Tank stock swap?

[Niki_up]

What do you do when you don’t know what to do with your stock?

so I knew this day would come, I thought I was prepared for it...but I’m not...it just p****s me off now haha

I keep vieja melanura in a planted tank, all was good for months But now that my male has reached 9-10 inches he has been “nesting” by pulling and pushing plants out of his way that he doesn’t like in his part of the tank. So far he has claimed 1/2 of the 135g tank and is cleaning house...I knew it was going to happen bc I have done extensive reading on them and know they are not plant friendly.

the vieja melanura are my all time favourite fish, I just don’t want to keep them in a bare tank, or a tank with only rocks and driftwood...I really like greenery

I have been toying with the idea for a day or so that I would sell the melanura and re-stock the tank with locally bred discus. I like discus, they are just not my favourite must have fish...there’s a bunch of colors I really enjoy and wouldn’t mind keeping, they are peaceful, I think I can manage the upkeep of them, they get fairly big, I could probably breed them?

please share with me your experience with discus. Did you like them? What did you like? Did you not like them? Why not? What would you do?

Pic is of my tank in shambles, the plants the vieja has pulled are just floating there.

 

[duanes]

I've never been able to keep any species of Vieja in a planted tank, since they're all at least 60% (or more) vegetarian I've been surprised how long your plants have remained un-molested.
And I have little to no experience with discus, my water was always been too mineral rich.
There are a number of Central American cichlids that do leave plants alone for the most part.
I've had good luck with the genus Cribroheros, one of the Central American equivalents to Geophagus, kept 3 species so far.
Below C rostratus and their tank.


Amatitlania nanoluteus were very plant friendly, some of the other Amatitlania not so good with plants.

My current tank, with Andinoacara coerleopunctatus where the plants remain untouched.

Even when spawning the Andinoacara have let the plants alone.

Male in mate attracting colors above.
If you have soft water there are may plant friendly S Americans.
I've always wanted to try the genus Ivanacara, great colors and a rep for being plant friendly, or the other dwarf cichlids, like Apistos seem to be great planted tank additions.
But even with S Americans, any laterally compressed, round bodied (Vieja shaped) cichlid like Heros, or Uaru etc, is probably going to be primarily vegetarian, and treat your tank like a salad bar.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Another thing you could try is anubias and fava fern secured to rocks and driftwood. That's usually how I get plants to stay with cichlids that would uproot them. I find that most fish (even ones that eat plants) don't like the thick leaves of Anubias.

Discus could certainly go in your 135 without the vieja- I would just make sure your water is ready for them, they generally would prefer lower pH, softer water than the vieja. Locally bred, if they use tapwater, may be OK but many people use RO water for keeping and breeding discus. Never kept them for any real amount of time myself, but have always had them in the stores I've worked at and found them to be nice if you want pretty fish that float around gracefully and don't do much else. They do tend to be a bit more fragile than most cichlids and require clean water, but I would recommend that for all fish anyway.

Like duanes suggests there are lots of other central american cichlids which usually leave plants alone as well.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Maybe try to leave the bottom open, then feature predominantly floating/surface plants and vines as well as affixed java fern and the like. He might nip at some of them, but you would avoid the destructive burrowing problems.

 

[Niki_up]

I've never been able to keep any species of Vieja in a planted tank, since they're all at least 60% (or more) vegetarian I've been surprised how long your plants have remained un-molested.
And I have little to no experience with discus, my water was always been too mineral rich.
There are a number of Central American cichlids that do leave plants alone for the most part.
I've had good luck with the genus Cribroheros, one of the Central American equivalents to Geophagus, kept 3 species so far.
Below C rostratus and their tank.


Amatitlania nanoluteus were very plant friendly, some of the other Amatitlania not so good with plants.

My current tank, with Andinoacara coerleopunctatus where the plants remain untouched.
View attachment 1422389
Even when spawning the Andinoacara have let the plants alone.
View attachment 1422390View attachment 1422391
Male in mate attracting colors above.
If you have soft water there are may plant friendly S Americans.
I've always wanted to try the genus Ivanacara, great colors and a rep for being plant friendly, or the other dwarf cichlids, like Apistos seem to be great planted tank additions.
But even with S Americans, any laterally compressed, round bodied (Vieja shaped) cichlid like Heros, or Uaru etc, is probably going to be primarily vegetarian, and treat your tank like a salad bar.

Those are good suggestions, and I suppose your correct about the water...my water is quite hard and not really suitable for discus...that’s why I was going to consider locally bred ones....I don’t have any plans to soften the water, yet.

I will have to look up the ivanacaras.

 

[Niki_up]

Another thing you could try is anubias and fava fern secured to rocks and driftwood. That's usually how I get plants to stay with cichlids that would uproot them. I find that most fish (even ones that eat plants) don't like the thick leaves of Anubias.

Discus could certainly go in your 135 without the vieja- I would just make sure your water is ready for them, they generally would prefer lower pH, softer water than the vieja. Locally bred, if they use tapwater, may be OK but many people use RO water for keeping and breeding discus. Never kept them for any real amount of time myself, but have always had them in the stores I've worked at and found them to be nice if you want pretty fish that float around gracefully and don't do much else. They do tend to be a bit more fragile than most cichlids and require clean water, but I would recommend that for all fish anyway.

Like duanes suggests there are lots of other central american cichlids which usually leave plants alone as well.

That was my draw towards the discus, color and plant safe.

I see them often locally in lfs (never did ask about the water they keep them in)

I might go the anubias route for plants and just load my tank up with those. The vieja does like to push one around the tank that is attached to driftwood, but only when it is in his upside down swimming area lol

the clean water part is not a problem as I’m like yourself and agree all fish should have large water changes and clean water!

 

[Niki_up]

Maybe try to leave the bottom open, then feature predominantly floating/surface plants and vines as well as affixed java fern and the like. He might nip at some of them, but you would avoid the destructive burrowing problems.

Yea I have noticed he is only clearing out the plants taking up space on the bottom...generally he likes swimming through them as long as they are not in his space...he also does eat them, just pushes them out of the way until they are floating