African_Fever Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 I just re-did my planted tank, and I appear to have some fish that relish Anubias (and some of my other plants). Some of the new Anubias leaves have been chewed down to nothing, and I'd like to remove the culprits before they move on to the rest of the plants. Fish are: Congo tetras Ameca splendens (what I'm thinking is the most likely culprit right now) Odessa barbs 7-bar devario (think giant danio with bars on a silver background) 1 Tiger barb Julidochromis transcriptus (I know it's not them) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottomdweller_fan Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 I would agree that it is probably the ameca splendens unless you have snails in the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
werner Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 I've had tetras eat every new leaf my Anubias put out, so I wouldn't put it past the congos... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 My congos have never touched my plants. My guess would be the Amecas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finaddict Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 i also think amecas, my congos leave all my plants alone as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 I've had groups of 4"+ congos in my planted tanks before, and I never saw them touch Anubias - they did pull at Val a couple times, but mostly just pulling on some algae, I think. I've never actually kept A. spelndens, but I know they're herbivorous, and wouldn't put it past them to munch on the new growth. Sevrums and Oscars have been the worst culprits for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewels Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 First let me say I have never had Anubias. I wont argue in the face of the evidence it seems like Amecas are the culprit Although I do have a bit of first hand knowledge involving plants and Amecas as I have had a colony now for nineteen months. Amecas dont want your plants. They are happy to graze off of them ( and very delicately I may add). They are even happier to eat like pigs @ the surface and soon learn to beg. I have learned they can be very effectively used as tools in a planted tank. I keep mine with only a nine inch p* in a 30gallon Feed them a lot, they only fight and beg. feed them a little they will graze. Feed them even less a watch out --your 'scape will look like a million pesos. They will keep it spiff! Here is a list of all the plants they haven't touched, no wait a minute, forget it, thats a big list. I have not seem them actively enjoying any plant I have mixed them with; save Cabomba, I may remember them picking at that. I know it kept ahead though. They WILL NOT TOUCH, duck weed, swords,vals, hygro-sricta or nymphea lotus (excluding the roots , they love those). Other plants they will pick at ONLY if it is detached ,decayed or dying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
African_Fever Posted October 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 I had both the Ameca and Congo's in a different planted tank before, and never noticed any kind of grazing on the plants going on, just the complete removal of any and all hair algae. And Anubias is about the only plant species that wasn't in the other tank. I'm actually leaning towards the congos now that someone else had the same problem, because there is 8 of them versus the 3 Ameca, and the amount of damage and how quickly it occurred leads me to believe it could be them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 I would say definitely Congos. I had Congos and Anubias before Amecas came in my tank, and same thing happened with Anubias leafs. Once I even cought them "inflagranti". I have many different plants, but they like Anubias only. I just feed them little bit more and they don't touch new leafs or eat just the tip of leaf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firestorm Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 My Ameca's are all in planted tanks at this very time, and have been since I got them. They were even in my tank that had anubias, I never notice my plants being eaten. Remember that barbs will also eat plants, and are good for eating certain types of algaes. If you keep them well fed, they shouldn't touch your plants so much, and you can try feeding algae wafers to your fish, this will give them the veggies and they may stay away from your plants. But it could be almost any of those fish you have listed (except the julies), trying to find the culprit might be difficult unless you are able to sit and watch the tank for a while (long after feeding time). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
African_Fever Posted November 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 Was finally able to remove the congo tetra's last week, and they appear to have been the plant eaters. They really mowed down the new anubias leaves, as well as some old ones, and were also nipping on the new growth from ludwigia and rotala. Now that they're gone, all the new leaves don't appear to have any new bites in them and are coming in strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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