Has anyone had this combo work? I have some juveniles in a temporary setup and they shredded it. I'm not sure if they ate it or just tore it up. I was hoping to do Jungle Val in the new setup.
Spotted Silver Dollar and Jungle Val
- Thread starter Hatredy
- Start date
I have not had Vals for a long time and not with SD's. It is possible that it could work, and it is worth a try. If it does not work, there are other plants that are less good tasting and could work with your SD's.
Do you have some experience with aquarium plants? Sometimes the plants fail not because of the SD's but for other reasons, or a combination of both. Prior to blaming the SD's it is important to offer good conditions for the plants themselves.
If I were to try Vals, I would start with very well established plant specimens (from another tank) and put several of different sizes in different places, such that hopefully some get overlooked enough so as to take on and grow. By contrast, plants recently bought from a retailer, or mail-ordered are unlikely to take on fast enough before eaten (unless they have just been pulled out with good roots).
By the way, there are at least two species of 'spotted' SDs that are common in the hobby. One of them (M. lippincotianus) is harsher on plants than the other (M. maculatus), at least IME. Do you know what you have? Post a picture and people here would suggest what they may be.
Good luck and cheers!
Do you have some experience with aquarium plants? Sometimes the plants fail not because of the SD's but for other reasons, or a combination of both. Prior to blaming the SD's it is important to offer good conditions for the plants themselves.
If I were to try Vals, I would start with very well established plant specimens (from another tank) and put several of different sizes in different places, such that hopefully some get overlooked enough so as to take on and grow. By contrast, plants recently bought from a retailer, or mail-ordered are unlikely to take on fast enough before eaten (unless they have just been pulled out with good roots).
By the way, there are at least two species of 'spotted' SDs that are common in the hobby. One of them (M. lippincotianus) is harsher on plants than the other (M. maculatus), at least IME. Do you know what you have? Post a picture and people here would suggest what they may be.
Good luck and cheers!
They are supposed to be Metynnis lippincottianus. You wouldn't be able to tell from pictures because they are in a temporary 1000-gallon pool pond while I set up a Boswell type 500gallon. I got them from Imperial Tropicals. The Val was Italian Val that I had for a couple of years in my sump. It was doing fine until about 2 weeks after I added the silver dollars. It was probably 2 feet long and they shredded it in stages. Then they uprooted the rest. I like Val because it has been the easiest for me to keep going, is easy to maintain, and isn't messy.
Sounds rough. Java fern is one plant a number of people have been able to keep with SDs. One advantage is that not being rooted on the bottom they may disrupt it less than other plants. Another possibility is to combine something like Java fern with a floating plant such as frog bit (the latter within a floating corral). The floating frog bit is meant for them to eat.
Regardless, one needs to feed them a lot of veggies so they go easy on plants.
They sure are rough on fleshy plants until they learn better.
Regardless, one needs to feed them a lot of veggies so they go easy on plants.
They sure are rough on fleshy plants until they learn better.