Suggestions for Plants that fish dont eat

[kellyboy47]

Hi,

Can anybody provide some suggestions for hardy plants that fish do not tend to eat. I know that Java Fern and Anubias are very hardy and I have had differing successes with Amazon Swords but I did not know if there were any suitable smaller varieties (excl Anubias Nana) that I could try to stop my other half complaining that it looks like a jungle with the larger varieties I have !

Thanks
Trev

 

[rebel]

How bout some buce?

 

[tim]

Mini Java fern, crypts maybe which fish are we keeping ?

 

[kellyboy47]

Mini Java fern, crypts maybe which fish are we keeping ?

Hi Tim,

I've got a mixture Madagascan Rainbows, Rosy Barbs, Clown Loaches, Bosemani Rainbows, Peppered Corydoras, SAE to name but a few

 

[alto]

Adding many of these fish to an established planted tank is rather different than adding baby plants & hoping they establish in the face of the ravening horde 😉

Fish can make life difficult for plants just due to vigorous activity around plants - substrate digging (clowns & cories on your list) & grazing for interesting food stuff - not the actual leafs (likely everyone on your list) & vegetation grazing ie the actual leafs, especially new developing shoots (likely rosy barbs & adult SAE & occasionally clowns) & swim gymnastics (larger rainbows, clowns, rosy barbs, SAE)
so it might be worthwhile to set up a plant "nursery" tank (who doesn't want another tank 😛 )

If you're good/practised at growing plants, it's much easier to maintain a (non-ragged) planted tank even with your current fish group ... what sort of lighting, CO2, fertilizer, substrate do you have? maintenance schedule? tank size? fish numbers?
- I'm imagining a 150cm tank at least given the fish list 🙂

Hygrophila species are generally fast (easy) growers, the Bacopas are smaller leafed, Vallisneria, Sagittaria, Microsorum comes in a range of leaf size, color, shape, C calamistratum is generally not considered "tasty" (but a large plant can be expensive, it often takes some time to acclimate then grows steadily) ... plant heavily & you improve the chances for individual plants, starting with larger sized pots (older stronger individual plants) can also help.
Given the fish list, I doubt you'd have much success establishing any ground cover.

Also look at fish diet, providing fresh veg (try a range to find out what everyone likes), also spirulina enriched food (sometimes palatability is an issue)

 

[kellyboy47]

If you're good/practised at growing plants, it's much easier to maintain a (non-ragged) planted tank even with your current fish group ... what sort of lighting, CO2, fertilizer, substrate do you have? maintenance schedule? tank size? fish numbers?
- I'm imagining a 150cm tank at least given the fish list

No I'm not all that good / well practised at growing plants...I do try but never seem to get the same effect as some people do with their tanks 🙁...Lighting 2 x T5, APF Micro / Macro Ferts + Easycarbo, Black gravel, Weekly maintenance water change 40 litres on 180 litre tank / 92cm Juwel Vision, approx. 20 fish which are feed on frozen bloodworm / artemia plus King British tropical flake

Hygrophila species are generally fast (easy) growers, the Bacopas are smaller leafed, Vallisneria, Sagittaria, Microsorum comes in a range of leaf size, color, shape, C calamistratum is generally not considered "tasty" (but a large plant can be expensive, it often takes some time to acclimate then grows steadily) ... plant heavily & you improve the chances for individual plants, starting with larger sized pots (older stronger individual plants) can also help.
Given the fish list, I doubt you'd have much success establishing any ground cover.

Have tried ground cover moss on mesh and Sagittaria but that does not last long hence my flora consists of mainly Crypts & Swords mainly with a couple of Anubias. Not all that keen on Java Fern unfortunately.

With me the fish always come first but I am keen to get it right with plants so that I can have a balanced tank 😉

 

[sciencefiction]

Crinum calamistratum and other similar bulb species are detested by prolific plant eaters. I've personally kept crinum and as long as it gets enough light it keeps growing. It's one of those plants you can plant anywhere as it's leaves are long but thin, meaning it doesn't shade anything and it doesn't take space.
As for small hard species, look into stem plants. There are many hardy species that no fish eat.
I have a very small species of echinodorus, it's tiny and suitable for small tanks but my bristlenose pleco eats it. In fact, plecos seem to like every echinodorus I've ever kept. So generally, as far as plant eating fish are concerned, I'd avoid anything that look like lettuce....This includes a lot of echinodorus specieas.