Ash Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Well, my supposed "Display" tank in the lounge was looking bare, with just a hollow log, a bit of driftwood & the background (and the fish of course) so I grabbed all the Wide leaf Val (like guinea grass but tougher) from a LFS for $15 - about 7 individual plants, pruned to approx 25-30cm long. How long will it last? I'm hoping it's too tough for them to shred it like the normal val, java fern, swords, anubias & crypts that I've tried in vain - it's about my last shot before trying some of those dear silk plants! So, what do ya'll think? (Mods, feel free to move this if you want - I was torn between General cause it is fish related & the Tangent cause it's a bit off the wall) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchar Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Hi Ash, Sorry to say you've "done your dough". You will notice damage to the plants within a few hours and I would guess that those plants will be roots only inside a couple of days. Still, I'm sure they will be appreciative of the added dietry fibre merjo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducksta Posted April 7, 2005 Share Posted April 7, 2005 Ash the dam at my sisters old house was choked with this stuff, I used to go down and run nets through it to catch Gambusia, shrimp, the occasional yabbie, and water bugs to use as feeders, I also used to take home a bag full of plants up to 2' long, very green and covered with algae in the top stretches (the part that floated) It never lasted more than a day. The fish would destroy it down to about 3-4cm from the roots. And the stop. All the plants were left the same way. I guess it is like the bottom of a celery stalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted April 7, 2005 Author Share Posted April 7, 2005 Ahh, it's still there now - though they have torn it out of the substrate & taken a few leaves off. Worth a try I guess I've anchored it down to some driftwood so at least it looks kinda asthetic until they really shred it. I guess I will have to get some different rockwork & change the substrate - it's just way too dark without plants to brighten it up. Dark grey gravel with a universal rocks background & driftwood - all dark colours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted April 8, 2005 Author Share Posted April 8, 2005 24hrs & the majority of it is still there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ged Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 Well it has lasted longer than 50% of the votes. Lets see if it makes the week. Ged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducksta Posted April 8, 2005 Share Posted April 8, 2005 Anybody know if there is more than one "broad leafed val" Maybe Ash has sussed out the new java fern, which no cichlid dares taste more than once Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted April 8, 2005 Author Share Posted April 8, 2005 Well these guys smashed java fern within 5 minutes, so I might be on a winner. I haven't seen the dollars go it at all, only the sevs nibble a bit & the synspil rip the odd whole leaf off & tear some roots out. The fish are ~1yo, 15-18cm sevs & about 25cm synspil - dollars are maybe 7cm average? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted April 14, 2005 Author Share Posted April 14, 2005 a week has passed & still approx 75-80% of the val is left. They are eating it though I guess I just put in enough to make it last a while. Some of it's hit the surface of the tank too, so it is trying to survive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted April 21, 2005 Author Share Posted April 21, 2005 2 week mark & It's well & truely shredded, probably 30% left if it's lucky. So ends the experiment! You were all right on outcome, just wrong on timing - maybe my fish are pansys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zerospel Posted April 22, 2005 Share Posted April 22, 2005 Hey mate Did the silver dollars do a lot of damage to the vals? Ive always heard that dollars bashes up plants badly but do they do this to vals as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted April 23, 2005 Author Share Posted April 23, 2005 They ate it like little typewriters - on their side starting at the top & nibbling down like a typewriter head! lol The Cichlids just ripped it apart, the dollars only took off what they were eating - the majority of the missing/ruined val was torn up leaves floating cause of the cichlids Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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