Low Tech Plants with a Pleco

[jc102]

Hey guys,

I am wanting to set up a 75 gallon low tech planted tank. This will be my first time working with real plants and I want to make sure I get plants that my pleco won't destroy. He's between 8-10" in length.

What beginner level, pleco-friendly plants would you recommend filling my 75 with?

 

[BBradbury]

Pleco Resistant Aquarium Plants

Hey guys,

I am wanting to set up a 75 gallon low tech planted tank. This will be my first time working with real plants and I want to make sure I get plants that my pleco won't destroy. He's between 8-10" in length.

What beginner level, pleco-friendly plants would you recommend filling my 75 with?

Hello jc...

Any of the species of Anubias like nana or nangi would work. They don't require planting in the substrate. Just drop the plants on top. You can attach the plants to pieces of lava rock with some dark, cotton sewing thread. Use cotton thread. It will eventually dissolve in the tank water. By the time it does, the plants will be established in the bottom material.

B

 

[ZxC]

Easier growing stem plants like lloydiella, rotala rotundifolia, Hemianthus micranthemoides and so on are too small to really allow the plec to grab onto them/wreck them. He could uproot them, but keep planting and eventually they will take root.

Other plants that can work are sagittaria subulata and vallisneria spp. just make sure to leave the runners attached together, so the plec can't uproot them.

 

[jc102]

Thanks for the suggestions! I will try these and see how things go. With any luck, he won't bother them too much and they will have time to take root. What about Amazon Sword or Jungle Val?

 

[ZxC]

Any plant should work in theory, it depends on how playful the plec is. Generally, plants that will snap when bent (AR mini is a good example) will not be as well off as plants that will bend/flex (vallisnaria for example, can bend and twist etc etc)