New Tank, Plants And Bored Fish

[treelo]

i know there is a plant forum, but it all seems very technical in there for someone starting out, so i thought id ask my Q's in here

ive got at the moment 5 plants in my tank and they are being devoured by my fish

how would i create an enviroment where my fish would actually be interested in swimming rather than nibbling at my plants?

i dont actually have any hiding places for my fish and the tank is made up of coral sand and pieces with plants in the sand

do i need cover for all my fish to hide?

i only actually have platys and one common plec in there at the moment

 

[*Fishkies*]

Well it may be a good idea to try giving them some ornaments such as sunken boats, or caves or something they can hide in. This would give them more entertainment and also for you while they are hiding. Also how many times a day do you feed your fish? What all do you feed your common pleco? This could determine why your fish are eating your plants also. However sometimes fish just eat plants because they like them and it's fun to nibble on.

 

[treelo]

i feed the fish once a day with flakes

the plec is normally fed with a food block left in the tank for about 30 mins per day

 

[GerardK]

plastic and especially silk plants are very good alternatives

 

[Yazan]

Did you put the plant apart enoughf for the fish to swim through?

 

[treelo]

yeah, plenty of free tank space to swim in

im going to a few places now to see if i can grab any nice pieces of rack to see if that helps

 

[Yazan]

?Go for something swim through.

 

[mark.w.jones]

Platy's are a pain for eating plants. Just avoid delicate plants species for now. Go for something fairly robust like java ferns and anubias species.

On another note. That common plec of yours will reach around 12" eventually and will be very clumsy when it reaches that size as well as being particularly ugly IMO. They're easier to rehome when they are smaller as really you need a 4ft tank to keep them comfortably.

 

[Yazan]

as well as being particularly ugly IMO

What makes you think that, they look nice actually.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah the plec needs a much better diet, should be on fresh veg like potatoes, cucmber, corguette, peas etc most days with things like algae wafers, prawns, catfish pelets as a supplement occasionally.

if he's not getting enough veg he will eat your plants, as jonesy said he's also going to get very big so needs re-homing tbh

 

[dwarfgourami]

Platies also benefit from a higher vegetable content in their diet. If you feed them something a bi more varied, say veggies twice or three times a week- peas, spinach, broccoli etc- and live foods (which can be frozen) once or twice a week (I'm assuming twice-daily feeds here), that should keep them entertained. Flakes are very nutritious but it's not the same as exploring different types of food. Platies are very active little fish, they need something to do and a nice piece of veg or a few bloodworms now and then will keep them happy and entertained.

 

[treelo]

right, i think ive nearly cornered this

my platys are no longer eating my plants, but my plec is

i have bought a load of fresh veggies for it, but the damn things float

how the hell do i get a cucumber to sink to the bottom of the tank?

 

[Vicky99]

You know when you buy bunches of plants they have that metal strip around to make them sink? Use that - you can buy it in a coil from the ifs - works great! It's great when you get up in the morning and find corgette with a huge hole through the middle of it! Your plec will love the veggies!

 

[steveb14]

Sorry to appear thick, just set up my tank and am very new to hobby. I saw in the shop (which has a very good name in the area where i live ) that most of the tanks had a piece of sweet potatoe in them. Has anyone else tried this ? I assume you just give it a good wash and pop it in ? You dont cook these vegetables first or anything ? ask them if they want red or brown sauce on

 

[treelo]

i took someone elses opinion and took a slice of cucumber, bioled it in warm water for a few minutes in the microwave, stuck it in cold water for a bit to cool it down and stuck it in my tank

the plec loves it to bits

he was even hiding today because i didnt do one for him when i got home