Plants With Cichlids

[justink]

Hi there everyone, I have a 230 gallon aquarium and I was planning on putting plants in the tank. I was just curious, what type of cichlids can I put into it that won't eat the plants?

I appreciate any suggestions!

[jvision]

Most South/Central American cichlids leave plants alone, but they dig... African Cichlids tend to be much more herbivorous and will eat most plants.

If you're going with a SA/CA cichlid tank, get a few centerpiece plants going in pots (you can burry the pots to hide them if you want to hid them) - sword plants are great for this. Also, if you're going to have driftwood in the tank, attach some Anubias and Java fern to it - they'll do great!

If you're doing Africans (Rift Lake), I've had success with the Java fern and Anubias jammed into rock crevices and driftwood. Valisneria could work, if you get it going before the fish are added.

[Psylant]

In my experience most SA/CA will dig plants up, as mentioned, and then proceed to chew them into tiny pieces (or eat them, depending on the species). Discus are compatible with plants, as well as most species of rams. My advice would be not to bother with most other families/species. I've tried and failed a few times with large CA. I think the longest I had the plants in the substrate in my tank was about 45 seconds. I'm not kidding.

[Lorelei]

I have peacock cichlids with plants since last summer and they have not bothered the plants yet.

[Okotoks]

I have 8 Bolivian Rams in my 90 gallon and they are as peaceful as guppies. In fact they ignore the red cherry shrimp too.

[elf_poop]

Would they also eat subwassertang?

[Eugene]

Try small to medium SA or CA cichlids only like Cupids ,Bolivians Cryptoheros luteus, Keyhole ,rams, appistos lots to choose from nothing beats a beautiful planted tank with fish ,I just sold a 100.00 worth of plants yesterday to one individsual.

[SuperGuppyGirl]

I've kept crypts, swords, vals , anubias and Java fern with calvus and xenos with no issues. But not really diggers and are straight carnivores but my experience might be the exception not the norm

[biodives]

To the list of Eugene you can add species of Laetacara, nannacara, Dicrossus, Angels, Mesonauta, and probably some but not all cichlasoma. I have personal experience with several Apistogramma, Laetacara, Nannacara, and Angels. All did not molest plants or dig them up.

[wonderlen3000]

You can plants in pot. I put amazon sword n cyrp in clay pot w substrate fill only 2/3. What ever they dig, the substrate just falls back into the pot. I have a pair of Kribs and Rams n after a while they gives up ...

[Crimson]

Broad leaved anubius works well, especially in a tank that size. Coffeefolia for example or Anubias Heterphylla, or any large leaved anubius. Slow growing but the leaves are so thick most fish don't go for them. You can tie them down to a rock with fishing line, if the fish like to up-anchor them. I don't have tonnes of experience with various cichlid's but I did have some Cyrtocara moorii, some years back. It worked pretty well for me. Even if they start growing algae on the leaves, you can grow them emmersed even for a few hours, just to dry out the algae, keeping the roots submersed. The algae dries out and you can put them back under, good to go.