Herbivorous fish in a Planted Tank

[somecallmedaniel16]

Hello all!

So I have just recently planted my 20 gallon high and I was wondering if herbivorous fish are good for a moderately planted tank. If so, what are some good fish for one? (just to note, I have zebra danios, neon tetras, serpae / red minor tetras, and snails) The only herbivorous fish I know of are silver dollars.. Do herbivorous fish help reduce the time you need to spend on pruning?

-Daniel

 

[jsoong]

Goldfish are herbivours (well, omnivours really) ... and no, they don't help in pruning ...

Fish don't go for the ugly, scraggly bits that you want to prune off. They go for the tender new shoots & the nicest looking parts .... So if you want a nice looking planted tank, better to stay away from the herbivours.

 

[HN1]

X2!

There are quite a few that can and will wreak havoc on a planted tank. SDs, Buenos Aires tetras, Congos, Festivums, Sevs, etc.

 

[somecallmedaniel16]

Fish don't go for the ugly, scraggly bits that you want to prune off. They go for the tender new shoots & the nicest looking parts .... So if you want a nice looking planted tank, better to stay away from the herbivours.

How do these herbivorous fish survive and get sold then, if people aren't willing to have them in a planted tank? Do people that have them feed them lettuce? (also asking HN1)

 

[somecallmedaniel16]

Perhaps this is a dumb question but what is an SD?

 

[HN1]

Silver Dollar.

Most commercial foods contain enough of what even herbivores need. Most are actually omnivores. There are also formulations that are specific for them.

 

[JustOneMore20]

People keep them in tanks without plants usually. Or they keep the smaller herbivorous/omnivorous tetras in high tech tanks where the plants can outgrow the damage....not sure how that works for them though.

 

[spoonman]

Are you considering silver dollars for this tank? I had them and they got huge. You wouldnt be able to keep them long and you would have to move them to a bigger tank.

 

[kangster]

my dwarf gourami only ate the ugly shedding parts of myriophyllum...

 

[somecallmedaniel16]

Its a possibility, but not likely that I'll get them. If I were to I'd get only 3 or less. Would that still mow down the plant growth?

 

[HN1]

Silver Dollars will definitely outgrow a 20G tank and need much more lateral swimming room.

 

[jsoong]

How do these herbivorous fish survive and get sold then, if people aren't willing to have them in a planted tank? Do people that have them feed them lettuce? (also asking HN1)

Yes, we feed our fish veggies in non-planted tanks. I feed mine peas, cucumbers, zucchinis, etc. You can also buy algae disks & other pre-made "plant" food.

It is possible to have a planted tank with herbivours, but it involves getting plants that are not palatable to the fish, and a lot of experimentation. <And feeding the fish lots of veggies so they are less tempted to eat your plants.> Even then, there will be damage to the plants, and you should not expect Amano style perfection.