# Epic fail!



## marigoldkelly95 (Feb 9, 2012)

Okay so I got live plants a few weeks ago (maybe a month) to help with my nitrate problem. Has worked great!

My Africans won't stop digging up my vallisneria!!! :x

EVERY day I have floaters and I have small rocks and stones around them. Somehow they are still managing to dig them up! They seem to leave the anubias alone and don't bother the Java fern too much. But the vallisneria!

Was the LFS right? Should I have saved my money? HELP! This is getting very frustrating.

Thank you for any ideas or help in advance. Have sand for substrate, btw.


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## JAyliffe (Feb 29, 2012)

I must be lucky with my Vallisineria, I do get floaters from time to time but mostly they don't get disturbed. My substrate is crushed coral sand. A lot of my cichlids are still juvies but I do have at least a dozen that are close to 3" size. I will say I had more floaters in the early days and rarely get them now, when I get one I use the long handled tong device to grab it and push it back in the substrate, I sometimes wonder if I push them in too deep but once I see them growing I know it's good.

If you look at this thread, I posted a couple of tank pictures yesterday

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... p?t=243428


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## marigoldkelly95 (Feb 9, 2012)

It's my juveniles that are the culprits. Namely, my Red Tail (grrr...he makes me so mad!! :x ) I have seen him in the act numerous times.

I gotta say your tank looks really nice. :thumb: I do agree with you on the blue background. If you really need a background I would consider black - will make your fish stand out more. I don't have a background since mine sits in an interior picture window.

The vallisneria seems to be hanging in there fairly well despite being uprooted every other day. I'm hoping eventually they will get enough roots to stay down. In the meantime maybe I need to plant them a little deeper or relocate in between bigger rocks.

I'd post a pic but I'm too embarrassed at how desheveled my tank is looking these days with plants floating around and whatnot.  I'm trying really hard (my husband would say obsessed) to have a nice tank that it is best for my fish but... I gotta admit I feel somewhat inferior to a lot of others on this site.  Glad most are nice enough to help me out!


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## JAyliffe (Feb 29, 2012)

My Vallisineria came from a friend's tank with a lot of roots so it probably is the difference. Hang in there i know its frustrating to have to keep replanting them but worth it in the end


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## littleolme (Nov 1, 2011)

Funny, they leave our val alone but they eat the anubias and our swords ... salad buffet :lol:


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## proskier101 (Jan 1, 2012)

every pet store I have been too has had the roots butchered by the supplier. Once you get the roots to grow they will be fine.


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## marigoldkelly95 (Feb 9, 2012)

Ok. Added another filter so power jets weren't blowing em around so much. Added caribsea flora Max to the substrate and moved some plants around to be less accessible. Hopefully this will do the trick!! :thumb:


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## JAyliffe (Feb 29, 2012)

opcorn: Time for some pictures


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

I have my plants floating around since they don't really need to be rooted in the substrate, and I want them to get more light.

But I recently had an idea for plants that need to be rooted. What if you stuck suction cups on the bottom and attached the plants to them? Now that won't keep the fish from shredding them, but if it's just a problem with them pulling them up too easily, perhaps that might work.


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