Silver Dollars in a planted tank!?

[maxey]

iv heard silver dollars will eat ANY plants.
im thinking of setting up a amazon biotope in a 150gal tank and really want some silver dollars, but i think planted tanks look awesome and would love to have 1.
so my question is has anyone kept silver dollars in a planted tank without them eating everything? and if so what plants?

 

[reptileguy2727]

I think it has a lot more to do with what they are fed than what plants are used (although that is an issue). The idea is that if they get everything they need from the fodo they won't have need for anything in the plants and therefore won't have the cravings for it. I have had some planted tanks where the plants did too well with my goldfish by feeding them a good food (I only feed and recommend New Life Spectrum). I think I have only heard of one person pulling this off with silver dollars though, I think they were feeding NLS but I am not sure.

 

[JamesF]

The problem with herbivores is that they tend to be grazers. So unless you dump food in constantly, they will eat plant material whenever you aren't feeding them. The only way to really keep up with them is to have lots of fast growing plants and make sure you set it up as a high light planted tank so they grow like weeds.

 

[Kyle_91]

iv heard silver dollars will eat ANY plants.
im thinking of setting up a amazon biotope in a 150gal tank and really want some silver dollars, but i think planted tanks look awesome and would love to have 1.
so my question is has anyone kept silver dollars in a planted tank without them eating everything? and if so what plants?

I've kept pacu in a planted tank awhile back and they never ate any plants. As mentioned above, get some fast growing plants that are eligable in a tank for silver dollars.
I honestly don't think they would munch on your plants depending on what you feed them and how you feed them.

Here's my tank with 3 live plants, and NONE of my fish mess with. (ive only seen my pleco sucking on the leaves every so often)

So all in all, I think you'll be fine if you feed them a well-rounded diet of good sources of foods.
- Hope this helps!

 

[JamesF]

What fish do you have in the tank Kyle?

 

[maxey]

Thanks guys

I been wanting these fish for a while but never had a big enough tank to get a school.
Now I can the only thing stopping me was i heard they demolish any plant put in with them and dint want to have to keep replacing them.
I will definitely get some fast growing plants and make sure they are well fed and hopefully it all goes well

 

[Kyle_91]

What fish do you have in the tank Kyle?

Stock is in sig

 

[JamesF]

You only have one fish that would ever show interest in plants. It's not too suprising that they don't bother them. Carnivorous animals don't generally eat plants.

 

[Kyle_91]

I just hope the plants survive. Back when I had my convicts and my gouramis, they would nip at my plants and un-root them.
Now that the gourami and cons are gone, I'm trying to group the plants and bring them back...

My hornwort and my sword plant are growing really nice and none of the fish I had messed with them. Just my camboma plants they messed with...

 

[maxey]

My hornwort and my sword plant are growing really nice and none of the fish I had messed with them. Just my camboma plants they messed with...

I have heard that sword plants (especially amazon) are left untouched by fish but didnt know if it was true