I want to put live plants in my new cichlid tank (55 G), Which do you suggest?

Question

I have red zebras and electric yellows

Answer 1

Most of the living plants I've tried to keep with them were also eaten, but I've found one that they leave alone: jungle val (Vallisneria spiralis). One side of the tank has a thick stand of val planted in individual clay flower pots.
I found it absolutely necessary to pot the plants. If the plants were not potted, they were uprooted on a continuous basis. I use small (three or four inch diameter) red clay pots (they are available everywhere). A pebble is jammed into the pot's drainage hole to keep everything from falling out the bottom. I then put in an inch of peat moss mixed with a pinch of "micronized iron" (very fine iron filings). The pot is then filled with normal aquarium gravel. The val is planted quite thickly (it doesn't seem to mind crowding) because if any bare gravel were visible in the pots, the Pseudotropheus would pick at it until the plants were uprooted.
FROM http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Plants/cichlids.html#3
A

Answer 2

I also have red zebras and electric yellows. The best plants for those fish would be Java fern and or some of the Anubia variety. They both have very tough leaves. If you decide to add different cichlids at a later date, watch them for a while to see if the new ones are chewing on the plants.

Have your fish spawned for you yet? I can't get mine to stop...short of separating them and that's not going to happen, I like babies! They are like money in the bank!

Neither need to be rooted in the gravel, they will attach their roots to stones or decorations in the tank. Tie them to something with some nylon fishing line until they attach themselves, then snip the fishing line off and they are weighted down.

I have a Java fern that is worth about $30, it almost completely fills a ten gallon tank and is attached to a rock like ceramic arch.

Answer 3

They will destory your plants if they are African cichlids. Trust me I learned that the hard way. I didn't know much about african cichlids and plants, I started a wonderful tank with plants, spent a lot of money on everything, then the cichlids had a field day. I would consult with a knowledgeable pet store before taking that one on.

Good Luck and Take Care.

P.S. If you are looking for great ways to entertain your cichlids, get a piece of fresh spinach (when it is safe again) and clip it to the side of the tank, they love it!

Answer 4

I would suggest going out to plant geek and taking a look at their Plant Guide. There are pictures and all kinds of information for you on whatever you looke up (placement in the tank, brackish or not, level of light needed, any special care details, etc).

Just an awesome resource - here's their site's main page...

http://www.plantgeek.net

Go to the Plant Guide link there at the top of the page. Good luck!

Answer 5

Never put live plants in your cichlid tank. The fish will just tear them up, anyway.

Answer 6

If you have oscars, you're going to have a tough time with plants, because they love to uproot them.

If any other kind of cichlid, find a nice leafy one and see if they nibble on the leaves. Amazon swords are pretty, you could try those first.

Answer 7

I would get just one plant, and a very inexpensive one, and put it in the tank. See if your fish are going to eat it. If it makes it through a week, then consider getting more. I bought a few plants to put in with my african ciclids, and they were all eaten up within a few days. And my dad, the fish guru, says that live plants tend to dirty up the water much fater.

Answer 8

Cichlids like Anacharis plants, and banana plants, they also like the duckweed type of floating plant that is very small, most pet stores don't charge very much for the duckweed, there are other names for it, varying from area to area, ask your local pet shop owner, (they know a little more than most of their employees)

Answer 9

Green plants would look nice.