# Live plants? P's eat plastic plants....



## MrRob (Oct 20, 2003)

My p's are starting to eat the tips of my plastic plants. So with my new tank, shoud I try real plants or will they eat the real ones too?

I have never had real plants, any tips?


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## AzNP (May 21, 2003)

they bite plants but im not sure if they actually eat it
my spilo loves trimming leaves and he bites off the stem but he never eats it...
go ask yur lfs for some easy plants that dont need much care nor sunlight


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## The Wave (Oct 22, 2003)

I am giving up on real plants in my pygo shoal tank,they get going nice and then wile feeding they get wrecked,got new ones to replace them and only last a few days untill all ruined as well.


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## MrRob (Oct 20, 2003)

plants are pretty cheap. I may just try some.


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## SLANTED (Dec 7, 2003)

I have gone to all anubias plants. They are super hardy and require only low light. They are on the pricey side but I haven't lost one yet. The anubias barteri are the best in my opinion but there are many types to choose from.


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## Scrambled (Dec 17, 2003)

> I have gone to all anubias plants. They are super hardy and require only low light.


I agree. I have the same plants and my piranhas haven't touched them. Come to think of it, I did have plants before in my other piranhas tanks and they didn't eat them either. I think live plants are nicer to have than plastic. Go live!


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## GloomCookie (Dec 30, 2003)

P's are the best fish to have live plants simply because they eat meat, as long as you pick the right kind of plant it should do fine.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

As well as anubias, you could also give Java Fern a try - it's not as expensive as anubias, can also be attached to rock/wood and does good in low light environments, and due to the mild toxins it carries, fish won't touch it...

*_Moved to Equipment Questions_*


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## rufus (Jan 6, 2004)

Live plants were a pain my a$$, had lots of problems with them dying or get torn up. Plastic doesn't look as good, but I never have to mess with it.


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## Husky_Jim (May 26, 2003)

As Jonas and others said you can try Anubias.They are very hardy plants and can live in low-light environment.
You can also try the following:Cryptocorines,Echinodorus,Java Fern,Java Moss,Riccia Fluitans and Valisneries.

In my tanks i have many different kinds of the aforementioned plants and many others not described but this is an individual example and works only in *my* tanks.In yours this might not work.It depends from your P's.

This is how is my setup:In the bottom of the tank there is a heating cable (for water circulation),on top of it there is 1-1,5 inch of leaf mold and on top of it there is 2-3 inch of mixed gravel (normal+lava).I have the lights on for 10 hours and i am usingbulbs especially for plants.I am using also furtilizer in tablets and liquid one.I have from time to time (when i am not lazy to prepare it...







) custom CO2...

Goodluck,

Jim


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## tecknik (Jul 18, 2003)

P's will chew on fake or real plants. The pros of having fake plants is that they dont get caught up in your filter like real ones. The advantage of real plants is that they help provide oxygen for your p's and help reduce nitrates in your water. I personally prefer real plants over fake plants. Try some plants that Judazz and Husky_Jim suggested.


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