I want this plant but.....

[Satsumas]

I've just been to my lfs and seen some really healthy looking Amazon sword plants. They would fit in at the space i have at the back of my tank really nicely.

My problem is my pleco! Ive had these plants before, they survived her desire for there leaves but it made the plant look tatty. I read that i could just put some lettuce/cucumber in there to take the attention off of the plant. I dont really like doing that though, i do it every 1-2 weeks but i think it looks a bit silly.

I was wandering if i could put some other bushy plants around it so she wouldnt be able to eat it or would find it difficult to get to or even not see the plant. I know she would get to leaves higher up but thats better than lower down. The bushy plants i bought are really fine so she wouldnt be able to sit on them which would be touching the sword plant and make her jump onto it. (sorry, i couldnt figure out how to word that)

I think she's either a bumblebee dwarf, common dwarf, or female dwarf bristlenose (if poss)

If you have any hints or suggestions they will be appriciated.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Jchillin]

I have several species of pleco's and none even pay attention to my swords. Something must have attracted their attention to the swords...perhaps some tasty green algae?

Give the veggies a try...small amounts twice a week. If you don't have some already, get some java ferns in there too.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I assume it's the clown pleco, since it has "teeth" (not really teeth, but a rasp).

Make sure you have a piece of driftwood in there, they absoloutly need wood in the tank, mopani or malasyian will give you less frequent cleaning of the sawdust. It may also give him something to chew on rather then annhilating plants (there isn't a plant out there they can't file down, anubias included)

Pleco's and plants is a bit of a nightmare when you get into panaques, gibby's and other large ones. Large ones spend their nights uprooting plants, panaques can scrape the leave to tatters in 1 night, even the most healthy plant.

 

[Satsumas]

I dont really know why she seemed to munch on the leaves, whenever lights were out i saw her sitting on them, next morning there were holes.

I would've thought if there was algae on the leaves she would've eaten it off the leaves, not eaten the leaves with it? I only ever saw green spot algae on my glass, never any edible algae on plants, glass or decor.

If there were a shortage of food would she have eaten the leaves?
When i had the amazon plant before, i had alage pelletes i used to drop in.
She did eat them but they were very small, also my loach would eat a lot and there much better scavengers. Now i have pleco wafers and she eats 1 if not 2 in a night. They are the same size as about 5/6 pellets.

Im going back to the store soon so i think i'll get 1, if she eats it she eats it.
Im hoping she just relies on the wafer every night though.

 

[Satsumas]

I assume it's the clown pleco, since it has "teeth" (not really teeth, but a rasp).

Make sure you have a piece of driftwood in there, they absoloutly need wood in the tank, mopani or malasyian will give you less frequent cleaning of the sawdust. It may also give him something to chew on rather then annhilating plants (there isn't a plant out there they can't file down, anubias included)

Pleco's and plants is a bit of a nightmare when you get into panaques, gibby's and other large ones. Large ones spend their nights uprooting plants, panaques can scrape the leave to tatters in 1 night, even the most healthy plant.

No it wouldnt've been my clown pleco because he wasnt in my tank when i had the amazon plant. Yeah in my sig it says i have driftwood, he sits and chews on it quite a lot. Its his territory.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

My gibby, even if he's being rough with a plant can't chew holes in it. and He's 10" long.. I would think it was something else like a lack of light made a "soft spot" that would be easily removed by suction..

Give it a shot, worst that happens is the plec get's well fed.

 

[malkore]

To me, it sounds more like you didn't have sufficient lighting or nutrients in the water. Amazon sword species, in general, like medium lighting...2 watts per gallon or above. They are also heavy root feeders, and do best with root tabs as well as water column fertilization.

 

[Satsumas]

When i had the swords before 1 of them flourished. It constantly had new leaves appearing at the base, a very large rootstock and was very lush and rich in colour.
I found the roots had spread accross a very large area when i took it out.

Im 99% Certain it was my pleco. Surely she could've just liked the taste?

My brother has 1 in his fishless tank and it seems fine. Right im gonna go and buy 1 now. Thanks for the replies!