I put three small- two leaf each, Hydrocotyle plants in my aquarium a little over a week ago. All three have done very nicely- put out new stems with tiny leaves on them... look nice green and shiny.
One by one over the week though all three plants have had a stem mown down. Someone is chewing through the base of the stem and cutting down the stems like a lumberjack.
There is always a leaf of baby spinach and a slice of zucchini (frequently other veggie treats too) somewhere to be found in the tank- so I'm a bit miffed that my Hydrocotyle has been attacked... I get about one stem plant floating to the surface each day usually star grass or guppy grass- whether that is from attack or just disturbed from movement I don't know...
Inhabitants:
Snails: Ramshorns, Bladders, Quilted Mels, MTS- plus the chief suspect Bridgesii.
Shrimp: Neocaridina and Palaemontes.
Fish: Danios, Cherry Barbs, Corydoras, and a Pleco.
I suspect the Bridgesii are the ones at fault here- simply because cutting plants down from the base is an "apple-snail trait"... I know they will eat some plants such as duckweed despite being for the most part plant friendly... I also know Hydrocotyle is an easy to digest plant- even us mere humans can eat it.
At the moment the plants seem to be putting out new leaves faster than they can be cut down... but I'm going to be left with lots of tiny leaves if they get mowed before they have a chance to grow.
Maybe the snails just want me to have more "cuttings".
I have Spixi's arriving soon (as early as today)... if Brigs are eating the hydrocotyle I suspect I have no hope once the Spixis enter the tank!
One by one over the week though all three plants have had a stem mown down. Someone is chewing through the base of the stem and cutting down the stems like a lumberjack.
There is always a leaf of baby spinach and a slice of zucchini (frequently other veggie treats too) somewhere to be found in the tank- so I'm a bit miffed that my Hydrocotyle has been attacked... I get about one stem plant floating to the surface each day usually star grass or guppy grass- whether that is from attack or just disturbed from movement I don't know...
Inhabitants:
Snails: Ramshorns, Bladders, Quilted Mels, MTS- plus the chief suspect Bridgesii.
Shrimp: Neocaridina and Palaemontes.
Fish: Danios, Cherry Barbs, Corydoras, and a Pleco.
I suspect the Bridgesii are the ones at fault here- simply because cutting plants down from the base is an "apple-snail trait"... I know they will eat some plants such as duckweed despite being for the most part plant friendly... I also know Hydrocotyle is an easy to digest plant- even us mere humans can eat it.
At the moment the plants seem to be putting out new leaves faster than they can be cut down... but I'm going to be left with lots of tiny leaves if they get mowed before they have a chance to grow.
Maybe the snails just want me to have more "cuttings".
I have Spixi's arriving soon (as early as today)... if Brigs are eating the hydrocotyle I suspect I have no hope once the Spixis enter the tank!
