Central American Cichlids and Plants???

[Dylan Miller]

Hello all...

I'm looking at creating an aquascape with Jungle Val, which is perfect for the alkaline waters of Mexico that most Central American Cichlids are found. Does anyone have experience with keeping large cichlids with jungle val, or any plants whatsoever? Pearsei and Vieja seem like they would eat it, while predatory fish like parachromis may leave heavily rooted plants alone?

Any thoughts?

 

[isde02]

Hello all...

I'm looking at creating an aquascape with Jungle Val, which is perfect for the alkaline waters of Mexico that most Central American Cichlids are found. Does anyone have experience with keeping large cichlids with jungle val, or any plants whatsoever? Pearsei and Vieja seem like they would eat it, while predatory fish like parachromis may leave heavily rooted plants alone?

Any thoughts?

That's exactly what I've experienced lol, my pearsei eats plants while my loisellei and Freddy doesn't bother them.

 

[cichlidfish]

Plants that don't need to be substrait rooted or floating seem to do well w/ non-herbivorous cichlids. I keep hornwort, java fern, Brazilian pennywort, and anubias with CA earth eater types like thorichthys and cribroheros with no issues at all. These are easy to keep plants too.

 

[BIG-G]

Plants that don't need to be substrait rooted or floating seem to do well w/ non-herbivorous cichlids. I keep hornwort, java fern, Brazilian pennywort, and anubias with CA earth eater types like thorichthys and cribroheros with no issues at all. These are easy to keep plants too.

Agreed. Same here Java Fern and Anubias. But they just grow sooooo slowly. Compared to other plants anyway.

 

[cichlidfish]

Agreed. Same here Java Fern and Anubias. But they just grow sooooo slowly. Compared to other plants anyway.

Yes extremely slow. Mine are attached to driftwood which the cichlids do not uproot.
But hornwort and pennywort are very fast growing. I have yet to find anything that will even try to eat hornwort.

 

[BIG-G]

But hornwort and pennywort are very fast growing. I have yet to find anything that will even try to eat hornwort.

I have some hornwort just floating in a couple of my tank. Every time I try to attach it or plant it they just pull it up, but nobody eats it.

 

[xxUnRaTeDxxRkOxx]

Anubias growth can be sped up with higher lighting, same as any plant... The more (high light) a plant gets the faster the chlorophyll stages are able to produce for the plant, but as we know the higher the lighting means the plants need more nutrients, and ultimately need co2.

As for plants and s/a c/a cichlids, some species dig pits (it's in their nature) which leads to plants loosening from the substrate and floating, some love to shred plants apart again it's in their nature.

 

[HybridHerp]

Select your species carefully, it's do-able but you gotta do some research on your species. It's also definitely easier if you don't have fish trying to breed.

 

[BIG-G]

Anubias growth can be sped up with higher lighting, same as any plant... The more (high light) a plant gets the faster the chlorophyll stages are able to produce for the plant, but as we know the higher the lighting means the plants need more nutrients, and ultimately need co2.

I agree with this to a point. With slower growing plants you have to be careful pushing the growth with high lighting because algae can easily start growing on the leaves of the slower growing plants.
You can use high lighting but make sure you strive for a balance of nutrients and CO2 along with the lighting.
I guess that is what you meant. Maybe we are saying the same thing?