Ridiculous.

[FINWIN]

Outside of Venus Flytrap and Cactus, my fish will pretty much strip any plant. The large water lettuce? Roots turned to salad. Eaten away from underneath. I even caught one of the parrots tearing out chunks for dinner. The only, and I mean ONLY plant to survive the assault and grow is Duckweed. I am having some success in the 125 with the smaller lettuce (1 1/2 to 2 inches). It's green and growing there nicely. It's also working in Tango's (BP) tank. So I'm getting the smaller plants. The change in water quality is outstanding though. Never any tank smell now, none at all. The one good thing is that the large lettuce has seeded the tanks with tiny baby plants which are very green and healthy.

The large pieces that didn't survive were 5 to 6 inches across. Dried up to powder once the roots were eaten.

 

[FINWIN]

Outside of Venus Flytrap and Cactus, my fish will pretty much strip any plant. The large water lettuce? Roots turned to salad. Eaten away from underneath. I even caught one of the parrots tearing out chunks for dinner. The only, and I mean ONLY plant to survive the assault and grow is Duckweed. I am having some success in the 125 with the smaller lettuce (1 1/2 to 2 inches). It's green and growing there nicely. It's also working in Tango's (BP) tank. So I'm getting the smaller plants. The change in water quality is outstanding though. Never any tank smell now, none at all. The one good thing is that the large lettuce has seeded the tanks with tiny baby plants which are very green and healthy.

The large pieces that didn't survive were 5 to 6 inches across. Dried up to powder once the roots were eaten.

An update on the smaller water lettuce. It's doing very well! Spreading and really green. Maybe the big plants were too old to adapt? I had a theory the reason the smaller plants do better is because they're under the direct led light. The big ones I had the roots in the water but the plants above the waterline were over the light instead of under it.

The big water lettuce have a tendency to have yellow/brown edges that curl.

 

[HarleyK]

Have you tried Java fern? Mine has been pretty resistance to any fish, and it keeps growing and spreading.

 

[FINWIN]

Have you tried Java fern? Mine has been pretty resistance to any fish, and it keeps growing and spreading.

No haven't tried that but heard other members had success. What's the growth rate?

 

[duanes]

I have also used java fern successfully with many cichlids, it also tolerate fair hard water.
Its not the fastest grower.

Another posative aspect is that it can be tied to things like sunken logs, or even rocks and doesn't need to be rooted in substrate where cichlids dig.
In fact if the rhizome is buried to deeply in gravel or sand, it does badly and may rot.
Another of those possble distastfull plants, that do not need to be buried in substrate that did well with cichlids for me is Anubias

 

[duanes]

I would also be remiss if I left out plants like dieffenbachi, and Arum, that contain oxilates that are toxic to cats and dogs, but fish instinctualy avoid.


I know in the pic it looks like a 20 gal, but this is my 6 ft 180, with Dieffenbacia and Arum, draped in it.

As you can see, the Dieffenbachis stem is quite thick, and hold the plant leaves above the water line.

I even have a mni-pineapple propped up on the back of the tank.


along with the aquatic plant species in tte sump, nad regular water changes, reduce nitrate to undectable whenever I test.


Even though the tank is farly heavily stocked.

.

 

[Conchonius]

I would not expect Java fern to do well. It tends to adjust to a new tank by discarding its old leaves and growing a new batch, and by the time it does that the cichlids will have shredded it.

I'd honestly look into getting a red mangrove and seeing if the little sociopaths have the decency to not strip its bark for the sport of it, or something land-growing like pothos or peace lily with its roots protected in a breeder box. I think they even sell aquarium pots that you can clip to the side of the tank nowadays.

 

[FINWIN]

I would not expect Java fern to do well. It tends to adjust to a new tank by discarding its old leaves and growing a new batch, and by the time it does that the cichlids will have shredded it.

I'd honestly look into getting a red mangrove and seeing if the little sociopaths have the decency to not strip its bark for the sport of it, or something land-growing like pothos or peace lily with its roots protected in a breeder box. I think they even sell aquarium pots that you can clip to the side of the tank nowadays.

I ordered some java the other day from an ebay seller who has theirs growing on large mats. I'll test it out and see what happens. I may just cultivate the java in a bucket with some seachem first in case it sheds.

I know about Pothos, but are those other plants good nitrate suckers?

 

[Conchonius]

They are. Generally speaking, all emersed plants are going to perform at least decently with respect to nitrates. Because they have access to atmospheric CO2, they tend to grow faster than fully submerged plants, and have more of an "appetite".

Same deal with floaters, they get to grow so rapidly because they respire from the surface.

 

[duanes]

Although I have tried Pothos, and had a modicum of succes swith it, but using more substantial, faster growing plants worked better for me.
These days with the dieffenbacia, ad before withcrazy growth plants such as Papyrus, the nitrates in my tank hae tested non-existant.
I believe you can tell by leaf and stem growth in dieffenbachia, the amount ot nutrients it sucks up


Papyrus (umbrella palm) has been another that sucks up nutrients such as nitrate, like a hoover.
Below Papyrus

Above the Papyrus root ball in a 6 ft sump, below growth shooting above above that same sump.

Below Papyrus growing indoors in my previous tanks under low light in WI.


And although I have not tested Mangrove as an entity unto itself as a nitrate sucker, believe as it grows in seems to use more and more nutriens.
When th mangrove pods were 1st planted, it took a will to get established.

Now that they are about 4 ft tall, and trunks are thickening I believe they are doing damage in the nitrate load.


The pods were plucked floating in the ocean in 2021

Thread 'Mangrove tree pod washed up'

Aug 24, 2021

After some heavy storms in Panama throughout the last week, lots of junk washing up on the island of Taboga, 10 miles off shore of the mainland.
A couple mangrove pods washed up, one looked viable, whether of not it is, is another story.
Whether or not it is the fresh, or salt water type may be another issue, time will tell.
I filled up a bamboo branch with enough stones, and beach sand to weigh it down, but keep the bud emerged, and stuck it in my outside sump.

• duanes
• Replies: 74
• Forum: Planted Tank and Aquascaping

•