Do you Mbuna eat your plants??

[jeffro426]

I put a bunch of Java Fern in my tank a few days ago and my Mbuna are devouring it!!! I was anticipating problems with them digging it up, but not eating it. I feed them 2-3 times a day so i know their not starved...any ideas on what i can do(different plants maybe??) or just ditch the live plant idea?

[valerie]

I had problems with my mbuna eating my plants. They were eating my Vals. I took those out and added Java fern attached to some rocks.They have tried eating the java fern but nothing too bad.

If you are having problems with eating java ferns, then you might not be able to keep anyhting with yours. Anubias would be the only thing left to try. what are you feeding them? Are they getting enough plant matter in their deit? I used ot have an angelfish taht would eat all my plants but i started feeding veggie flakes and she stopped.But your fish might just like eating plants and may jsut eat everythign you try.

Note: you said you were concerned about them digging the java fern up. java ferns whouldnt' be planted in teh gravel and should be attached to rocks.

[jeffro426]

Originally posted by valerie
Note: you said you were concerned about them digging the java fern up. java ferns whouldnt' be planted in teh gravel and should be attached to rocks.
Thats why i wasnt all that worried! ;) They get a steady diet of various brands of veggie flakes. I might just take them out though...watching a juv. carry around a strip of java fern although comical, is kinda frustrating.

[Kanstar]

wait a minute, so plants can survive in a African tank. I was lied to, is java fern expensive?

[valerie]

It can really be hit and iss with adding plants to a mbuna tank. Either your fish will eat them, try to eat them but the plant grows faster then they damage it or they will pretty much leave it alone. usually its one of the first 2 :p

If you want to try adding plants java fern or anubias are good choices, both are hardy, sturdy leaved plants that dont' taste very well to fish. The only problem is they are slow growers.

java ferns are fairly inexpensive so it can't hurt trying. You dont' plant them in the gravel, make sure you tie them to rocks or something. They dont' like their roots covered.

[Kanstar]

I'm going to call around to see if any of my pet storesa round here have it, curently the one i worked at doesn't carry and adequete supply or a variety of diferent plants

[~*LuvMyKribs*~]

I got some java fern and my mbuna leave it alone. I'm waiting to get some vallis, though. I'd rather have that. Java fern is UG-LY!

[valerie]

Really, java fern is one of my favorite plants. I think there is nothign prettier then a nice piece of drift wood covered in java ferns. PLus they are so easy to grow.

[Kanstar]

i need to see a pic or java vs. vallis. What kind of shape is vallis?

[Kanstar]

also do java ferns and vallis help in the nitrogen cycle at all?

[valerie]

here is what java fern looks like http://192.38.244.204/go.asp?plant=008

here are what vals look like http://www.tropica.dk/productcard_1.asp?id=055A (there are different species that grow bigger or that have twists in the leaves.

All plants help remove nitrates,nitritesand ammonia form the tank. It jsut depends if ther is enough of them for you to notice a difference.

[Kanstar]

thanks again valerie, I'be been waiting for you to get back online so I could hear your answer actually.

yeah i think i would take java since im new to the plant game.

[~*LuvMyKribs*~]

Wow that java looks really nice. Mine's all ratty and nasty. I can't wait to put lots of vallis in the back of my tank and cover all my equipment. Add some anubias in and around the rocks.... and viola! I can't wait to get pics.

[Kanstar]

hey what about "Vesicularia dubyana" or the common name Java Moss? what do you think of this?

[valerie]

I have never used java moss. Never really heard of it being used in african tanks. I would think the mbuna would eat it since it comes apart easily. its usually used in fry tanks or as a ground cover.

You could always add some to your african tnak and keep a little bit in another tank and if the africans eat it you can always add more as it grow fairly quickly under the right conditions.

[Kanstar]

ah, so ill stick with java fern and vallie then.

[jeffro426]

Originally posted by valerie
I have never used java moss. Never really heard of it being used in african tanks. I would think the mbuna would eat it since it comes apart easily. its usually used in fry tanks or as a ground cover.

You could always add some to your african tnak and keep a little bit in another tank and if the africans eat it you can always add more as it grow fairly quickly under the right conditions.
I do keep Java moss in my tank also...the problem isnt with that, they never touch it...its the Java fern that their trashing! They never touch my anarchis or java moss though.

[valerie]

Really, weird.I would have thought that the java moss would be a salad bar to africans. It is fine "leaved",picks apart easily and isn't supposed to taste bad like java fern supposedly does.

jeffro426- What sort of africans do you have? some eat plants more then others.

[Kanstar]

I'm so lost on what to get now it's sick.

[valerie]

If yo uwant to try plants for the first time in a mbuna tank stick with java ferns or maybe even anubias as they are 2 of the best plants. Both are hardy and have thick leaves which are harder for the mbuna to eat. Plus both grow well in lower light.

Stick with java ferns to begin with, then if they work try other plants.

[paradigmcubed]

I've had moderate success with plants in my tank. I have only used Amazon Swords and I had two of those growing at a tremendous rate until my fish got ich and the treatment completely killed the plants. (I didn't think about taking them out) Since then I've added two more and they have been picking at them, but not devouring them. I will try Java Moss, that's a great plant and it grows really fast. The biggest problem I've had with plants is their leaves falling off and getting stuck in the filters, whether canister or HOB. I've gone with Amazon Swords because they have really large leaves. I've gotten other, smaller plants which have lost a lot of their little leaves or needles and clooged my filters. (In other tanks, not the African Tank) What do you guys do to prevent that?

Thanks in advance!

[Kanstar]

an amazon survived in a African :confused:, weird. But yeah the question on waht to get is in this thread, just read carefully.

[TBA]

I've got a 75 gallon tank with about 17 Mbuna of different types and they don't touch my java ferns. The only one who occasionally eats them is the pleco.

[fish_e_o]

java moss is awesome in afican tanks because it's gennerally so low lying that they leave it alone especialy on a peice of drift wood or on a slate cave.i also like cabomba in an african tank (the only place i like it) it grows so fast that it can sometimes keep up with the fish, it's dirt cheap and easy to grow.