Plant choice with aggressive fish.

[richardhmc]

Hi! I have six dempseys ( 1-2 inches each ) and 1 pleco (about 2 inch)
I have them in a 10 gallon tank right now but i will move them to a 55 gallon tank very soon.

I wish to add plants because I like the view of real live plants instead of crappy fake ones

However, i have been told by my lfs and many sites that dempseys will rip up plants and take em out of their roots.

Is it possible to get a really hardy plant that could resist the dempseys power??
Any type of plant suggestions please. I would prefer any kind of plant-grow on top, grow on ground, anything.

Thanks.

 

[RadleyMiller]

Haha most likely not. You would be better off using fake plants or no plants at all.

 

[fishcatch22]

six JDs and a pleco?!?! a 55G will only hold one adult JD much less 6 and a pleco which needs 125G minimum.

I wouldn't worry about plants right now if I was you.

 

[richardhmc]

Well it seems from the comments that plants are out of the question.
also, i plan on giving away some jds. So, it wont be too bad.

Well, it looks like i will have to stick with crappy fake plants.
However, arent there some plants that grow mostly on top?
Instead of being dug up, can it be left near the top?

 

[fishcatch22]

try tough plants like anubias.

give away all the JDs but one and the pleco.

 

[lemcc]

this is some pretty crappy advice everyones offering

sure its not easy keeping plants with cichlids
but its also not easy keeping aggresive communities which most of us do

1st if your new to live plants start with some thing easy like java fern (tough, low light plant)
attach it to a rock or driftwood

later if you want to try substrate rooted plants cover base of plant with river stones it looks cool and keeps cichlids from digging up plants also if you can give your plants time to really root-in

the swords below are 2 feet tall (tank is a 240 tall)
i removed all these plants later the entire bottom of the tank was one big mass of roots

 

[freeskierrocket]

nice planted.......it can be done but it sure sucks when those big and nasty cichlids decide to rip the tank to hell.......beautiful tank though

this is some pretty crappy advice everyones offering

sure its not easy keeping plants with cichlids
but its also not easy keeping aggresive communities which most of us do

1st if your new to live plants start with some thing easy like java fern (tough, low light plant)
attach it to a rock or driftwood

later if you want to try substrate rooted plants cover base of plant with river stones it looks cool and keeps cichlids from digging up plants also if you can give your plants time to really root-in

the swords below are 2 feet tall (tank is a 240 tall)
i removed all these plants later the entire bottom of the tank was one big mass of roots

 

[Bderick67]

this is some pretty crappy advice everyones offering

sure its not easy keeping plants with cichlids
but its also not easy keeping aggresive communities which most of us do

1st if your new to live plants start with some thing easy like java fern (tough, low light plant)
attach it to a rock or driftwood

later if you want to try substrate rooted plants cover base of plant with river stones it looks cool and keeps cichlids from digging up plants also if you can give your plants time to really root-in

the swords below are 2 feet tall (tank is a 240 tall)
i removed all these plants later the entire bottom of the tank was one big mass of roots

Wow beautiful swords......

amazon swords work well you can either protect the rooting with flat river rocks or even go with potted plants, of course with potted plants you have to be a little creative to hide the pots. Problem is your 55g will be to narrow for the swords when they become mature.

Best advise i can give though is; It is easier to add the fish into an established planted tank, then to add plants to a tank with established with fish.

 

[evercl92]

I'd suggest an anubias specie(s), java fern, bulbitis (I'm told has a bitter taste), or a floating plant such as duckweed or amazon frogbit. The anubias is a fairly tough-leaved plant, and readily grows out of water given the chance.

 

[evercl92]

Do i have to switch to sand?

No need to. Actually, the bulbitis and java ferns cannot be buried in the substrate, or they will rot. The anubias cannot have it's main rhizome buried either, it will also rot. They are well adapted to attaching themselves to driftwood, rocks, etc. Just hold them in place [with a rubberband, zip-tie, aquarium-safe epoxy, pinch it into a crack in the driftwood] until they get a grip.