[kjpwb33]

Hi everyone... I recently planted some Staurogyne Repens in my Fluval Flex 32.5 gallon tank... and within 3 days my shrimp (amanos and cherries) have completely decimated it... it is down to just nubs at this point.

So my question is - will it grow back or should I just rip it out and replace it with something else?? this is my first time trying this plant and everything else in my tank is 100% fine (Java fern, Sagittaria subulata , hygrophila siamensis 53b, Limnophila sessiliflora, various moss, anubias, subwassertang, rotala indica "bonsai")

 

[Frshwtr]

I would leave it there for a week or so and see if you get any new growth coming up. Might just be adjusting to the new tank and will shoot back up from it's base.

 

[ProudPapa]

Welcome to the forum. I'm not saying it's not possible, but I've never heard of shrimp eating live healthy leaves. Are you sure the plant wasn't struggling with adapting to new conditions and the shrimp were just grazing on the biofilm on the dying leaves?

 

[zdrc]

The plant probably melted on it's own and the shrimp ate the dead leaves. Cherry shrimp aren't known for eating healthy plant leaves.

 

[kjpwb33]

I would leave it there for a week or so and see if you get any new growth coming up. Might just be adjusting to the new tank and will shoot back up from it's base.

that was my thoughts... since it was a new plant to my tank I am sure it was a bit shocked and they took advantage... but they have never decimated something to this level before... I don't want to give up since we are talking about $40 worth of plant but I have never seen one this badly eaten before

Welcome to the forum. I'm not saying it's not possible, but I've never heard of shrimp eating live healthy leaves. Are you sure the plant wasn't struggling with adapting to new conditions and the shrimp were just grazing on the biofilm on the dying leaves?

I think that the plant was definitely melting due to the switch from the store to my tank... but they have mowed it down so much I just wasn't sure if it had any chance of coming back... I am going to give it a week or 2 and see if I see any new growth before I rip it out

 

[Johntheskier]

You may want to give it a month or 2. A week or 2 most likely won't show any new growth.

 

[somewhatshocked]

Unless there's some existing green growth in there that isn't visible in the photos, toss it.

I wouldn't consider S. repens to be a low-tech plant. Typically requires a medium-high to high-tech environment to thrive. So it likely melted and died back on its own. Then shrimp started to eat it.

If it's tissue-cultured, it's probably a good idea to grow plants out a while prior to adding them to a shrimp tank so leaves aren't tender. Also a good idea to separate TC plantlets quite a bit prior to planting.

 

[kjpwb33]

Unless there's some existing green growth in there that isn't visible in the photos, toss it.

I wouldn't consider S. repens to be a low-tech plant. Typically requires a medium-high to high-tech environment to thrive. So it likely melted and died back on its own. Then shrimp started to eat it.

If it's tissue-cultured, it's probably a good idea to grow plants out a while prior to adding them to a shrimp tank so leaves aren't tender. Also a good idea to separate TC plantlets quite a bit prior to planting.

interesting... from what I read on Tropica's website S Repens is classified as an "easy" plant which is what I was going by. It was the small 1-2-grow tissue culture pots that I added. there is absolutely nothing green left on them - just roots and the shrimp are still chowing down on that as we speak

 

[somewhatshocked]

interesting... from what I read on Tropica's website S Repens is classified as an "easy" plant which is what I was going by. It was the small 1-2-grow tissue culture pots that I added. there is absolutely nothing green left on them - just roots and the shrimp are still chowing down on that as we speak

S. repens is an easy plant. But it only really thrives and grows compactly when in the conditions I mentioned. I personally consider it a high-tech plant.

But the issue you're experiencing is twofold. You didn't separate plantlets at all, so they got crowded out and weren't able to spread well. And, since they were tissue-cultured plants, they were extremely tender and tasty to your critters.

 

[JasPR]

Hi everyone... I recently planted some Staurogyne Repens in my Fluval Flex 32.5 gallon tank... and within 3 days my shrimp (amanos and cherries) have completely decimated it... it is down to just nubs at this point.

So my question is - will it grow back or should I just rip it out and replace it with something else?? this is my first time trying this plant and everything else in my tank is 100% fine (Java fern, Sagittaria subulata , hygrophila siamensis 53b, Limnophila sessiliflora, various moss, anubias, subwassertang, rotala indica "bonsai") View attachment 1050929 View attachment 1050930

I'm thinking just a common melting issue and the shrimp are being blamed as they are at the scene of the crime Don't shot the piano player.

 

[DezMan]

I have it in a high tech tank my self and it’s a fast growing carpet plant with high light but it grows as a regular stem plant in my non co2 tanks