Tired of dancing the "the fish I want will eat the plants, but I want the plants" jig

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red devil

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Most, if not all, of the well planted tanks that I have seen have had rather small, docile fish in them. I am guessing that it is because a lot of fish like to use the plants as appetizers? Has anyone ever used a piece of glass to create a rear compartment 3-4" long that runs the whole length of the tank and planted that heavily....then put the fish in the front part of the tank? That would keep the fish from nibbling on the plants, which would allow the plants the opportunity to do their job and filter the water and create O2, etc.
 

OrionGirl

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Look into planted sumps. It's not just about the fish eating them, there are lots of fish that dig so much that plants don't stand a chance.

To be honest, putting in 3-4 inches of space for plants wouldn't appeal to me. Trying to work in that confined area would suck, and it just adds to the glass that needs to be cleaned.
 

ktrom13

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Some plants are very hardy and usually wont get eaten such as anubias. There are a few other but i just woke up so i cant remember their names

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red devil

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Good comments and good questions. Part of the objective is stable water quality - having a stable number and condition of plants to help clean the water. Part is ornamental - having a forest of (hopefully) nice looking plants in the background. Part is to make it easier to provide better growing conditions for the plants. By putting them in the back of the tank and dividing it - even at the soil level - I can provide a growing media that is ideal for growing plants and uproot or change the plants with little effect on the rest of the tank. I usually use RUGF in my tanks for simple filtration along with some kind of canister to do some mechanical filtering and water polishing. Yes, it would pose an interesting challenge to keep clean but I would probably put a plecostomus in there with the plants and feed it sparingly. The planted sump idea is what I am looking for but if the sump is contained within the tank there will be no hoses going in and out of the tank and the pumps can be less expensive because they only have to move water a few inches up or down and not such great distances. Yes, I am more concerned about fish that dig and root than those that eat. My isolating the plants - or at least most of them - when choosing fish I don't have to deal with that variable in the equation at all.
 

OrionGirl

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Rather than a thin strip at the back, maybe an 'island' in the center with holes to allow water flow and smaller fish?

Be careful on plecos--not all eat algae. A bristlenose would best, but even they will require supplemental feeding.

Anubias and java fern would be fine attached to other decorations. But, your filtration (lots of bio media and a trap for the solids to be exported) means that there won't be enough nutrients in the water for the plants to do very well.
 

THE V

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A thin strip along the back would work well but you need a species with a narrow but tall growth habit. I'm pretty sure that only vals would work in that setup.

Vals do like a finer substrate to grow in. Mainly just to anchor their fine roots into and hold them in place.
 

jpappy789

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Like OG said, plants like Anubias, ferns and mosses that don't need to be rooted. They aren't very picky. Plants like swords and Crypts tend to have more extensive root systems...if you bought a more established plant they would be able to anchor into the substrate better. Like The V said, vals grow very compact and tall BUT they also spread by runners so there's no guarantee that they would stay growing in a strip along the back of the tank. You'd have to manually replant them.
 
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