# Cichlid safe plants



## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

I have had luck with java fern, anubias, bolbitus and jungle val (depending on cichlid types. Aulonocara are not gonna destroy plants, but labidochromis, tropheus, and pseudotropheus will. Go for a bunch of neolamps, some aulonocara and cyprichromis and you will be fine)


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## Oreo (May 6, 2008)

I have one african cichlid in my tank, among other fish that tend to do a lot of nibbling. Used to have a 10" goldfish too.

What I have learned is that it's not just what plants you have but how you aquascape also. For instance, I find that plants with fine needle like leaves get left alone. But I can put something prone to getting eaten deep in a clump of the needle-leaved plants and it too will be spared just enough to survive. After it's been there a long time and matured the fish start to leave it alone and it will grow quite well. But if I then move it to a different spot the fish will chomp it all the way down to the substrate again.

You'll also want to buy plants that grow very fast to keep up with your fish's appetite. Keep your fish well fed. Feed them several times a day. And when you buy plants buy a ton of them. Plant super heavy right from the start. In that respect it's definitely a gamble 'cause you could spend a lot on plants only to see them all get eaten & die but there's safety in numbers. If there is enough new plant growth in the entire aquarium to compensate for what gets eaten some stuff will establish itself and thrive over the long haul.

Finally, you really have to keep up with the tank maintenance in general. It's hard enough to keep algae at bay in a non-aggressive planted tank. But if you let things go the plants will deteriorate twice as fast in an aggressive tank. When the plants stop growing, or slow down, you'll have algae AND fish conspiring against you.

Hope that helps.


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## timwag2001 (Jul 3, 2009)

plastic


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## F22 (Sep 21, 2008)

^quitter!!!!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I recommend you read through Travis's African Planted tank journal, his tank remains one of the nicest I've ever seen:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...30-planted-125g-african-cichlid-tank-56k.html


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