Plants

[rabidric]

Hi

I've got a couple of tanks in which I've tried to create an aquascape, nothing serious just fairly well planted to create a "natural" feel for the inhabitants and viewers. The trouble is that the ungrateful little gits always rip everything to pieces in a few weeks. They usually start by making a few holes and then just shred it.

Any idea what sort we could try that will last.

Cheers

 

[Luketendo]

Java Fern is apparently foul tasting so it doesn't get eaten.

 

[badboy1690]

agreed with luktendo, java fern is the only plant readily available that wont get munched!

 

[aaronnorth]

Are you sure its not just yuour plants dying? What are your lighting levels, stocking, fertilisation co2? This would be better in the planted section.

 

[rabidric]

A big thanks to those that came back with some advice. What is with some of you others on here? I came on asking for a bit of guidance and you get on your high horses and respond like I'm some kind of idiot. Believe it or not I would recognise a dead plant as opposed to one that's been chewed. For your information the main tank with a problem is 400l, it's in a naturally lit conservatory, lit by fluorescents (chosen for the plants primarily) for 14 hours a day from 6am to 8pm, it has aquatic sub soil and fertilizer and a CO2 system. Prior to adding a variety of fish ranging from plecs through headstanders and barbs the plants were fine. I feed the fish cucumber daily to try and stop them damaging the plants but that doesn't work. I chose to put the request in the tropical chat section as this is a fish tank with plants not a plant tank with fish and I thought the advice I would receive would be more appropriate there.

Once again thanks to those with something constructive to say.

R

 

[Matt_northants]

May sound odd but have you tried defrosted frozen spinach? My bristlenoses go crazy after it. Once its defrosted I "plant" some in the substrate and change what little is left every day. Before doing this my Amazon swords used to look like lace but now their leaves a really reaching their true potential.

 

[rabidric]

No I haven't tried the spinach plan, but I will when I get back from holiday. Thanks. I put in a piece of cucumber at least 100mm long every evening and all they leave by morning is a scrap of the skin, the rest seems to disappear overnight. I also struggle to get any algae to grow in the tank so I guess they'll eat anything green. There are a couple of plecs, one's around 75mm long, the other's 50mm, two ottos again around 50mm and a couple of farlowellas all the others are barbs, rasboras and headstanders so not sure who's eating all the greenery.

Thanks again for the spinach idea.

R

 

[aaronnorth]

A big thanks to those that came back with some advice. What is with some of you others on here? I came on asking for a bit of guidance and you get on your high horses and respond like I'm some kind of idiot. Believe it or not I would recognise a dead plant as opposed to one that's been chewed. For your information the main tank with a problem is 400l, it's in a naturally lit conservatory, lit by fluorescents (chosen for the plants primarily) for 14 hours a day from 6am to 8pm, it has aquatic sub soil and fertilizer and a CO2 system. Prior to adding a variety of fish ranging from plecs through headstanders and barbs the plants were fine. I feed the fish cucumber daily to try and stop them damaging the plants but that doesn't work. I chose to put the request in the tropical chat section as this is a fish tank with plants not a plant tank with fish and I thought the advice I would receive would be more appropriate there.

Once again thanks to those with something constructive to say.

R

well sorry, if you had of put that info on in the 1st place maybe i could of realised that it was your fish not lighting or co2 etc. only trying to help and give a possible reason rather than fish, and if it is a question about a plant(s) which it is as you are asking for hardy plants then it should do better in the planted section, and i don't see why my question should offend you and make you look like an idiot just because i said they may be dying, it's hard to tell what they look like without a pic, and if a hole is made in a leaf, the rest of it usely dies anyway, plecs do eat plants so if you would of put this in your question you would of almost got an answer straight away anyway

 

[Esfa]

Wow, calm down. They were only trying to help.

Maybe if you didn't put a plant eating fish in with plants, you would'nt get this problem.

 

[aaronnorth]

Wow, calm down. They were only trying to help.

Maybe if you didn't put a plant eating fish in with plants, you would'nt get this problem.

Thank you, thats what i have just said in my last answer, and he thinks i'm in the wrong!!