Which Plants Should I Get?

[Olivers]

I have just purchased a second hand 200l tank with several rather large adult fish (my first tank)
 
They all seem to be Central / South american :
 
1 Upside down catfish 8in
2 Texas Cichlids 9" and 5"
2 Orange Parrot Fish 5"
1 Large 12" plec
2 Tiger Plec 2"
 
I have very little cover in my tank at the moment and want to add some live plants. But i have no idea what to add. Id like to add something that is local to them but i have no idea what, any suggestions welcome?
 

 

[techen]

I have a funny feeling your overstocked but I know not much about these fish really.

 

[Olivers]

I would be too surprised myself. They have all been living together for a long time though as the tank was purchased as is.

 

[techen]

Well 200L tank is insanely small plus the fact you can never read a fish expression could all be depressed
 
Common plecos am going to guess are what you have. Recommend tank size for just one of those is around 400L.

 

[Olivers]

I see what you mean.

Think I might have some fish for sale.

How on earth does a smiley face end up with a party hat and whistle?

 

[techen]

I have no idea

 

[Shelster]

How on earth does a smiley face end up with a party hat and whistle?

Ha ha Oliver's that did make me laugh as mine do that too, it's a tablet thing on this forum I'm afraid!

If you do just the eyes and smile without the nose you get this : goodness knows how to do any of the others though, I daren't try as who knows what will appear lol!

Regarding plants my favs are:

Vallis
Amazon sword
Anubias - roots need exposure ie floating or attached to bogwood
Java fern - same for this one
Java moss
Any crypts

I haven't ever owned the fish you have mentioned above so could not comment on the potential uprooting or munching on said plants

 

[Olivers]

Ok.. so i have cleared the tank down abit so its not over stocked. Im looking to get some smaller SA / CA Cichlids.
 
I've got gravel rather than Sand will that make any difference?
 
How do i get the Anubias / java fern to take to the bogwood before the fish destroy it ?
 
Or am i fighting a losing battle expecting the fish not to destroy whatever i put in?

 

[Shelster]

So which fish do you have remaining?

Sand/gravel is a personal preference really. - some prefer sand for the bottom feeders such as corydoras and some prefer gravel as they think it looks much cleaner (faeces on gravel tend to sink into it therefore not being visible to the naked eye) where as with sand it basically sits on top until you clean it. (No bottom feeder will do this for you)

I have gravel in my 180 litre, half and half in my 54litre and sand in my 22 litre.

Plants grow equally as well in my opinion whether they are on sand or gravel.

In terms of plant attachment - I have used fishing line for attaching Anubias to wood and also cotton.

 

[DrRob]

Important question here is what fish you have left. The large plecs and the larger cichlids will tear your plants apart.
 
Smaller ones, depending on the fish, can be great with plants, but again it does depend what you've got.
 
Superglue, fishing line, cotton, or pinning it down with rocks helps annubius to attach.

 

[Olivers]

I only have the two parrots and the smaller Texas.

Research helped me realise the catfish and Plec were too big for the tank and the large Texas was making the little ones life miserable.

Thinking of adding german rams. Red Tapajos. EB Jack Dempsey. Kribensis. Red cockatoos. Red terror.

Not sure which go well together or we'll with plants and can't fit em all in a 200 litre either.

Open to suggestions on that.