is now getting picked off daily, used to cover 75% of the tank now covers about 15%)

If the Sev you get is anything like mine he will swim down to the bottom of the onion plant and bite through the base of each leaf, leaving you with a ream of floating leaves, I don't think mine would bother the middle plant (anubis?)

The christmas tree should be ok, unless its a grouch

Bugger. See this is why I've held off, it took me a few months to grow my anubias in the centre and its a good look. Since I have very low wpg and no plans to upgrade (lost my java ferns to the large gourami I had, since died) and my amazon swords were doing great til i moved them then they died, so removed them. The anubias and crypt are so healthy and are the only plants I seem to grow well (vallis grew a bit then stopped but not dying and the onion plant growing wild but is quite ugly, fluffy with some sort of mild algae but does this probably cos its on the surface too close to the lights) and so I would be heartbroken if a sev ripped up what little good flora I have. Hmmmmmmmm might be trial and error, get one and see, if he's naughty he has to go!

 

[CentricOregon]

hehehe seems everybody has the same problem with gold sevs. I've had mine for over a year now and he's only recently started not bothering about my plants. He can't get my onion plant cause I have hid it away at the back. Don't get any plants with a red colouration to them as they will be pretty much destroyed within a few days. Just feed him a few times a day and every 2 or 3 days feed him frozen foods like bloodworm and he should be ok. Green sevs are far far worse than gold sevs, the green ones destroy whatever plants you have but with the gold it will pick certain types. Even if the gold sev does destroy everything they are really nice to have and to me are def worth buying.

 

[MermaidMel]

hehehe seems everybody has the same problem with gold sevs. I've had mine for over a year now and he's only recently started not bothering about my plants. He can't get my onion plant cause I have hid it away at the back. Don't get any plants with a red colouration to them as they will be pretty much destroyed within a few days. Just feed him a few times a day and every 2 or 3 days feed him frozen foods like bloodworm and he should be ok. Green sevs are far far worse than gold sevs, the green ones destroy whatever plants you have but with the gold it will pick certain types. Even if the gold sev does destroy everything they are really nice to have and to me are def worth buying.

I will def try one out if worst comes to worst can pass him on but hopefully not as i could kiss that lickle face, they are sooooo cute

 

[Davo86]

I will def try one out if worst comes to worst can pass him on but hopefully not as i could kiss that lickle face, they are sooooo cute

Lol yeah it'll rip out a bunch of plants and then swim over to you and mouth the words "i'm sow wy" and you'll just have to forgive it

 

[MermaidMel]

I will def try one out if worst comes to worst can pass him on but hopefully not as i could kiss that lickle face, they are sooooo cute

Lol yeah it'll rip out a bunch of plants and then swim over to you and mouth the words "i'm sow wy" and you'll just have to forgive it

LMAO! Story of my life that is... children... husband... fish...

 

[markandhisfish]

why not do what im doing mel. i got my sev then found out about the plant destroying. so im keeping him and doing trial and error with plants till i find some he will leave alone