staurogyne terrorists

[feh]

This is very annoying. Seems every day since Thursday when I did my last WC I've been finding my filter intake caked up with leaves from my staurogyne. I'm having to clean this off daily. I had no issues with this since I planted them 2 weeks ago. I'm not sure which species of fish is doing it. I'm planning to move the fish out to let the plants recover, but I don't want to put the culprits back in and go thru the same thing. I have peppered cories which are my main suspects, rummy nose tetras, bushy nose plecos, and german rams. I'm not 100% sure its the fish but the leaves appear healthy as well as the stems other than the missing leaves at the bottom. I can't seem to catch them in the act. Any suggestions?

 

[Tom Barr]

Sometimes this plant will lose leaves when not quite happy but recovers well later.

 

[feh]

Yeah, I read about that. I think it was you that mentioned that in a thread somewhere. How long before they bounce back if thats the case? I haven't moved the fish yet, but I have noticed whatever was causing it has stopped. Sad part is only the tops are left. Can't trim them because then all I'll have are stems. Still not 100% sure its the fish.

 

[ShadowMac]

mine lost their leaves when first placed in the tank. It took a couple weeks to recover. Now it is growing well.

I would think that if the fish don't pull at leaves on other plants that they wouldn't on these.

 

[feh]

I don't its so much as pulling at them as hiding in them. Some reason ever since I opened that side of the tank up and planted all the stauro there they like to hang out there more. It wont matter so much later because I'm going to tear it down and rebuild it in a couple of months. I just don't want to do a dry start with leafless stems. I have 2 or 3 whole plants with roots I stashed away in another tank just in case.