# Bristlenose eating my swords and Java fern question



## ofthemountain (Nov 25, 2014)

Hello,

I posted this thread a while back: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=783402&highlight=

Basically my swords leaves were deteriorating and I asked what the problem was. People suggested adding root tabs, more light, etc, and one person said it may be the algae eater. Well I took everyones advice and added root tabs and gave the BN some algae wafers to hopefully satisfy his hunger but unfortunately he is still going to town on the leaves. 

I dont really want to get rid of him but my swords look pretty ugly all torn up... anyone ever solve this problem before?

Second question, as a total rookie move I planted my java ferns in the substrate and later found out I shouldnt have done that. I moved them and put rocks around the bottom to keep them in place. Does this look like it will work? 

Thanks in advance!


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## Zapins (Jan 7, 2006)

Zapins said:


> They will likely not stop damaging the plants, food or no food. Once they start its the plant or the fish in my experience.


Unfortunately I have not seen anyone successfully stop a plant damaging pleco from doing it once they start. Though not all plecos of the same species will do it. You can try swapping your pleco for another one. It is possible and in fact likely that the new one will not damage the plants in the same way. That way you can keep a pleco and your plants, just not the same individual fish you have now.

The java ferns look ok.

Thank you for letting us know what you tried. All too often people do not reply to their thread at all and then nobody else knows what worked and didn't work. This forces people in the future with a similar issue to repeat the same experiments over and over.


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## Acro (Jul 7, 2012)

I have kept many bristlenose and I've never seen a bristlenose pleco do this! How odd!
Have you tried offering a blanched leaf of romaine lettuce, kale, spinach or other leafy greens? How about a slice of cucumber or zucchini? That may be a tastier alternative to the sword plants.

As for the Java fern, I would attach it to those rocks, but it should be fine.

Back to the bristlenose and swords . . . it if was me . . . I'd keep the fish and try new plants. 

Good Luck!


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## ofthemountain (Nov 25, 2014)

> Thank you for letting us know what you tried. All too often people do not reply to their thread at all and then nobody else knows what worked and didn't work. This forces people in the future with a similar issue to repeat the same experiments over and over.


Absolutely! and I appreciate the advice. 

To follow up on some other questions, I had not tried other food options but I did just drop some cucumber slices in the tank. They float though soo I guess well see how this went in the morning (aka if they are still there)

The algae wafers never really seem to be fully ate by the bristlenose, normally my three black mollies will try and devour it. They are basically garbage disposals and turn the food into poop in about 1 minute. I am considering removing them once I get my angelfish, but thats another story. I have new growth coming in on the sword, and a root tab down in the roots so I will update in a week or so with how the leaves are looking.


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## Shana (Aug 27, 2010)

I have bristlenoses and a sword and had the exact same problem. I've found that keeping zucchini always available helps. They haven't completely stopped eating the sword plant, but it is much better than it was. 

I use plant anchors to keep the zucchini from floating. In case you haven't seen them before, they're the little metal strips you get holding bunches of stem plants. I just bend them in a U shape and stick one end through the zucchini slice and then stick the whole thing in the substrate. I use one on each side for big slices. Sometimes they also get carrot, which they don't like as much but will eat. 

You should also trim those damaged leaves if you can. I've found that once they become damaged they just attract algae.


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## dmagerl (Feb 2, 2010)

I used to have two bristlenoses and the sword plant was always toast. Whenever it sprouted a new leaf it was immediately eaten. One of the plecos recently died and the sword is doing much better but still being eaten. It seems like they will suck on any big broad flat leaf so that makes swords prime targets.

Zucchini does indeed help minimize the damage. Snails are attracted to it too so it helps minimize their population when I pull out the snail covered piece.


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