fish uprooting my plants - solutions?

[northstar]

My tank's a 20 gallon with sand substrate, and my Goldfish keep digging up my Amazon Swords. Tried heavier rocks around the base, but they still get tossed. Any tricks to keep plants anchored?

[florian]

Goldfish are notorious for this. Have you tried planting in small terra cotta pots? Bury the pots in the substrate, and the roots will anchor better. Also, floating plants like Frogbit might distract them from digging.

[northoak]

Dude, Goldfish are basically underwater bulldozers. I gave up on rooted plants and switched to Anubias glued to driftwood. They can't rip that out, and it's low-maintenance. Bonus: no more sandstorms in the tank.

[brownie]

Dude, Goldfish are basically underwater bulldozers. I gave up on rooted plants and switched to Anubias glued to driftwood. They can't rip that out, and it's low-maintenance. Bonus: no more sandstorms in the tank.

Second this. Anubias and Java Fern on hardscape are goldfish-proof. Just avoid burying their rhizomes.

[florina]

If you're dead set on swords, try weighting the roots with lead plant weights before burying. Also, feed more greens—sometimes they dig less if they're full of blanched zucchini.

[northstar]

Thanks for the ideas! Gonna try the terra cotta pots first. If that fails, I'll switch to Anubias. Appreciate the help.

[brooklen]

My Betta does this too, but like, way less dramatic. Maybe your Goldfish are just extra? Lol.

[Lyrax]

Is your tank crowded? Less space might make them dig more. Just a thought.

[bronzeoak]

Coarse gravel instead of sand could help. Heavier particles are harder to displace.

[sandcat]

Goldfish are notorious for this. Have you tried planting in small terra cotta pots? Bury the pots in the substrate, and the roots will anchor better. Also, floating plants like Frogbit might distract them from digging.

Terra cotta works great for me. Also, check your water flow—high current can loosen plants.