Another expensive treat

[leross04 28]

I bought a few amazon swords, they looked so pretty in the tank, Goldzilla really likes them too! because she ate them! ugh What plants have successfully made it in your goldfish tank?

[LovelyChaos 869]

Usually the safest route is to go with anubias or java fern. Some others are vallisneria and cryptococryne. I have had limited success with cardamine lyrata. Also people use anacharis for goldies to munch on. You can also try bacopa carolina or ludwigia (:

[tithra 4,917]

lol, that's too bad. I am lucky and my fishies have never nibbled any plants I've tried.

As LC said, java fern and anubias are always safe bets. Val and crypts are possibilities, but there is a chance if they ate the swords those may be get eaten as well.

[FlipsHere 323]

Java fern as they normally dont like the taste of it.. How about Hornwort?

Edited November 3, 2012 by FlipsHere

[FlipsHere 323]

I have Egeria Densa in there too, Which is supposed to be eaten by them but they dont really munch it and also they dont pull it apart..

[bodoba 2,980]

My experience is that fish will go after new growth and decay. Ensuring that the plant is healthy and of a good size before it enters the fishtank would help maintain it. The only thing I've seen that gets eaten ad nauseum is pondscum and other floating plants but that may just be a situation with pond fish since the pond scum holds so many yummy things like larvae, eggs, bugs, shrimp, and other unseeable goodies

[ShawneeRiver 2,720]

I'm very curious why some goldfish eat plants and some don't. I've had 13 fish, and none of them have eaten my "non-edible" plants. They do pick at the plants all the time, though, as they forage for algae and other tasty bits. I wonder if tanks with just a plant or two lead to the goldfish concentrating on just those plants and pick them to death.

Anyway, I've had a sword for more than a year, and it's been goldfish safe. I don't like the sword though because I think it's fussy. The rest of my list includes java fern, anubias, vals (they get munched, but they usually grow fast enough to handle it), crypts, hornwort, rotala, mosses and moss balls.

[ashlee18 1,169]

My guys love vals but leave my amazon sword and water sprite alone. I was really surprised by the water sprite.

[koko 14,376]

I'm very curious why some goldfish eat plants and some don't. I've had 13 fish, and none of them have eaten my "non-edible" plants. They do pick at the plants all the time, though, as they forage for algae and other tasty bits. I wonder if tanks with just a plant or two lead to the goldfish concentrating on just those plants and pick them to death.

Anyway, I've had a sword for more than a year, and it's been goldfish safe. I don't like the sword though because I think it's fussy. The rest of my list includes java fern, anubias, vals (they get munched, but they usually grow fast enough to handle it), crypts, hornwort, rotala, mosses and moss balls.

The only thing I can think of is there personality.. nippers vs non nippers.... Charlie will nip at plants. While myng wont...

Anubias is good and so is java ferns. Though my Charlie has figured out how to nibble on my Anubias now

[ShawneeRiver 2,720]

But isn't a little odd that I've never had a nipper? They nibble, but I'm pretty sure they nibble at just the algae on the leaves.

[Sakura 500]

But isn't a little odd that I've never had a nipper? They nibble, but I'm pretty sure they nibble at just the algae on the leaves.

But you said they eat the vals?

[ShawneeRiver 2,720]

Yes, but they don't annihilate them. And they leave the rest of the plants intact. If I put duckweed in, they act like it's one of those $5.99 buffets and go crazy. So they do eat plants. I don't get it, but it makes me curious.

[Sakura 500]

Yes, but they don't annihilate them. And they leave the rest of the plants intact. If I put duckweed in, they act like it's one of those $5.99 buffets and go crazy. So they do eat plants. I don't get it, but it makes me curious.

Hmm... well that's interesting!

[ShawneeRiver 2,720]

I have noticed that a lot people say something like, "I can't keep plants because I added this one plant and the fish ate it." I can't remember the same type of comment from people who have a lot of plants. When a person has a lot of plants, it seems like the comment is more, "I added this particular new plant and the fish ate it." That's what makes me wonder if a single plant is not enough to withstand all of the attention of the fish.

[Sakura 500]

I have noticed that a lot people say something like, "I can't keep plants because I added this one plant and the fish ate it." I can't remember the same type of comment from people who have a lot of plants. When a person has a lot of plants, it seems like the comment is more, "I added this particular new plant and the fish ate it." That's what makes me wonder if a single plant is not enough to withstand all of the attention of the fish.

I think that could definitely be possible!

[neeceee2 2]

I tried silk, (half got sredded and the rest regularly need trimming due to strings being pulled out), swords (eat the roots and ripped the leaves off), pothose( pulled the roots through the bascket and hammered it till the plant died). Lucky bamboo and lotus bamboo do great (even if they never can keep rocks or gravel around the roots). The three long bamboo totally did away with nitrates in my tank. They dont eat the alge off the glass though. I got the bamboo a Whole Foods. It is long enough to have the leaves free of water. They had up to 3 foot tall. Only thing My goldies dont demolish.

[Daniel 5,668]

I tried silk, (half got sredded and the rest regularly need trimming due to strings being pulled out), swords (eat the roots and ripped the leaves off), pothose( pulled the roots through the bascket and hammered it till the plant died). Lucky bamboo and lotus bamboo do great (even if they never can keep rocks or gravel around the roots). The three long bamboo totally did away with nitrates in my tank. They dont eat the alge off the glass though. I got the bamboo a Whole Foods. It is long enough to have the leaves free of water. They had up to 3 foot tall. Only thing My goldies dont demolish.

I don't know how you're growing it, but you shouldn't keep lucky bamboo submerged; it's not an aquatic plant. After a while it will die off.