Is there a way to keep plants from being eaten? I have 3 c/loaches, 3 silver sharks, 2 golden gouramis, 2 bristle nose. My plants get decemated! I have Elondea, Ozelot, amazons spaths. Get all get hammered! I had 3 crypts that lasted 10 days!
Plant eating monsters?
- Thread starter Shonky Pongo
- Start date
Shonky Pongo said:
Howdy,
You can rule out the loaches and gouramis. Plecos eat plants if they like them,. nothing you can do about it. I had one, who always chewed on my sword. You can tell the pleco damage from others: They eat the center of the leaves first. Other fish bite chunks off from the rims.
You can try feeding more, or using cucumber slices (weigh it down with a stainless metal fork or so). But it might not help. You can also two other plant species, like anubia or Java fern/moss.
HarleyK
Loaches are sometimes known to tear up plants and put holes in larger leaves, but they don't usually eat them outright. A bristlenose pleco is usually considered plant-friendly, so I find it a bit strange that they'd be eating the plants like that. SOme cucumber, broccoli, pumpkin or other veggies put in the tank once or twice a week might take their mind off of the live plants, but I wouldn't bet on it. Have you tried really tough plants like anubias and java fern? When my common pleco got too big for a delicately planted tank, I planned a large tank with lots of bogwood with just anubias tied all over it. It looks very nice, actually, and is very very low-maitenance. Even my 10" common pleco can't dislodge the plants, and they're too tough for him to eat.
ur best bet is to buy those algae tablets/discs they work a treat and plecos love em!! also put sum cucumber or a vegie like that in there!
i'm having the same dilemma with my aquarium plants. my recently acquired sexfasciatus started munching on my anubias just after one day stay on his environment. how will those veggies like cucumber, broccolli and pumpkin help on keeping this monster shy away from my plants? 
sam_cj said:how will those veggies like cucumber, broccolli and pumpkin help on keeping this monster shy away from my plants?
It might satisfy their hunger for fresh plant matter. There is no guarantee, though, that they don't like your aquatic plants better than anything else ... My experience is that the damage will diminish, however, it will still occur.
HarleyK