Plants for clown biotope

[sherriec]

Hi all,

I want to set up a Borneo/Sumatra biotope for my clowns when I move them to their new bigger tank... any ideas for plants that are hardy, easy to care for and won't get dug up or holes punched in them? (OK, holes I can deal with but I'm sick of re-planting their current tank all the time after a vigorous night digging!).

Cheers.

[Schmerlenotto]

Hi Sherriec,

there are two main natural biotop systems of Chromobotia macracanthus.
Sumatra: Mainly in rivers like the Jambi.
Borneo: Mainly in lakes.

Both types of biotops are typically without plants under water (only algae). The loaches hide between great gravel and bogwood.

You have to feed Your clowns with vegetables; my clown loaches eat water plants. Best hardy plants are Microsorum, Anubias, Crinum .

As hiding places I used great Bamboo.

Gerhard

[Diana]

While the plantless look may be a true biotope, it may not look as nice as a planted tank.
Use Java Fern, and tie it to branches or rocks. The roots cling to the branches. It is not rooted into the substrate at all. Anubias is another plant that will grow this way (Native to Africa)

Plant strongly rooted plants in the substrate, then surround them by several large enough rocks that the fish cannot move these rocks. The rocks should go all the way to the bottom of the tank.
Asian plants for this method would include something like Crypts, or various stem plants. Non-Asian plants... you could go with just about anything, but you might find some are too delicate, and just get too many holes. Something fast growing would be able to out grow such damage, though you would be frequently cutting and replanting.

Floating plants are another option. Many floating plants are weeds that have moved all over the world, but may or may not be found in streams. They would more likely get washed away in the rainy season. Depending on how much room there is above the tank: Duckweed, Water Lettuce, Water Hyacinth, various Salvinias, Phylanthus, FrogBit...
Caution: Many of the floating plants I list are not permitted in various areas (like California) where they are likely to escape and survive in wild water ways.

[sherriec]

Thanks guys,

Although plants may not be naturally occurring where clowns are, I like the look of a planted tank. Thanks for the ideas, and for suggestions of how to keep them rooted down!!

Also, at the moment they have grey gravel substrate, but I'm wondering whether this should be brown, or even sand in their new tank?

Cheers,
Sherrie

[Diana]

I have kept fish over many different substrates. In general they seem to look the best when the substrate is dark.

Plants will do better in finer material (if they are rooted) so a plant specific substrate sounds better at first. However, these are often lighter in weight than sand, and tend to hang, suspended in the water longer if they are disturbed. This would probably give a Loach tank permanantly cloudy water, as much as Loaches dig. (Maybe I have weird fish: My Clowns are not digging or punching holes in the leaves).

I would think about a rather fine gravel or coarse sand. This would be heavy enough to sink right back down if it was disturbed.
Either one is easy to vacuum in areas that are not planted.