Re: Someone's been eating my bacopa!

[Dinky]

Women are expected to do twice as much as men in half the time and for
no credit. Fortunately, this isn't difficult."- Charlotte Whitton (1896 - 1975)
-----
"Ross Vandegrift" > wrote in message
...
: I've got a bunch of tetras, two swordtails, some ottos, three coryodas,
: and a bristlenose pleco. I suspect it's the swordtails, trying to eat
: hair algae off the leaves, and getting a bit, ahem, overzealous.
:
: Any idea on how to prevent it? Am I perhaps underfeeding them?
:


I'd say the bristlenose is the culprit. It might not be intentional, he must
just be biting too hard when he tries to scrape off the algae.<g>

[Jeff Ludwig]

> I'd say the bristlenose is the culprit. It might not be intentional, he
must
> just be biting too hard when he tries to scrape off the algae.<g>

Dunno, I thought the bristlenoses were pretty good with plants... some of
the other pleccos maybe, but aren't bristlenoses lacking teeth or something
like that? Swordtails will pluck at algae but bacopa is one of the toughest
stem plants I've come across... really thick leaves, I would think your
finer leafed plants would be first to go. How is the overall health of the
bacopa and the other plants?

Cheers,
Jeff Ludwig

[Steve Galupe]

What kind of tetras do you have? If you have the bigger ones like diamond
tetras or buenos aires tetras, they might be the ones. I have a bunch of
Hygros that have little bite marks on their tips/edges

I can imagine the plecos rasping on wide leafed plants but not small stem
plants. My bristlenose pleco doesn't.

To prevent it, hmmm. I might put the stem plants at the back of the tank
instead, so it won't be too obvious, otherwise I'm happy that my tetras
nibbling at them bec. that means they're having a balanced diet. My diamond
tetras breed in my tank without me doing anything special to the tank.

"Ross Vandegrift" > wrote in message
...
> I've got a bunch of tetras, two swordtails, some ottos, three coryodas,
> and a bristlenose pleco. I suspect it's the swordtails, trying to eat
> hair algae off the leaves, and getting a bit, ahem, overzealous.
>
> Any idea on how to prevent it? Am I perhaps underfeeding them?
>
> --
> Ross Vandegrift
>
>
> A Pope has a Water Cannon. It is a Water Cannon.
> He fires Holy-Water from it. It is a Holy-Water Cannon.
> He Blesses it. It is a Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
> He Blesses the Hell out of it. It is a Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
> He has it pierced. It is a Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
> Batman and Robin arrive. He shoots them.

[kush]

I have buenos aries tetras and red-eye tetras, too. If a leaf gets ripped or
damaged on my hygro they're all over it like piranhas on a gut-shot cow.

I planted three bunches of bacopa back in August and none of it survived in
that tank. Now you've got me wondering...

kush

"you can't have everything - where would you put it?"

Steve Galupe > wrote in message
...
> What kind of tetras do you have? If you have the bigger ones like diamond
> tetras or buenos aires tetras, they might be the ones. I have a bunch of
> Hygros that have little bite marks on their tips/edges
>
> I can imagine the plecos rasping on wide leafed plants but not small stem
> plants. My bristlenose pleco doesn't.
>
> To prevent it, hmmm. I might put the stem plants at the back of the tank
> instead, so it won't be too obvious, otherwise I'm happy that my tetras
> nibbling at them bec. that means they're having a balanced diet. My
diamond
> tetras breed in my tank without me doing anything special to the tank.
>
> "Ross Vandegrift" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I've got a bunch of tetras, two swordtails, some ottos, three coryodas,
> > and a bristlenose pleco. I suspect it's the swordtails, trying to eat
> > hair algae off the leaves, and getting a bit, ahem, overzealous.
> >
> > Any idea on how to prevent it? Am I perhaps underfeeding them?
> >
> > --
> > Ross Vandegrift
> >
> >
> > A Pope has a Water Cannon. It is a Water Cannon.
> > He fires Holy-Water from it. It is a Holy-Water Cannon.
> > He Blesses it. It is a Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
> > He Blesses the Hell out of it. It is a Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
> > He has it pierced. It is a Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
> > Batman and Robin arrive. He shoots them.
>
>

[Da' Fishboy]

The swordtails love to devour plant material along with a protein diet.
Take the swordtails out of the tank and the nibbling will stop.

The bristlenose pleco will also graze on plant material but you can feed him
cooked green beans minus any spices or butter to prevent that. Your pleco
might also enjoy some wood in his tank to gnaw on.

My two cents...

Earl

"Ross Vandegrift" > wrote in message
...
> I've got a bunch of tetras, two swordtails, some ottos, three coryodas,
> and a bristlenose pleco. I suspect it's the swordtails, trying to eat
> hair algae off the leaves, and getting a bit, ahem, overzealous.
>
> Any idea on how to prevent it? Am I perhaps underfeeding them?
>
> --
> Ross Vandegrift
>
>
> A Pope has a Water Cannon. It is a Water Cannon.
> He fires Holy-Water from it. It is a Holy-Water Cannon.
> He Blesses it. It is a Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
> He Blesses the Hell out of it. It is a Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
> He has it pierced. It is a Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon.
> Batman and Robin arrive. He shoots them.