# Can Plants and Pygos really Mix ??



## zbaidy (Dec 23, 2005)

Hi,

I was setting up a planted pygo tank when I was told by someone that pygos and plants don't mix well together. The reason given was that pygos like to tear up the tank and that they are also omnivorous and so Plants can be a food source for them.

Has anyone with a pygo planted tank experienced their pygos pulling up or eating their plants ? Thanks for the any help you add to this


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## maknwar (Jul 16, 2007)

Plants go in any tank regardless of what fish. I think the problem is when the pygos get wild and chase each other around or its eating time that they just hit the plants and uproot them. I have never had a problem with them eating plants or uprooting but thats just my experience. I had some very large pygos in my 125 and it was planted. The only time I had some uprooting was when they attacked another tern and he was hitting the plants which caused a few of them to get moved around. Overall, I think that with a heavy substrate, there will be very few problems with plants. Its sand that would be a problem.


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## Ibanez247 (Nov 9, 2006)

Thats funny I always had problems with larger fish tearing up my plants with a gravel substrate. Ever since I switched to sand never had the problem again. When plants are fisrt planted thats usually when they can get tore out of the substrate. AFter they've developed some roots usally isnt a problem anymore. Now Cichlids are a different story. They will rearange the tank how ever they see fit. Pygos.. dont care.


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## jamesw (Jan 28, 2009)

I agree with Ibanez247, when plants are new, they can get uprooted if ur fish are "big" but once plants have grown some roots they stay in really well, my substrate is sand mixed with eco-complete. My 12" piraya can cause uprooting problems sometimes but only on the plants that i planted last week, the ones i planted a couple weeks ago are fine. Its not like it cant be done. Pygos look great in a planted tank.


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## Trigga (Jul 1, 2006)

Plant a week or so before you add the pygos... If they are fast growing plants they should be steady by the time you add the fish


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## skylute3 (Nov 30, 2007)

Ya, that's funny, bc I have a pygo tank, 2 caribe and 2 reds, and they are 8-10 inchers in a 120 gallon, and I buy new plants every month or so....my one red in particular goes nuttz on all the plants, always swallowing sand and spittin out threw gills, he actually grabs ahold of the plant, and pulls it off leaf by leaf...I get 6 amazon swords healthy to last about a week max, but when I get bored I replace...just sux 20 bucks every month or so...


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## Trigga (Jul 1, 2006)

That's a damn shame my piraya are fine so far with the plant they got in their tank


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