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.

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.

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.

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.

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.