plants and cichlids

[andrew.ars]

I currently have a 100g planted tank cycling with a few fish and i would like to turn it into a african cichlid tank. The fish are said to do much better in water with a high ph and dissolved salts will plants thrive if i increase ph and add epsom salt i will most likly not add nacl

[wataugachicken]

water quality is one thing. . . the cichids tearing the plants to pieces and rearranging the tank is another. generally they don't do very well together, so you might want to do more research on plants that are more compatible with those kinds of fish.

[GirlieGirl8521]

I agree with ^^. Some plants don't do well in a higher pH. And some Africans, especially Mbuna will chow down on your plants unless they are extremely fast growing. :)

[number1sixerfan]

If you introduce the plants when the fish are very young, they will tend to leave them alone as long as they are fed well.

[AndrewMack]

If you introduce the plants when the fish are very young, they will tend to leave them alone as long as they are fed well.
I agree, every once in a while i see a leaf or a bite taking out of my big Crypt but nothing more.

[andrew.ars]

Most likely it will be a mix of cichlids in the mix tank. I have failed to identify the cichlids in the mixed cichlid tank at many fish stores including petsmart but i am thing of getting them with electric yellow labs and rams will the small fish in the under 2 1/2in range be small enough

[AndrewMack]

I wouldn't suggest mixing Rams with any Mbuna

[Blueiz]

I thought the same thing about my silver dollars, if they were well fed they would leave the plants alone. But I woke up one morning to a mowed down tank. Also its not only eating of the plants, but the fish rearranging the tank to how they think it should look..lol.

I personally wouldnt risk combining the majority of cichlids with live plants, as others have said..do your research to see what is compatible with what plants and fish wise.. (thats why youre asking here, right? ;) )

Blue

[mg6682]

I had some anubius and java fern in my african tank and it did very well.

[Aquaken]

I've seen african tanks with vals in them be successful. The large types of vals are pretty tough I gather.

[LaurelB]

I agree with others - it depends on the fish and the kind of plant. I have a planted tank with some apistos, and they leave the plants alone. I put some floating plants in a tank with my A.Myrnae, and the plants were salad. There was no plant evidence left by morning.

[cichlidkeeper91]

Pretty much the cichlids will eat up all the plants. The only kind of cichlid that will not eat them are rams.

[Jadis]

certain plants will totally end up as fish toys. you will find some plants very easy to do with cichilds. in my tank i have vals, cambomba, hornwort, anub.'s and even a tiger lotus. my fish and i went through a "rearranging" phase, but i found spots for the lotus that he doesnt bother, rocks will hold any plant down, and the hornwort has become his fav. hiding spot.

[Rbishop]

For the rearranging issue, I have small potted ones protected by rock structures.