looking after aquarium plants - Aquarium Advice

tailbarlionfish · 08-13-2005, 02:45 PM

Hey, i was wondering if someone could give me some tips on keeping my plants in tip-top shape. Normally, my fish destroy the plants by eating most of the leaves but i've just got a new bunch of plants and they don't seem to be so keen on ripping them to shreds!
Some of my plants in the past just go yellow and die. I know thats supposed to be because theres not enough iron in the water for them to digest but i do put plant food in occasionally.
Top tips would be greatly appreciated!!!

**travis simonson** · 08-13-2005, 11:34 PM

As far as your fish eating your plants goes, there's not much you can do if a fish decides he likes the way a plant tastes except to try a different species of plant. Some fish will eat plants if they have algae on the leaves in order to get at the algae (my African cichlids do this) so keeping algae down might help. You should read the stickies at the top of this forum for some great info/tips on nutrients, lighting, and keeping healthy plants

jrp1588 · 08-14-2005, 12:46 PM

I know what your saying, my clown loach loves the new leaves from my amazon sword. He totally ignores the old leaves and tears up the tender young shoots. But he usually leaves it alone if I put in some zuccini.

tailbarlionfish · 08-14-2005, 01:28 PM

thanks for some replies. My fish have now already demolished 3 leaves from one of my nice looking plants...its only been there for 2 days now!!!
Once I bought a plant collection from www. java-plants.com . There were around 55 plants/cuttings...and now i only have about 5 left!!!

Steven_Askham · 08-14-2005, 01:33 PM

I am thinking about getting a discus collection from there. What are the quality of the plants like and do they grow well in the tank ?

tailbarlionfish · 08-15-2005, 05:25 AM

yup they are good when they arrive...its just my fish decided to eat most of them before they even had a chance to start growing!!!

tailbarlionfish · 08-15-2005, 05:26 AM

oh and jrp1588 i think you shud consider getting some more clownloaches as they prefer to be in groups...i have 4

jrp1588 · 08-15-2005, 05:10 PM

I know, but isn't my tank pretty much maxed out fish wise? I don't want to overcrowd.

tailbarlionfish · 08-16-2005, 10:48 AM

u have a 30g tank and only 14 fish. I think you could have at least 2 more clowns!!!

how big is ur plec? i want to get a plec but dont ya need a massive tank for it coz they grow to 60cm?

mr86mister · 08-16-2005, 01:05 PM

true that they like to be in schools, but they also grow up to a foot

i just wish they didnt get so big, i would love to have them in smaller tanks

08-13-2005, 02:45 PM	#1
tailbarlionfish Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England, UK Posts: 80	looking after aquarium plants Hey, i was wondering if someone could give me some tips on keeping my plants in tip-top shape. Normally, my fish destroy the plants by eating most of the leaves but i've just got a new bunch of plants and they don't seem to be so keen on ripping them to shreds! Some of my plants in the past just go yellow and die. I know thats supposed to be because theres not enough iron in the water for them to digest but i do put plant food in occasionally. Top tips would be greatly appreciated!!! __________________ 36"x18"x11" 25g 2swordtails,5guppies,1platy,2gourami's,5neons,3car dinals,3blackwidows,3roseytetras and 12 baby swordtails and 2 baby guppies at the moment. 30"x12"x15" 18g 2angelfish,3dwarf cichlids(1gold ram,1bolivian ram and 1ram),3corys,3clownloaches and 1zebra loach. A tank with 3 fighters;1 male, 2 females Please can you all at least take a look at my post in the unhealthy fish forum. Its called 'whats wrong with my tank'. I really wold like some replies because my fish are dying one by one and i dont want to lose all of them!

08-13-2005, 11:34 PM	#2
travis simonson Aquarium Advice Addict Community Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Englewood, CO Posts: 2,026 Images: 32	As far as your fish eating your plants goes, there's not much you can do if a fish decides he likes the way a plant tastes except to try a different species of plant. Some fish will eat plants if they have algae on the leaves in order to get at the algae (my African cichlids do this) so keeping algae down might help. You should read the stickies at the top of this forum for some great info/tips on nutrients, lighting, and keeping healthy plants __________________ “There is something in the quality of a good translation that can never be captured in the original.” -William Gibson

08-14-2005, 01:28 PM	#4
tailbarlionfish Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England, UK Posts: 80	thanks for some replies. My fish have now already demolished 3 leaves from one of my nice looking plants...its only been there for 2 days now!!! Once I bought a plant collection from www. java-plants.com . There were around 55 plants/cuttings...and now i only have about 5 left!!! __________________ 36"x18"x11" 25g 2swordtails,5guppies,1platy,2gourami's,5neons,3car dinals,3blackwidows,3roseytetras and 12 baby swordtails and 2 baby guppies at the moment. 30"x12"x15" 18g 2angelfish,3dwarf cichlids(1gold ram,1bolivian ram and 1ram),3corys,3clownloaches and 1zebra loach. A tank with 3 fighters;1 male, 2 females Please can you all at least take a look at my post in the unhealthy fish forum. Its called 'whats wrong with my tank'. I really wold like some replies because my fish are dying one by one and i dont want to lose all of them!

