parrot cichlid proof plants

Subject: parrot cichlid proof plants Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:01 am

i have a parrot cichlid who loves to uproot any live plants i put in the tank. any one have suggestions on how to prevent this. have had to go fake plants for now but would love to get the live plants back in to help my cycling.

Subject: Re: parrot cichlid proof plants Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:19 pm

From what I know plants and Cichlid never go together well, Cichlid tend to do what your's has, dig them up. As for plants helping your tank cycle, there is a method called silent cycling that uses plants, but if your tank is already cycled which I hope it is than you don't need to have live plants.
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Subject: Re: parrot cichlid proof plants Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:20 pm

Cichlids are TERRIBLE with plants. I would never put any plants in with Cichlids. It is better off you get a new tank for live plants.
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I have been keeping aquariums most of my life. I have kept both fresh and salt water, cichlids, catfish, loaches, clownfish, wrasses, and everything in between. Feel free to ask me any questions!

Visit my blog at http://fgaquarium.blogspot.com/

Subject: Re: parrot cichlid proof plants Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:06 pm

that is what i figured but hoping someone might know of a plant a heard of.

Subject: Re: parrot cichlid proof plants Wed Feb 20, 2008 6:46 pm

Well.... now that I think about it, Hornwort SOMETIMES will be ok with Cichlids. Cabomba may work, too.
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I have been keeping aquariums most of my life. I have kept both fresh and salt water, cichlids, catfish, loaches, clownfish, wrasses, and everything in between. Feel free to ask me any questions!

Visit my blog at http://fgaquarium.blogspot.com/

Subject: fish uprooting plants Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:55 pm

I had a large pool and fountain in a hotel that I stocked with Koi and had to plant the water lilies roots (in media) with stockings, cut up panty hose, then hid in black pots and larger smooth stones so they would not get eaten, but runners can't get thru the fine mesh very well.
I planted a Sagitaria in a nice terra cotta pot in my goldfish tank. The roots are in finer gravel. The top has some larger smooth stones. The plant still sends out runners. They grow out but still get eaten back.
Any finer plants, anacris. cabomba, hornwort, all become fish food in my tanks sooner or later. the greenery and the O2 is good for them but I can't expect them to last and look really good for more than a couple months.
Any live plants, rinse well, a lot, before they go in a large tank. I've even put purchased plants in a quarentine tank or a big bowl of water, for several days before they go in.

Subject: Re: parrot cichlid proof plants Fri Feb 22, 2008 12:58 am

Well, what about Java moss? It grows so fast and looks better if there are fish that are ripping at it all the time like mowing a lawn. You tie it down really well to wood and it affixes itself. Then they can rip all they want and it may end up looking good and stay alive. I also thought about Anubis barteri. You can tie this to wood really well with thread and the leaves on this plant are super tough. I'm not a cichlid expert though. I just have tilapia which are similar in the way they pull up plants and dig holes in the gravel. The java moss can also be used as a floating clump or as a clump held down to the ground. It gives in this state when the fish tugs at it and isn't as fun for the fish to rip at as it's loose when you don't tie it down. Just my thoughts. I have so much of this moss I throw it away regularly.

Subject: Re: parrot cichlid proof plants Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:12 am

i might try java moss. some tied down an loose. need floating plants for my guppies to hide in anyway.

Subject: Re: parrot cichlid proof plants Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:59 am

Do you have any wood in your tank? It roots best to wood. It will grow on rocks with a rough surface too but not well enough if fish are pulling at it. I just replanted some plants my tilapias pulled out that were planted, but I noticed how nice they keep the Java moss pruned on my old stump. If you have wood wrap thread around the moss really tight and with many loops. You'll get a good start at it attaching that way. With the floating stuff squeeze it periodically to get the food and stuff out of it and it'll look green and healthy.

Subject: Re: parrot cichlid proof plants Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:55 pm

no wood currently but i have a couple lfs here that i trust that could get me some. I will tank to them soon.

Subject: Re: parrot cichlid proof plants Yesterday at 12:30 pm

haven't found javamoss at any of the lfs here. But did find sone java fern that they arent bothering yet. Looks like i might begetting some offshoots soon from it as well.

Crossing my fingers.