Mbuna and pothos plant can it be done?
- Thread starter jcarson
- Start date
Almost a year on from when I started that other thread, the pothos are still growing out of the top of my mbuna tank. The fish nibble the roots occasionally, but that doesn't seem to have harmed them or the plants. In fact it seems to create an equilibrium, with the roots never needing trimmed. The pothos didn't bring the nitrates down significantly, but the leaves growing above the tank are attractive, which sounds like the effect you're looking for.
Thank you Nick,
Yes its just a look, not looking to use it as a nitrate reduction source but actually hoping the pothos can thrive in the tank water and not harm the fish at the same time.
Just to point out what may not be obvious to some, not all mbuna are herbivores, some are far from it, so your results will most likely vary depending on the species being kept. This may even go further and vary among individual African cichlids, even those not necessarily classified or known to be algae eaters in the wild. As an example, I could not successfully keep potho roots exposed in a large tank that contained a breeding colony of C. moorii. The little buggers constantly trimmed the roots back to nubs.
Good luck, IMO it will be hit or miss so you might not find your answer until you try it.
Good luck, IMO it will be hit or miss so you might not find your answer until you try it.
If there is one thing you have reminded me of so far is that most of this is going to be based on individual experience and what works for some might not work for me.
I appreciate your widsom