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fish nibbling my plants - help!
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2025 11:30 pm
by 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?
Re: fish nibbling my plants - help!
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2025 12:58 am
by 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?
Re: fish nibbling my plants - help!
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2025 1:23 am
by buzzyhive
flux9 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 23, 2025 11:30 pm
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.
Re: fish nibbling my plants - help!
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2025 2:54 am
by 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.
Re: fish nibbling my plants - help!
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2025 4:12 am
by 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.
Re: fish nibbling my plants - help!
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2025 4:44 am
by 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.
Re: fish nibbling my plants - help!
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2025 5:42 am
by 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.
Re: fish nibbling my plants - help!
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2025 7:37 am
by flux9
Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'll try the zucchini and maybe some Frogbit. Appreciate the help!
Re: fish nibbling my plants - help!
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2025 7:54 am
by hydroflux
flux9 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 24, 2025 7:37 am
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.
Re: fish nibbling my plants - help!
Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2025 8:03 am
by 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.