Plecos and Plants?

[pahansen]

Hi. We have a planted tank with a new-to-us Gold Nugget pleco. The research I did and the woman at the store said that, as long as there was a decent algae supply or tablets, the Gold Nugget pleco would pretty much leave the plants alone. Two days after we got him our sword plant looked like a skeleton! I prefer the pleco to the plant, so I'm not completely crushed, but I did like the sword plant. The pleco seems to have left the pennywort and the anacharis pretty much alone. Does anyone have any success with broad leaf plants and plecos? I thought there might be something else I could try.

Personally, I think the pleco just liked to hang on to the sword plant and "ride the waves" -- the plant was just below the filter output! He was kind of cute there, swaying in the current! Pity he ate everything he could latch onto!

-- Pamela

 

[samthefishman]

My pleco doesnt touch my plants
And i own 4. I think you may need some more hiding placces maybe? thats sounds like it has no relivance at all but it may do.

 

[pahansen]

We have about three good hiding places in the tank (and only three fish -- it's a new tank -- the pleco and two small barbs, who rarely use the spots), but we seem to have found the world's only extrovert pleco. His favorite place to be is stuck to the outside of a tall piece of driftwood in the center of the tank. And this even though there's a nice sized "cave" at the bottom of the piece of driftwood.

But the nice part is that we actually get to see him.

Maybe I'll try again with the sword plant after the tank is more "established" with algae. Perhaps he didn't have enough to eat, even with the algae tabs. (Or the fresh stuff just tasted better!)

 

[cometcattle]

I heard from other members that they've had luck with most anubius and java fern.

 

[GuppyDude]

my tank grows plent of alge so my pleco never goes hungry, but sumone has been munchin on my plants and i dont think it was my guppys or corrys

 

[pahansen]

Thanks. I think I'll try some Java Fern and some Anubias. There's enough room for both, and we'll see which he doesn't like to eat!

 

[Dwarfs]

The java fern will grow like a weed

 

[CFC]

The java fern will grow like a weed

Whats your secret to growing java fern then? Everyone else including me finds it grows very slowly

Any plants with tough leaves should be left alone by your plec but soft leaved plants like swords will be destroyed.

 

[Dwarfs]

In that case I don't know my secret It just grows fast in my tanks My dad started with 4 small plants, and now we have a few hundred varying from big to small in a few years The fish don't touch it, and it and the javamoss take over

 

[CFC]

Java moss Vesicularia dubyana or Java fern Microsorium pteropus ? There is a big difference, java moss is exactly what it sounds like, a mossy plant that grows over hard surfaces within the tank and java fern is a broad leaved fern like plant which grows from a rhyzome which must be anchored to a rock or bogwood.

 

[lucky62]

In that case I don't know my secret It just grows fast in my tanks   My dad started with 4 small plants, and now we have a few hundred varying from big to small in a few years The fish don't touch it, and it and the javamoss take over

He means both right there CFC , fern doesn't grow as fast as the moss , or as fast as.......say hygrophila species .

The fern does well in moderate light with good water movement through its leaves, frequent water changes , I beleave help alot . Seem to do better in water on the neutral to hard side .


Mine grew slowly at first 6 or 7 years ago , I kept puffers ,the salt in the water all but stopped the growth .

No more puffers [ about 5 years ago] since the plants have been in freshwater, they really have taken hold , and at a fairly steady rate , the leaves grow quicker then the rhizome , we have it in 12 tanks , alot of it , not the prettiest , very dense. [ give much away as well ].

I wish my anubias and bulbitis huedelotii grew like this .

The moss was the same at first , months went went by with very little growth ......then I couldn't thin it out fast enough .

I hate to say that I have actually thrown it out , thought the birds could use it for nests .

**I think key is clean fresh water as often as possible and good water movement **.
Having a well established aquarium also help I.M.E [10 years running with out a major break down for cleaning]


In the past I've spent a small fortune replacing [3] bulbs every 6 months [ not at the same time, rotating] and plant food .

I add "Flurish with iron" and a carbon supplement from Seachem every 3rd or 4th water change . Mostly I let the fish feed our plants . Can't remember the last time I changed a plant gro bulb .
And some [ most ]of them are just floating around the tanks

The only filtration I've used in 70 gal for the last 4 years is U.G drive by power heads [ it works for me ] water changes are key here .

Don't know if I just like to keep it simple or am I just cheap and lazy ? Please nobody answer that.

kind of back to the topicI kept a pecklotia , clown pleco [ spelling ] in that tank sinse I had the puffers , he's alive and very well , and around 7 years old now . I wouldn't recmend him for a brackish set up .

Sorry for the slight hi-jack