fish nibbling my plants - help!

[flux9]

My Anubias and Java Fern are getting wrecked by my Silver Dollars. They're tearing up the leaves, and I'm not sure how to stop it. Tank's a 55 gallon, planted substrate, LED lights on 8 hours a day. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Any ideas?

[hydroflux]

Silver Dollars are notorious for munching plants. You might wanna try adding more veggies to their diet, like blanched zucchini or spinach. Also, floating plants like Frogbit can distract them from your Anubias. What's your feeding routine like?

[buzzyhive]

My Anubias and Java Fern are getting wrecked by my Silver Dollars. They're tearing up the leaves, and I'm not sure how to stop it. Tank's a 55 gallon, planted substrate, LED lights on 8 hours a day. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Any ideas?

Yeah, Silver Dollars are basically underwater goats. I'd second the veggie idea, but also maybe try tougher plants like Amazon Swords. They're less tasty to those guys.

[zenoxa]

Your water params sound solid, so it's likely just the fish's natural behavior. Adding more hardscape like driftwood or rocks can create barriers to protect the plants. How many Silver Dollars do you have? Overcrowding might be stressing them into nibbling more.

[goldrush]

I had the same issue with my Buenos Aires Tetras. Ended up switching to plastic plants for a bit till I could rehome them. Not ideal, but sometimes you gotta work with what you've got.

[floriken]

Have you tried adding more hiding spots? Sometimes if they feel secure, they're less likely to pick at plants. Also, what's your water change schedule? Consistency can sometimes curb weird behavior.

[deepwell]

My buddy had luck with adding duckweed. The Silver Dollars went nuts for it and left his other plants alone. Might be worth a shot if you don't mind the duckweed takeover.

[flux9]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'll try the zucchini and maybe some Frogbit. Appreciate the help!

[hydroflux]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'll try the zucchini and maybe some Frogbit. Appreciate the help!

No problem. Let us know how it goes. If the Frogbit doesn't work, you might need to consider rehoming the Silver Dollars or setting up a species-only tank.

[buzzyhive]

Also, keep an eye on the zucchini. If it's not blanched, they might ignore it. Learned that the hard way with my Oscars.