Hello,

I am just setting up a cichild tank and would like to add some plants.
Given that cichlids view most plants as a salad, I am a bit restricted
as to what I can put in. I am going to try Java Fern and Anubias as
these can be fixed to the (fake) rock background, keeping them away from
the fishes' digging habits and nearer the light.

Any advice for healthy plants ? I have a heavily planted tank as well
and don't have too much problem with that, but then I can whack in more
nutrients and have more lighting. This new tank runs a danger of algae
taking over due to the lower number of plants taking nutrients.

The tank is a 24" cube. At the moment I have two 18" lights (15W each),
one Interpet Beauty Light Plus and one Interpet Blue Moon Light (as
these bring out the colours of the cichlids). Both tubes have a
reflector. Is this going to be OK for my plants ?

Any advice would be appreciated. I would like healthy plants, but I'm
not bothered for huge growth, just keeping the plants free of algae
would satisfy me !!

No guarantees, but you might want to try sagittaria subulata, particularly
the dwarf v., planted within rings - I use lava rock rings wrapped with java
moss. Plant the sags thickly with their crowns covered by coarse gravel
below the level of the top of the ring.

Sags are excellent for water quality and do well in moderate or even
moderate-low lighting. They will grow quite densely when confined in a
ring.

I've used floating water sprite, too. Depending on the cichlid, it may
propagate faster than it gets demolished.

Thanx. Any thoughts on the lighting type/level I mentioned ? Also, what
about fertilising ? I want to get the plants to grow, but don't want an
algae explosion !!

--
Alan Silver