# Plants with Cichlids



## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

Ok I know it's not recommended because of the destructive nature of cichlids when it comes to plants, but I want plants in my tank. I had a big growth of plant at one point in my 90's and they didn't seem to bother them too much. Is there some plants youguys would recommend (low light-med) that are pretty hardy? they will be planted in sand, lots of aeration. I just want something a little more colorful than rocks, or should i go fake? lol, the taboo question...real or fake plants


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## SOUPNAZZI (Sep 24, 2010)

I would love to go with live plants with a Pike Cichild.
The only way to find out is to try it..

I will be in the same boat, find a hardy plant with a sand substrate.


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## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

I've tried java ferns and anubas. Both did fine with cichlids. 

Softer plants will get ripped up thought eventually.

Doesn't hurt to try.


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

Amazon sword seems to work for me.

I have it in sand too but I put a bunch of descent size rocks around it so it stays put.


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## Tbird (Oct 5, 2009)

Plants are hit or miss. Like Gucci, I have had java fern and anubias. They have been ok in some tanks and in others, they still rip them apart. I've had them leave plants for months and one day you look in the tank and there will be a bunch of leaves ripped off. So unfortunately you have to try and see what happens. With java fern and anubias, I usually just tie them to rocks or driftwood.

Wil


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Much depends on the type of cichlid too - in my experience, Mbuna are like locusts to even Anubias & Java fern, but (like Fish_Man) Haps/Peacocks have left Swords alone, and Tanganyikan Shellies like to use Crypts for additional shelter...


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## vrb th hrb (Feb 20, 2010)

i've been having good luck so far with plants in my SA tank with eartheaters and plecos in there.

like someone said, just plant them well, and then rocks around the base of the plants, this has been working well for me with crinium and amazon swords. and the eartheater fry and my rasboras have been using floating water sprite and najas grass for grazing/shelter but they grow fast enough to outrun the abuse


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## xr8dride (Feb 24, 2009)

Thanks for all the advice guys, I will try it....can't hurt.


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## jimmyjam (Nov 6, 2007)

besides the above i have ties lots of moss to drift wood and had great success in cichlid tanks. Swords anubius and all types of ferns are good. Some of the larger crypts are good as well as long as their grown in.


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## Philip.Chan.92 (Apr 25, 2010)

I cleaned out one of my tanks and put the plants in there into my Malawi (African) tank. Plants that were added were hornwort, corkscrew vals, anubias. Hornwort was gone within weeks, corkscrew vals now look like a freshly mowed lawn but the anubias were untouched. I hear that anubias and java fern taste pretty bad for fish so I would opt to get those.


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## Cory (May 2, 2008)

It depends on what fish you are keeping. Some cichlids will tear any veggie matter to shreds even the tough stuff eventually. Some will ignore it entirely, my pollenis don't even touch the plants in their tank. South Americans are more "re-arrangers" than eaters so floating plants can work with them and Ive had limited success with floating stuff in cichlid tanks too as long as a lot is added at first, smaller portions tend to be attacked. 

There are a lot of really nice looking fake plants you can get now days though if you want the look of real plants and weighed down properly they make great additions.


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