# plants that can "survive" with plecos?



## moonstruck (Aug 10, 2008)

Are there any hardy plants we can use in our tank that are more "resistant" to being eaten and will last longer?

Thanks 
Becky


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## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

I'd go with plants that have a smaller leaf, so things like elodea, vallis, cabomba etc. If you make sure the plecs are well fed with courgette, sinking pellets etc you may have better luck with other plants.


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## Pleco07 (Aug 15, 2007)

hippyhaplos said:


> If you make sure the plecs are well fed with courgette, sinking pellets etc you may have better luck with other plants.


This^
Feed them well and they dont seem to graze on your plants, always worked for me


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

never had them eat plants, but i feed mine algae wafers, sinking catfish pellets and cucumber.


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## moonstruck (Aug 10, 2008)

he gets sinking pellets & cucumber which we tuck inside the plane he likes to hide in, but the last selection of plants we had (which looked great) gradually vanished, we presumed it was the bristle nosed plec... maybe someone else was responsible :hmm:

there's also 2 gold barbs, 2 angelfish, a sucky loach, 2 corys, 2 glass catfish, a humbug catfish (which never comes out anyway so i doubt it's him) and i'm sure he's got something else in there but i can't remember!

any ideas who else could be responsible?
would the same thing apply anyway, plants with smaller leaves?


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## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

The barbs are a likely suspect as well!

I'd try finer leaved plants, and failing that go for a mix of silk and live plants- then you're getting the goodness of live plants(and so are the fish) and you'll always have something to look at with the silk plants- some are really realistic!


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## moonstruck (Aug 10, 2008)

I have elodea with my goldfish, we stuck one of those in their yesterday and shockingly it doesn't look like it's been eaten. :gasp:

He did have a few big tetras as well, which have now gone to live with my parents, maybe it was them eating the plants? 

We've considered getting silk plants, but wanted to give real ones another try before shelling out loads of money on realistic fake ones. 
I don't know many plant species, so a little list of hardy/fine/small leaved species would be greatly appreciated :notworthy: and thank you for all you help :2thumb:


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## hippyhaplos (Jan 12, 2010)

Elodea, cabomba, vallis, java fern and water sprite should survive


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## Ash1988 (Nov 9, 2010)

It could very well of been the Tetra's as i have 5 BN pleco's for 2 years and not once have they eaten a plant, yes they clean them but never eat, tho Tetra's i have seen loads of times times nibbling away at plants.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

it could also be the plants that you`re buying, a lot of the ones for sale arnt really aquatic- they`re houseplants that will live for a short time in the water then fall appart.

if you go for the normal ones like amazon swords, cabomba, java fern, vallis, elodea, hygrophylia you should be fine....


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## CPT BJ (Oct 30, 2010)

I'd use artifical ones, you can get some very nice looking plastic & silk ones.


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## moonstruck (Aug 10, 2008)

thank you all for your help and advice
:notworthy:

if all goes well, hopefully i'll be posting some pictures of a nicely planted, un-eaten tank in a few weeks time!


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

just another thought, have they got enough lighting?


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## moonstruck (Aug 10, 2008)

pigglywiggly said:


> just another thought, have they got enough lighting?


we've just got a new tube yesterday actually, we use ones with the colour spectrum to enhance the fish's colouration, could that be causing problems for the plants?

the tank is also in our front "hallway" sort of area and gets sunlight for most of the day (but it never used to, used to live at his parents but we've moved in together recently :flrt


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