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Plant eating Angelfish

5K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  Cydric 
#1 ·
Straight to the point: My girlfriend's angelfish constantly munch on her plants. Even directly after feeding time, they'll go over to the plants and start pulling them apart like a dog does to a stuffed animal.

Why? Does anyone else have this problem with their angelfish? Their are 2 angelfish in a 30g XH tank. BOTH fish do it. Are they taking out aggression?

Tank specs are:
30g XH tank
T5 Coralife light fixture
DIY Co2
100% EcoComplete
Dosing: Seachem Flourish, KNO3, KH2PO4, and K2SO4
Ammonia 0, NitrIte 0, NitrAte 0/very low, PH 6.8
Other inhabitants are:
6 SAE's, 1 common pleco
Food source:
Hikari Blood Worms
Tetra Flakes (fed twice a day)

Here is the poor Hygrophila polysperma 'Sunset' they just love to shred:




You can see the culprit in the pictures too.

Has anyone else witnessed this type of behavior from their angelfish. Only people with personal experiences please respond, I don't want 'guesses'.

Thanks
 
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#2 ·
It's probably requiring some nutrients that it's lacking. Feed some lettuce, spinach, frozen peas (skinned), and blanched zucchini also. Hopefully it will find them more desirable than the plants.

My angels get a good share of vegetable diet, so I've never experienced this.
 
#7 ·
cydric...you could try crazie eddies advice... i do this (although not to stop my angels from eating my plants)
angels are omniviours they will eat anything....mine even eat hair algae :icon_smil
but .....if they really like the taste of your plants..... :help:
 
#8 ·
I breed angels... when they are initially raised in a tank with plastic plants they get in the habit of eating algae from the fake plants. When you put them in with real plants they just tear them up. With angels I have raised with live plants, they still clean but do not tear them up.

Also Hygrophila polysperma is on the Federal Noxious Weeds list. Double check your state laws to see where they stand on possession. It is illegal to own here in Colorado.
 
#11 ·
That is why I gave my two angels away, just keeps tearing up my riccia, glosso, and if I had the HC at the time. Some do and some don't but the real question is for the ones that don't is there a cure? I bought mine when they were pretty small too and the bigger they get the more they tear up plants. BTW they were always full with a full belly but still it seem like the plants were their drugs.....:icon_twis
 
#13 ·
I don't know if they're trying to mate. . .I can't tell the sex of the fish. I know sexing angelfish are very difficult. I assumed they were both males due to their aggressive behavior towards eachother since they were young. I believe they were trying to gain dominance over the tank.
 
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