To answer your question, yes. forget about the water sprite. I had some of that, too and he ate it all. Apparently, they love that. But I have tons of other plants and he leaves them alone, my scats ate them LOL and I sent them back and had to get new plants. I've had crypts, vals, hornwart, cabomba, java fern, java moss, micro sword, etc. What i have found is to keep them out of his way so they will root down. I know he likes the corners and all along the wall of the glass, so I leave that open for him and his whole side of the tank is deprived of plants besides some java fern on a rock. I have about 4 on rocks but he moved them all over and got them untied from the rocks in his nightly escapades. Just try to learn where he likes to roam and leave him a clear path and plant around his "area". That's the best advice I can give on it. It's what I'm doing now after trial and error with him.