cichlids with plants

[fishpoop]

i am planning on starting an american cichlid tank. what types of american cichlids would it be all right to have with plants like java ferns,swords, and anubias or with cichlids should i just leave the plants out

 

[Jawz]

oscars will glady tear up and destroy any plants

 

[fishpoop]

i dont want to get any oscars i was thinking more along the lines of convicts,a firemouth, and possibly a jack dempsey. and if these fish are ok with plants would it be safe to keep them in a 55 gallon together

 

[Jawz]

hmm i think they are pretty ok with plants, maybe the firemouth might get picky.. id shoot for a 75 gallon, or 65 be nice too. unless u can sorta get a widder 55 gallon

 

[wayne at home]

They'll probably be ok. You can tie most of those plants down , and swords get big roots in time. For a 55 that's 13" wide a jack is a bit big

 

[toodles]

Not that I'm an expert on firemouths, but the one I have is a wuss and wouldn't stand a chance against a JD. (Maybe not even against a convict!) I have heard of firemouths that were terrors too, so figure you have a 50/50 chance of the firemouth being beaten up.
I will say that the fish doesn't bother plants at all......

If you are worried about the fish digging, you can always put your plants in pots.

 

[Badplankton]

i had a green terror and red evil with a few plants and they didnt bother them at all but you never know

 

[BigCiX]

my severus is only about 4 inches or so and he is a plants worst nightmare

 

[Cutlass]

yeah my big severum constantly tries to tear one of my plants to pieces. good thing it's a fake plant

 

[BigCiX]

Originally posted by Cutlass
yeah my big severum constantly tries to tear one of my plants to pieces. good thing it's a fake plant

how big is your severum.....also age?

 

[Cutlass]

about 6 inches nose to tail, 3.5 to 4 inches tall. he's almost two years old

 

[BigCiX]

Originally posted by Cutlass
about 6 inches nose to tail, 3.5 to 4 inches tall. he's almost two years old

is he at full size. im sure they get a little bigger than that

 

[Aquaman]

I've got a tank that is deadly to plants - 4 parrots (king kong variety) (yeah, I know everyone hates them) and a foot long common plec. The parrots dig the plants up and the plec eats them. They seem to work as a team.

 

[amishfignewton]

lol. I have firemouths and one convict together in a 40 gallon (breeder) and they are fine. There are a bunch of firemouths and only one convict (I am waiting for a pair of firemouths to pair off, and I dont want little convict babies therefore I am keeping one.) A little overstocked now, but when I get rid of the unpaired firemouths it will be fine. Anyway, the convict beat the crap outa one of the firemouths, but then the firemouths and tiger barbs kinda grouped together and let the convict have it, now he pretty much sticks to himself and doesnt bother them

 

[DarthV]

My 2" Green Terror has started to target the plants in the middle part of my tank.

 

[Cutlass]

Originally posted by BigCiX
is he at full size. im sure they get a little bigger than that

i doubt he's at full size. he may not get much bigger unless i put him in a larger tank. but thats just my guess