08-14-2005, 01:33 PM	#5
Steven_Askham Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England / Posts: 1,146	I am thinking about getting a discus collection from there. What are the quality of the plants like and do they grow well in the tank ? __________________ 3 Foot : 4 Discus & 2 Blue Rams & 2 Bristlenose & 3 Cockatoo's 3 Foot : 2 Yellow Belly Turtles. 2 Foot: Salt Water

08-15-2005, 05:25 AM	#6
tailbarlionfish Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England, UK Posts: 80	yup they are good when they arrive...its just my fish decided to eat most of them before they even had a chance to start growing!!! __________________ 36"x18"x11" 25g 2swordtails,5guppies,1platy,2gourami's,5neons,3car dinals,3blackwidows,3roseytetras and 12 baby swordtails and 2 baby guppies at the moment. 30"x12"x15" 18g 2angelfish,3dwarf cichlids(1gold ram,1bolivian ram and 1ram),3corys,3clownloaches and 1zebra loach. A tank with 3 fighters;1 male, 2 females Please can you all at least take a look at my post in the unhealthy fish forum. Its called 'whats wrong with my tank'. I really wold like some replies because my fish are dying one by one and i dont want to lose all of them!

08-14-2005, 12:46 PM	#3
jrp1588 Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Evansville, Indiana Posts: 1,151 Images: 13	I know what your saying, my clown loach loves the new leaves from my amazon sword. He totally ignores the old leaves and tears up the tender young shoots. But he usually leaves it alone if I put in some zuccini.

08-15-2005, 05:26 AM	#7
tailbarlionfish Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England, UK Posts: 80	oh and jrp1588 i think you shud consider getting some more clownloaches as they prefer to be in groups...i have 4 __________________ 36"x18"x11" 25g 2swordtails,5guppies,1platy,2gourami's,5neons,3car dinals,3blackwidows,3roseytetras and 12 baby swordtails and 2 baby guppies at the moment. 30"x12"x15" 18g 2angelfish,3dwarf cichlids(1gold ram,1bolivian ram and 1ram),3corys,3clownloaches and 1zebra loach. A tank with 3 fighters;1 male, 2 females Please can you all at least take a look at my post in the unhealthy fish forum. Its called 'whats wrong with my tank'. I really wold like some replies because my fish are dying one by one and i dont want to lose all of them!

08-15-2005, 05:10 PM	#8
jrp1588 Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Evansville, Indiana Posts: 1,151 Images: 13	I know, but isn't my tank pretty much maxed out fish wise? I don't want to overcrowd.

08-16-2005, 10:48 AM	#9
tailbarlionfish Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England, UK Posts: 80	u have a 30g tank and only 14 fish. I think you could have at least 2 more clowns!!! how big is ur plec? i want to get a plec but dont ya need a massive tank for it coz they grow to 60cm? __________________ 36"x18"x11" 25g 2swordtails,5guppies,1platy,2gourami's,5neons,3car dinals,3blackwidows,3roseytetras and 12 baby swordtails and 2 baby guppies at the moment. 30"x12"x15" 18g 2angelfish,3dwarf cichlids(1gold ram,1bolivian ram and 1ram),3corys,3clownloaches and 1zebra loach. A tank with 3 fighters;1 male, 2 females Please can you all at least take a look at my post in the unhealthy fish forum. Its called 'whats wrong with my tank'. I really wold like some replies because my fish are dying one by one and i dont want to lose all of them!

08-16-2005, 01:05 PM	#10
mr86mister Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: May 2005 Location: East Syracuse, NY Posts: 726 Images: 21	true that they like to be in schools, but they also grow up to a foot i just wish they didnt get so big, i would love to have them in smaller tanks __________________ 20 Gallon High Semi-Aggressive, 5 Gallon Community Oceanic BioCube 14Gal Saltwater 1.1 Normal Ball Pythons 3 Cats

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