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I'm thinking of a plant for the sole purpose of reducing my nitrate levels. I don't know anything about aquatic plants. I would like something very low maintenance as I am using it as a "filter" and not really interested in growing plants. I need something that can survive living with oscars. It will probably have to be a floating one considering what my oscars do to my fake plants. I don't want something that will grow fast and cover a lot of area. Also, I am running just a regular floresent light on a 12 hour timer. Will I have to change to a plant bulb or is there a plant out there that will live with what I have? Any ideas and suggestions are welcome and thanks in advance.

--Mike

The Oscar will shred floating plants also. You could try just putting the roots of a house plant in the water. My wife has some viney things she roots in my tanks. You might even try growing something in the tank permenantly. The viney things, whatever they are, do great. Sometimes she forgets about them and I have to tell her to get that thing out of there, the roots are going up my filter intake.

Mike

Any plants in your tank will be gone depending on the oscar's personality.

Sounds like another case for Java Fern and Java moss to me. These plants can both be free floating or rooted and don't require special lighting. Under normal floro lights they will both be slow to moderate growers so you wont have to worry about pruning. In fact your oscars should handle that task for you. If the plants cant keep up then you can add a plant bulb. If all else fails you can go with duck weed, this will obscure some of the light tho as it can be a dense floating mass if let go.

I have a amazon sword in my 55 gal. with my convicts. They seem to leave it alone. The thing is rooted in quite well and growing nicly. I do give it some food and have some lights that are for growing plants but for the most part I don't do much with the thing. If you get a big enough one it might work if your oscar isn't all crazy.

55G Planted tank thread
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Just try some floating plants & see it will go. They will absorb nitrates like crazy & hopefully the Oscar will leave them alone.


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good luck,out off all the oscars ive had eventully all my plants got eaten,destroyed or picked to the point where they couldnt survive.but give it a go remember all fish are individuals,your oscars mite not touch your plants.

With my experience with oscars and plants...i came to the conclusion they just dont mix.

I spent hundreds of dollars on plants only to wake up in the morning with them all torn out and floating on top. I replanted them like 20-30 times then thought bugger it! and left the tank with a few rocks in it...
If you want to persist with plants tho use grasses and pot plants...they are the only plants that can withstand there temperament.

Please dont revive threads that have been dead for months one end.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.