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In my 250 litre (66 gal) tank, there are four Echinodorus bleheri, and the tank has these fish:

1 Panaque sp. L-191
1 "Bajongancistrus sp." (some sort of polka dot, the name I just invented myself untill I can get a more scientific identification)
2 Ancistrus sp. the regular type
4 Corydoras concolor
2 Corydoras caudimaculatus
3 Corydoras arcuatus
1 Corydoras zygatus
1 Corydoras rabauti
5 Microgeophagus altispinosus (bolivian ram)
3 Cleithracara marooni (keyhole cichlid)
1 Acantopsis dialuzona (horse-faced loach)

During the first two months after i set up this tank, the Panaque had sucked the life out of allmost all the leaves of the bleheris (there where five of the plants back then) and the leaves disintergrated. Small pieces of rotting plants started clogging up the filter and made the tank all-over very dirt, with the pieces filling upp crevaces and covering the substrate. It took me 6 months before i was rid of all this and this is not something i want the tank to go through again. Four of the five plants barely survived and have grown a good deal since then (the tank was set up in october 2002 by the way)

Anyway, when i returned from my vacation today, the Panaque (and possibly the ancistrus') had been at it again. Most of the leaves had holes through the middle and I now have to decide wheter to remove the soon-to-be-dead leaves or to throw away the plants alltogether. I don't really care much for plants, they're there because I've been told it's beneficial for the fish.

What I want to know now is this: Could I remove the plants without any of the fish (not just the cats, all the fish) getting problems from this? I really just think plants take up space and make a bit too god hiding-space for the fish when I want to to catch them for some reason.

Provided that there are alternatives for hiding, the fish are getting the right kind of food, and your filtration is good, I don't see why not. I have kept fish in non-planted tanks and they seem to do just as well.

I have been having the same problems with my Panaque sp. L-191(dirt devil) constantly eating my plants all the time, except for â??Anubias barteriâ?

I don't really wan't plants, I keep them because I am under the impression that they benefit the fish...

The reason behind the last attac (on the plants) was probably because I ran out of PlecoMin (algae tabs).

The fish don't really hide in the plants other than when I am trying to net them, and sometimes if I'm putting my hands innto the tank to move stuff or clean.

Hi,
Dwarf cichlids like plants very much and,although they dont seem to hide in,they feel secure when their tank has plants.In a tank without plants they feel unsecure and suffer stress.

Biotopes of SOME pl*cs are devoid of plants. If its pl*cs then consider this:

1 - Panaque: Normally stay on driftwood where water is fast flowing. Very few plants can take on much current (although I have seen some grow here in my country and directly where most of the current passes through).

2 - Some Pseudacanthicus primarily stay in black water river channels or streams. These water ways are actually too acidic for plants to live in (am I correct in saying that?).

3 - Hypancistrus live on streams where the water again is fast moving. Directly where the current passes and the hypans reside, I do not think there are plants. Probably on the river banks only. The zebra is another. They reside deep under water where the sunlight is just too little for plants to grow.

All my tanks are not planted. I used to have plants but it seems either the panaques and ancistrus graze on them or the pseudacanthicus batter them. Most of the time I do have to clean up after them. I have since then removed all the plants. I have to confess though, I put in some floating plastic plants to add some color. Also, my tetras and silver dollars seem to like hiding in them. I don't know about cichlids though.

Regards,
Mike D.

Well, I threw out the plants. It looks a bit empty, but I'll get some more driftwood once i can afford it. The most obvious change is that my "Bajongancistrus" (unidentified as of yet, sold as LDA-33) has lost his cave... The three shabby keyhole cichlids i have used to hide in the plants if they needed hiding, as did a few of the cories. Now they have taken his pipe and for some very strange reason, he doesnt chase them away... He stays outside of the cave and sucks a lot more on the glass than before (to all of you who where trying to identify him earlier, this means I'll probably be able to provide som mouth pics soon).

I allso opened up the outlet valve on the powerhead in the tank a bit more, and it seems the more current, the more my Panaque (L-191) comes out of his hiding

All over things are much nicer now, I think, and I have som slate that I'll use to make a new cave for the "LDA".