I would like to put plants in my cichlid tank

[xray]

Wow!! I have been looking at the pictures in the gallery and I realized that my tank is not so well decorated. Now I know I can't even come close to Travis Simpson’s 125gal mbuna tank but I would like to emulate it. At this point I can’t afford the filtration, lighting and CO2 injector that he has.
I have a 90 gal with 13 L. Cearuleus & 4 fry, 5 C. Moorii, 2 N. Venustus, 2 I. Sprengerae, 2 Red Empress, 1 unidentified Mbuna and 1 Peacock with a slightly deformed tail. Substrate is Eco-complete African cichlid sand and lots of large river rocks stacked on both ends. Filtration is 1 Fluval 404 and an AC 300. Ph is 7.8, and Hardness is around 18. Temp is 78.
What I want to do now is add some plants. I have put together a list of possibilities. Cold anyone tell me if any of these are going to be OK. One of the things I want to accomplish is partial ground cover. Would any plants take roots in the sand? If none of these are going to work, could anyone suggest anything else?

Vesicularia Dubyana
Ceratopteris Cornuta or thalictroides
Microsorum pteropus
Ludwigia repens ''Rubin''
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis
Echinodorus angustifolius
Eleocharis ''parvula'' or acicularis
Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'

Thank You for any suggestions

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Well I am not plant expert, but I can talk from experience. I would try to get a nice clump of Java Moss. Your fry would love it, and the other fish would probably love to nest it in. You could spread it over the floor of the tank, and hold it down with a few rocks. When it comes to time for a waterchange, you can just take the clump out, do your gravel vac, and put it back in. This is what I do for my Jewel, and he loves to dig out a trench, grab the wad of moss(I put the wad in the corner so he can landscape however he wants), and makes a little fort.

 

[jacktheknife]

i used to have a nice planted tank, and then i got a convict. be careful

 

[Guest]

Cichlids and plants are a hard combination to achieve. In general, the fish will either eat the plants, or dig them up. Sometimes the fish just seem offended by the mere presence of plants, and shred them to pieces. I'm really bad with the latin names you threw out there, so I'd recommend some Java Fern to start with. Tie it to a rock untill it attaches itself. Supposedly it tastes really awful and even cichlids will let it be. To keep from wasting your hard-earned cash, try one or two of the other plants you want, and see what happens. If you succeed, get more! If the fish destroy them, you are out less money.

 

[Montwo]

miramo balls you need balls

 

[SerLunchbox]

Ok so here is the thing. If you want to keep plants in the tank it is possible .. you just have to keep the roots protected and you have to keep it grounded. There is a way to do this. Get some extremely small terracotta planters and you cut a hole into the base. then put the plant through the hole so that the top of the plant comes out the bottom and the roots are where the soil would have went. then burry the roots and part of the pot into your substrate. The Fish will have a helluva time getting the plant free or to munch on the roots. The other thing you need is excellent light and plants that grow rapidly as Cichlids will eat plants all day and night. Hope that idea helps some.

 

[xray]

Thanks guys

The java moss will be one of the first things I try

corvuscorax: I was thinking the same thing. I'll try a little of this and that a little at a time.

Montwo: I like the Idea of the balls, but don't you have to turn them often, I have a ninety gal and it would be a real pain to have to reach into the tank every day just to roll them around

SerLunchbox: I will try that.

 

[gheitman]

I have the moss balls in three of my tanks and the maintenance on them is practically nil. I just turn them over when I do my weekly water change. I've never sign any sign that they aren't healthy. Quite the contrary, several of mine have doubled in size since I got them.

 

[xray]

anyone know a good place to buy plants from.