My list of plants that Rainbows and Roseline barbs have eaten. And not eaten.

Stan510

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I've seen both nibbling..but when I'm not around,they just eat the plants out of existence. From memory over the last three years. Plus,why I do my best to get them from LFS where plants cost much less than internet sold plants.
1. Star Grass,Heteranthera zosterifolia. That one day became food after being in the aquarium for months..and had spread. Like a lightswitch,both Rainbows and Roseline tore into it right in front of me.
2. Ludwigia palustris. It had just started to grow red leaves too. Then,gone.
3.Hydrocotyle tripartita. I tried twice. Once hid it...no,they got it.
4. Hygrophila difformis aka Water Wisteria...presently down to shreds.
5.Rotala wallichii . No way. Eaten in record time.
6. Cardamine. Such sweet sorrow.
One more..can't remember the name. It looked like a Water milfoil. Gone in 60 hours.

What RAINBOWS wont eat?
Cryptocorynes. All are safe.
Sword plants.
Tiger Lotus.
Alternanthera rosaefolia
Vallisneria.
Java moss and all Java ferns. Bolbitis is safe ( but never keep with Mystery snails,they WILL eat the Bolbitis roots).
Pearlweed. Interesting that such a small scale leafy plant that they wont touch.
Bacopa.
Rotala indica..again,why they won't eat such a soft leaved plant is a mystery.
Anubias. No shock there.
Hygrophila salicifolia. Wisteria,yes- this one,no.
I'm sure others have felt the pain of seeing new plants become salad for Rainbows.
 
I've seen both nibbling..but when I'm not around,they just eat the plants out of existence. From memory over the last three years. Plus,why I do my best to get them from LFS where plants cost much less than internet sold plants.
1. Star Grass,Heteranthera zosterifolia. That one day became food after being in the aquarium for months..and had spread. Like a lightswitch,both Rainbows and Roseline tore into it right in front of me.
2. Ludwigia palustris. It had just started to grow red leaves too. Then,gone.
3.Hydrocotyle tripartita. I tried twice. Once hid it...no,they got it.
4. Hygrophila difformis aka Water Wisteria...presently down to shreds.
5.Rotala wallichii . No way. Eaten in record time.
6. Cardamine. Such sweet sorrow.
One more..can't remember the name. It looked like a Water milfoil. Gone in 60 hours.

What RAINBOWS wont eat?
Cryptocorynes. All are safe.
Sword plants.
Tiger Lotus.
Alternanthera rosaefolia
Vallisneria.
Java moss and all Java ferns. Bolbitis is safe ( but never keep with Mystery snails,they WILL eat the Bolbitis roots).
Pearlweed. Interesting that such a small scale leafy plant that they wont touch.
Bacopa.
Rotala indica..again,why they won't eat such a soft leaved plant is a mystery.
Anubias. No shock there.
Hygrophila salicifolia. Wisteria,yes- this one,no.
I'm sure others have felt the pain of seeing new plants become salad for Rainbows.
wait will the tiny neon or thread rainbows eat them too?
 
I don't know. The ones I caught in the act were M. boesemani and A female Rainbow that had no ID. But she has a mouth that reminds me of nail clippers..maybe some Grass Carp also shaped head.
Also I conversed with Blake of Blakes aquatics on YouTube about this- he agrees. Sometimes Rainbows will eat anything he says.
 
All rainbowfish eat algae as part of their diet. If they don't have algae in their diet, they eat plants instead. Bigger rainbowfish will eat any plant when hungry. Smaller rainbows like Pseudomugils and Iriatherina werneri prefer algae over plants and won't harm aquarium plants.

If rainbowfish don't get enough plant matter in their diet, they are more prone to diseases.

You can give them Duckweed and they will eat that instead of other plants. They can also eat vege flakes/ pellets, goldfish food (has more plant matter in it than tropical food), and you can feed them dark green leafy vegetables and things like pumpkin, zucchini.
 
I'm good on the proteins. Shrimp,whole Krill,tetra color flakes. It's hard to remember to set aside some of the dinners greens like cooked Zucchini or corn or broccoli. Sometimes,and they do go for it. I have to try harder since it's also fun to see them eat not the same old thing everyday.
btw- I think the Krill is giving them some extra color. It's the only food that is the whole animal is my theory.
Beefheart I feed for the bottom feeders but the Rainbows eat it now too. I just slightly cook it. My theory to those who say "No cows in the Amazon" is to answer "Yeah,no people born with pig parts and now they use pigs skin- livers and whatever to keep people alive". My point is, beefheart might be much like Tubifex worms in makeup to the fish. Possible.
 
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I've tried harder at getting them greens. Usually cooked spinach and they love that. Add Creeping Jenny to their salad. It was at first doing well. I thought I got one by those fish. Now,not so much of that bunch is left.
I just added Red Crypt and that is well. Believe it or not- they have nibbled some C. parvii.
I put some Hydrocotyle in a pickle jar outside in the shade. Last I looked the H.tripartita was growing well above the waterline at about halfway. Lid is on the jar. It's an expensive plant that is easy to grow out of water so maybe I can get some store credit down the line.
 
I've tried harder at getting them greens. Usually cooked spinach and they love that. Add Creeping Jenny to their salad. It was at first doing well. I thought I got one by those fish. Now,not so much of that bunch is left.
I just added Red Crypt and that is well. Believe it or not- they have nibbled some C. parvii.
I put some Hydrocotyle in a pickle jar outside in the shade. Last I looked the H.tripartita was growing well above the waterline at about halfway. Lid is on the jar. It's an expensive plant that is easy to grow out of water so maybe I can get some store credit down the line.
save some creeping jenny by growing it outdoors
 

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