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#1
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Plant Munching Problem
I've been watching the newsgroup posts for sometime now and have yet to
see anyone experience the problem I am having with my planted tank and now tanks. My problem seemed to start about a year ago when I introduced some new plants into my 72 gallon aquarium. The Water Wisteria and Amazon Swords seemed to start off quite well in the tank and then a few weeks later I noticed the munching. The tank was relatively empty as far what fish were in the tank. Primarily, Rosy Reds for feeding my Red-tailed Barracuda's and some Silver Gars. There has never been any snails in this tank so I have ruled out the plant munching via a snail infestation. To the point, something is eating my plants and leaving similar devastation that you would normally see Tent Caterpillars leave behind on common apple trees in the summer time. This creature(s) cuts complete symmetrical chunks out of the plant leaves. The thing I find weird is the damage to the leaves aren't rounded bite marks, the leaves look like someone has taken a razor blade and cut pieces of the leaf completely off. The damage to the leafs almost look like someone took a straight edge and then cut the leaf in half with a razor blade.... Although I have yet to hear/experience this problem before and I have had planted tanks for over 20 years, nobody has been able to provide a viable explanation for this odd munching. One person that I talked to at a local fish store suggested I look for cocoons along the top of the tank wrapped in plant debris. This person thought that I may have introduced a moth/water caterpillar to the tank. Of course I checked this and have found nothing that suggests a moth or caterpillar is living in my tank. What ever this creatures is, it has to be very small. I have scoured the tank and now tanks due to using the same bucket for water changes for another tank, which has somehow now spread the creature to another tank. There is absolutely nothing I can see eating these plants (during the day at least) Has anyone experienced this problem? Any help/suggestions to irradicate this menace would be greatly appreciated. I'd rather not have to completely empty the tank and bleach the heck out of everything to get rid of this plant killer. The second tank affected by these silent killers is my 108 gallon tank which houses the Red-tailed Barracuda's (4) my my Silver Gars(4). Moving these types fish around to other tanks in order to start over would likely stress the fish out to the point of death.....and that's a very expensive option. Thanks in advance. |
#2
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Plant Munching Problem
Sounds as if you have a creature eating plants and I would say it is a
cocoon eating and I found one of these in a tanks and it was a big eater of plants. I was awhile finding the creature but did and removed and know more chunks out of plants. Wilma wrote in message ... I've been watching the newsgroup posts for sometime now and have yet to see anyone experience the problem I am having with my planted tank and now tanks. My problem seemed to start about a year ago when I introduced some new plants into my 72 gallon aquarium. The Water Wisteria and Amazon Swords seemed to start off quite well in the tank and then a few weeks later I noticed the munching. The tank was relatively empty as far what fish were in the tank. Primarily, Rosy Reds for feeding my Red-tailed Barracuda's and some Silver Gars. There has never been any snails in this tank so I have ruled out the plant munching via a snail infestation. To the point, something is eating my plants and leaving similar devastation that you would normally see Tent Caterpillars leave behind on common apple trees in the summer time. This creature(s) cuts complete symmetrical chunks out of the plant leaves. The thing I find weird is the damage to the leaves aren't rounded bite marks, the leaves look like someone has taken a razor blade and cut pieces of the leaf completely off. The damage to the leafs almost look like someone took a straight edge and then cut the leaf in half with a razor blade.... Although I have yet to hear/experience this problem before and I have had planted tanks for over 20 years, nobody has been able to provide a viable explanation for this odd munching. One person that I talked to at a local fish store suggested I look for cocoons along the top of the tank wrapped in plant debris. This person thought that I may have introduced a moth/water caterpillar to the tank. Of course I checked this and have found nothing that suggests a moth or caterpillar is living in my tank. What ever this creatures is, it has to be very small. I have scoured the tank and now tanks due to using the same bucket for water changes for another tank, which has somehow now spread the creature to another tank. There is absolutely nothing I can see eating these plants (during the day at least) Has anyone experienced this problem? Any help/suggestions to irradicate this menace would be greatly appreciated. I'd rather not have to completely empty the tank and bleach the heck out of everything to get rid of this plant killer. The second tank affected by these silent killers is my 108 gallon tank which houses the Red-tailed Barracuda's (4) my my Silver Gars(4). Moving these types fish around to other tanks in order to start over would likely stress the fish out to the point of death.....and that's a very expensive option. Thanks in advance. |
#3
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Plant Munching Problem
Thanks Wilma. What did this creature look like and how big was it? Was it a
worm or a caterpiller like creature? Did you find the cocoon along the top of the tank or was it somewhere under a piece of drift wood etc.? Thanks again. Wilma Duncan wrote: Sounds as if you have a creature eating plants and I would say it is a cocoon eating and I found one of these in a tanks and it was a big eater of plants. I was awhile finding the creature but did and removed and know more chunks out of plants. Wilma wrote in message ... I've been watching the newsgroup posts for sometime now and have yet to see anyone experience the problem I am having with my planted tank and now tanks. My problem seemed to start about a year ago when I introduced some new plants into my 72 gallon aquarium. The Water Wisteria and Amazon Swords seemed to start off quite well in the tank and then a few weeks later I noticed the munching. The tank was relatively empty as far what fish were in the tank. Primarily, Rosy Reds for feeding my Red-tailed Barracuda's and some Silver Gars. There has never been any snails in this tank so I have ruled out the plant munching via a snail infestation. To the point, something is eating my plants and leaving similar devastation that you would normally see Tent Caterpillars leave behind on common apple trees in the summer time. This creature(s) cuts complete symmetrical chunks out of the plant leaves. The thing I find weird is the damage to the leaves aren't rounded bite marks, the leaves look like someone has taken a razor blade and cut pieces of the leaf completely off. The damage to the leafs almost look like someone took a straight edge and then cut the leaf in half with a razor blade.... Although I have yet to hear/experience this problem before and I have had planted tanks for over 20 years, nobody has been able to provide a viable explanation for this odd munching. One person that I talked to at a local fish store suggested I look for cocoons along the top of the tank wrapped in plant debris. This person thought that I may have introduced a moth/water caterpillar to the tank. Of course I checked this and have found nothing that suggests a moth or caterpillar is living in my tank. What ever this creatures is, it has to be very small. I have scoured the tank and now tanks due to using the same bucket for water changes for another tank, which has somehow now spread the creature to another tank. There is absolutely nothing I can see eating these plants (during the day at least) Has anyone experienced this problem? Any help/suggestions to irradicate this menace would be greatly appreciated. I'd rather not have to completely empty the tank and bleach the heck out of everything to get rid of this plant killer. The second tank affected by these silent killers is my 108 gallon tank which houses the Red-tailed Barracuda's (4) my my Silver Gars(4). Moving these types fish around to other tanks in order to start over would likely stress the fish out to the point of death.....and that's a very expensive option. Thanks in advance. |
#5
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Plant Munching Problem
Hi Ross, the only other fish in the 72 gallon tank are 2 Emerald Cory's. In the
108 gallon tank the only fish in there are the 4 Barracuda's and 4 Silver Gars. Neither of them will eat anything other then live feeders. Ross Vandegrift wrote: In article , wrote: Primarily, Rosy Reds for feeding my Red-tailed Barracuda's and some Silver Gars. What else is in there? It could be one of the fishes - wanting a veggie snack, they could be tearing the leaves off in chunks. My large tetras are terrible like that! -- 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. He makes it official. It is a Canon Holey Wholly Holy Holy-Water Cannon. Batman and Robin arrive. He shoots them. |
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